The replay date for the Liam McCarthy Cup has a special resonance this September: it will take place on the 85th anniversary of Liam MacCarthy’s death.
Authors Sean Meaney and Jerry Gardner - who have both published books about the men behind the Liam MacCarthy and Sam Maguire trophies - believe that now would be an appropriate time for MacCarthy and Maguire to be properly honoured by the GAA.
Meaney is a distant relative of McCarthy's and has long campaigned for a statue to be erected in his memory, although there has been no progress on that front.
He says: “Liam MacCarthy's contribution to the GAA in London and to the game of Hurling in general is immeasurable. Indeed, without his intervention, it could be argued the game may well have died a natural death. We owe Liam a debt of gratitude that we may never be able to repay him. He worked tirelessly to keep the GAA afloat in London and worked closely with Michael Collins, Sam Maguire and Patrick Pearse.”
