Part of the appeal of sport is that it reaches across generations to provide a link between families.
Dublin GAA is in the ascendant now getting ready to embark on a three in a row All Ireland Championship Challenge but the roots of that were sown not just in the sponsorship money provided by AIG but in the history of achievement set alight in the 1970’s by one of the greatest managers in the game Kevin Heffernan.
Flags are still unfurled on Hill 16 each summer in tribute to the man who created the first mystique of invincibility around the Dubs.
Last night GAA legends Tony Hanahoe, Eoin ‘The Bomber’ Liston and Brian Mullins at a special launch event in The Little Museum of Dublin to see Director General of the GAA Páraic Duffy officially open a new exhibition Heffo’s Army – The Rise of Dublin GAA.
Sponsored
The exhibition is sponsored by New Ireland Assurance who have been growing a presence in GAA through sponsorships of the Dublin Ladies Football Club Championship and the Al lIreland Winning Cork Camogie team.
The exhibition features rare footage, photographs and personal memorabilia from fans and players. It has been curated by eminent sports historians Mark Duncan and Paul Rouse.
Heffernan’s club hurling and football career coincided with a hugely successful period in the history of St. Vincent’s GAA club. A celebrated Dubliner and All Ireland winner, Heffernan was previously granted Freedom of the City of Dublin, an honor bestowed to U2 and Nelson Mandela.
The discussion between the legends of the game was streamed live on Facebook.
“I think it is right and fitting that this exhibition is opening in the heart of a city that Kevin Heffernan did so much to engage with over such a prolonged period of time through the prism of our games,” said Duffy.
Ground Breaking
“He will be forever known as a ground-breaking figure within GAA circles – but also beyond.”
“He changed irrevocably how our games were viewed and played in the capital and placed the GAA on a platform it might not otherwise have reached. That influence and legacy endures to this very day and is one of the reasons Dublin occupies the place it does within the GAA family.
“However, his efforts weren’t just about the county scene. His contribution and commitment to St Vincent’s was unquestioned and the tradition he helped establish in Marino continues to bear fruit to this day. I wish everyone connected with this project every success and trust that a whole new generation will connect with a very special period for Gaelic games through the exhibits.”
“Tonight was a very special event and is the culmination of months of hard work from those who have made this special exhibition happen,” added Mick Sweeney, Managing Director of New Ireland Assurance.
“New Ireland is thrilled to be a part of what we feel is a unique exhibition that will attract thousands of Dublin GAA fans and the broader GAA community over the coming months.”
The Heffo’s Army exhibition at The Little Museum of Dublin opens to the public from Thursday 2nd March until 28th May and tickets are €8 per person and €16 for families.
Ireland is well served by a study of sporting history with the GAA Museum at Croke Park one of Ireland’s leading attractions, a major sports element to the Epic Museum in the CHQ Vaults and a new history of racing experience centre planned as part of the redevelopment of the Curragh Racecourse.
