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Sam
Maguire
The famed 'Sam Maguire Cup' has continually visited
Scotland to full house's at Celtic Park in Glasgow - the home of Glasgow
Celtic Football Club.
It is always a special occasion for Celtic football fans when 'Sam'
makes an appearance at the venue. Tyrone in 2006 are following a trend
set by Donegal, Armagh and Galway players with the Sam Maguire in tow.
Many Celtic players have been successful Gaelic men also, a few are
listed below
Neil Lennon played for Armagh minors.
Manager Martin O'Neill played his last
game of Gaelic football in the All-Ireland minor final of 1980. He missed
a penalty in Derry's defeat by Kerry.
Sean Fallon played local soccer with St
Mary's Juniors and Gaelic football with Craobh Rua before joining Sligo
Rovers from Longford Town
Colin Healy played gaelic football for
Colaiste Choilm, while Packy Bonner played for
Donegal, but who was Sam Maguire?
Well Samuel ("Sam") Maguire (1879 - February 6, 1927), an
Irish Republican and Gaelic footballer, is chiefly remembered as the
eponym of the Sam Maguire Cup, given to the All-Ireland Senior Champions
of Gaelic football. The cup was designed and presented to the GAA in
1928 in his honour after his death from tuberculosis in 1927. The cup
cost £300 in 1928. (equivalent to €26,395 now).It was made
by Hopkins and Hopkins of O'Connell's bridge.
He was born in the townland of Mallabraca near the town of Dunmanway
in West Cork, into a well-respected Church of Ireland family. Sam had
four brothers and two sisters. Willie was the eldest then Mary, Jack
Dick Paul, Sam and Elizabeth. The Maguires farmed 200 acres of land.Sam
went to school in Dunmanway and then to the national school in Ardfield.
This is the same school Michael Collins later attended. At the age of
20 Maguire passed the exams. After taking a job in the British Civil
Service in London, Maguire joined and captained the successful London
Hibernians Gaelic football team to several All-Ireland finals between
1900 and 1904.
In 1907 Sam went into the administration of the London GAA, becoming
the Chairman of the London County Board and a regular delegate to the
Annual Congress of the GAA. He later became a trustee of Croke Park.
Coincidentally, Vice-Chairman of the London County Board was Liam McCarthy
who gave his name to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Cup.
He is also remembered in the political sphere for recruiting the nationalist
leader Michael Collins to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Sam worked
for the Irish Republican Brotherhood in London until 1921.He returned
to Dublin in 1921 and got a job in the newly established Irish civil
service, but because of his political opinions he quickly clashed with
his superiors and was dismissed.
Sam Maguire died of tuberculosis February 6th 1927, aged 48. A Celtic
cross was raised over his grave with a simple inscription
Erected to the memory of Samuel Maguire, Mallacraba
who died 6th February 1927 by the people of Dunmanway and his numerous
friends throughout Ireland and England in recognition of his love for
his country.
Sam is buried in the Protestant cemetery of Saint Mary's in Dunmanway.
Kildare was the first county in 1928 to win the Sam Maguire cup after
defeating Cavan 2-6 to 2-5. The cup had to be replaced in 1998. Meath
were the first to win "Sam Óg" after a defeat of Cork.
On September 15th, 2002, a statue of Sam Maguire was unveiled as the
centrepiece of a new €500,000 town shoppingplaza in Dunmanway.
Mail on Sunday Article from January
2006 & An GAA's brillant reply.
Celtic football club was yesterday facing fresh controversy
over alleged links between its fans and the IRA. The club was recently
forced to condemn sectarianism after two players were filmed at a supporters
event in Ireland, during which chants of sin (sic) Fein and IRA could
be heard.
Now the club itself is at the centre of the storm after agreeing to
allow a football trophy named after an IRA intelligence chief to be
paraded around Celtic park despite the clubs insistence that it `condemns`
support for paramilitary organisations.
All-Ireland champions Tyrone have been allowed to take the Sam Maguire
cup on a lap of honour of the ground before the sold outmatch with Dundee
utd on Jan 28.
However, Sam Maguire was head of IRA operations in London around the
time of the Easter rising in 1916. It has been suggested he ordered
the IRA murder of conservative mp sir Henry Wilson in June 1922.
Maguire is a revered figure in Republican circles, having sworn in Michael
Collins to the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1909.
The disclosure will come as a major embarrassment for Celtic who outlined
they`re stance on the IRA only last Wednesday.
by Paul Drury
GAA Reply
Dear Sir,
My thanks for your email. We have been in contact with Glasgow Celtic
in relation to this and have established an agreed approach.
Sensationalistic doesn't begin to describe the angle taken by Mr Drury,
the journalist in question. In the first place, the Sam Maguire Cup
was named in honour of the man's sterling work as secretary of the London
County Board and not for anything he did for the cause of national independence
(however worthy).
The implied suggestions of sectarianism don't tally with the fact that
Maguire was a Protestant.
He was involved in the War of Independence, but then so too were the
likes of future Taoiseach (Prime Ministers) of the country such as Eamonn
De Valera, Sean Lemass and President Sean T O Ceallaigh, not to mention
Nobel peace prize winner Sean Mc Bride.
I very much doubt if any reservations would be expressed were any of
those luminaries to be associated with Celtic.
Every country has a history and any country that gained its Independence
generally did so by force of arms. You only have to consider George
Washington's contribution to the American War of Independence, and it
is unlikely Mr Drury would object to a trophy in his honour being paraded
at Parkhead. Sam Maguire is no different
.
Indeed, as you know many famous Irish streets, housing estates, buildings,
train stations etc are named after those who fought in the War of Independence
- it is not unusual and never before has this issue been raised in such
a mischievous context.
Incidentally, The Nelson Mandela Cup is the name of the trophy presented
to the winners of the annual tri-nations clash in rugby between Australia
and South Africa - there would have been a time when Mandela was viewed
as a subversive by his own state and indeed was imprisoned on this basis.
I mention this to highlight the importance of context around such issues.
In short, I consider this a disgraceful piece of mischief making by
an individual who it appears must have an agenda against Celtic and
the GAA and has no understanding whatsoever of the complexities of Irish
politics and the National question.
Feargal Mac Giolla,
Oifigeach Eolais,
Cumann Luthchleas Gael
Pairc an Chrocaigh
BAC 3
Email Daithi
McGonigal regarding any additions or comments.
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