This wonderful photo was recently discovered in London. Notice the captain was Michael Collins and also included in the photo, middle row and extreme right is the famous Sam Maguire himself.
Born into a Church of Ireland family, Maguire rose through the ranks of the GAA, holding the position of chairman of the London county board before turning his attentions to the Irish Republican Brotherhood.
Having died of tuberculosis in 1927, his friends and the people of Dunmanway, where he was from, sought to commemorate the man who played an important part in the war of independence. A cup was presented to the GAA, with Kildare the first county to win the Sam Maguire in 1928.
