O'Higgins: Irish Folklore or Chilean Championship Contenders?

Let's face it, when you think of the name O'Higgins, one thinks of Ireland and not Chilean Football. So when I saw "O'Higgins" near the top of Chile's Clausura, I was more than intrigued.

To be honest, most outside of South America would, in all likelihood, know very little about Chilean Football, and I was no exception. So I did some digging.

The Chilean Premier League is the ninth-ranked league in the world, it's most famous sides include Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile, and they compete in two leagues per season. The Apertura and the Clausura produce two Chilean Champions per year.

Different to most conventional leagues but entertaining all the same. You would think that this system would be more likely to produce different champions each season, but not really as Colo Colo won four leagues in a row.

That is certainly consistent and quite a feat, I'd say.

Before I move on to O'Higgins, there are two other familiar names on the log.

Everton (one of Chile's top sides) were founded by sailors from Liverpool. Fancy that...

Rangers were not, funnily enough, founded by a Scotsman but there was an Englishman involved.

So now to the mystery that is Club Deportivo O'Higgins.

The club is based in Rancagua but was named after a hero of the Chilean War for Independence.

What, I hear you say? What has O'Higgins got to do with a South American Civil War?

Well it's all to do with Bernardo O'Higgins, the first Supreme Director of a fully independent Chile.

Bernardo was an illegitimate son of Ambrosio O'Higgins (originally Ambrose O'Higgins), a nobleman of sorts, from, you guessed it, Ireland.

Ambrosio emigrated to South America after suppression in Ireland and a downfall of family stature. To cut a pretty long story short, he ended up the Governor of Chile after years working for the Spanish Army and went on to be the Viceroy of Peru.

The son Bernardo was as already mentioned one of the hero's who vanquished Chile from Spanish rule. I wouldn't exactly call it "following in his fathers footsteps," but an extremely successful man nonetheless.

Club Deportivo O'Higgins are far less successful.

Formed in 1955, since their 1964 second division title the club has won absolutely nothing in 42 years in Chile's top flight. So I wouldn't put any money on a league win anytime soon, despite their recent upturn in fortunes.

Well, if you made it to the end of this, then I thank you for following my fascination. At least any Irish readers have a new soft spot for Chilean football.