The road to the All Ireland Final begins in towns and parishes across the country at this time of year but there was an extra stop for the trophies themselves this weekend as both stood side by side in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral.
The reason for their presence was an ecumenical choral evensong will took place as Donegal and Fermanagh came to a conclusion in the Ulster Football Championship and before Galway and Wexford crossed hurls at Pearse Stadium.
The service acknowledged the rich tapestry of cultures and creeds that since 1884 continue to contribute to the enhancement of Gaelic games, culture, and life on Ireland and beyond. It featured contributions from a variety of figures from the GAA and Irish community and church life.
“We recently launched the GAA’s new manifesto under the banner ‘Where We All Belong’.,” said GAA president John Horan ahead of the service.
“That represents a call to action as much as a state of play and I hope this service embodies a modern GAA and a modern Ireland; one where we celebrate all cultures and faiths. We hope everyone sees a place for themselves in the GAA.”
Sam Maguire was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church of Ireland in Dunmanway, County Cork.
He rose to prominence in the GAA as chairperson of the London County Board following a successful playing career. Coincidently, Liam MacCarthy who gave his name to the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Cup, also served as an official of the London County Board.
The Sam Maguire Cup was presented to the GAA in honour of Maguire a year after his death in 1927. In 2017, on the 90th anniversary of that occasion, the local parish and community, with the support of a grant from the GAA, restored the six original bells in the church tower while adding two new ones inscribed with Sam Maguire’s name and dates (1877-1927).
The church, of all varieties, has always playaed a part in Irish sport and that continues to this day as evidenced by Off The Ball’s Shane Stapleton’s tweet from the weekend.
My first cousin, Fr Vinny Stapleton, substitutes himself midway through the second half of a league game against Sars to go say mass. Blessed us with a couple of lovely points. No, this is not a joke @Borris_GAA pic.twitter.com/9XXtxSabLk
— Shane Stapleton (@ShaneSaint) May 25, 2019
Image Credit: Ramsey Cardy, Sportsfile
