The relic is over 132 years old.
The oldest known GAA trophy is set to be on BBC Antique Roadshow, as Derry’s senior hurling championship trophy dates back to 1891, making it a very relic.
The 132-year-old trinket could be the first ever of its kind, but due to unverified reasons, the cup was never competed for again, and was placed in Owenbeg, Derry’s Centre of Excellence.
According to GAA historian, Dónal McAnallen (brother to late Tyrone star Cormac McAllen), who will speak about the cup on the classic show, which was filmed at an event in the city’s Ebrington Square last summer.
“The Antiques Roadshow experts found it very interesting,” he told gaa.ie.
“Why did Derry have a hurling championship trophy in 1891 which is long before it was the norm to have cups and trophies at county and even national level?
“Well, at the time it was first presented, Gaelic Games had mushroomed in Derry and there were 16 clubs in Derry at the time and also teams from Innishowen involved.
“The fact that this trophy was being presented in 1891 is evidence that hurling was popular and also indicates just how popular the game of ‘caman’ was in the area and was widely played and predated the formation of the GAA in 1884.
“Even after the later decline of the GAA in the city, there are still newspaper reports of Christmas ‘caman’ matches between factory workers in Derry.”
Credit: BBCSunday’s Antique Roadshow programme is a Derry-based special, and will also examine the Walled City’s links with World War II and various aspects of the area’s colourful past.
The first of three episodes will now be broadcast on BBC One at 8pm on Sunday, October 22.
Related links:
- Sarsfields GAA club destroyed by floods just two days after county final triumph
- Belfast newspaper editor makes no bones about his thoughts on the GAA
- Tyrone club combine the modern with the old school to silence Gaelic football sourpusses
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