Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers Rare Books & Collectors' Sale December 9th & 10th, 2020

95 fonsiemealy.ie fm All contents and images are subject to copyright ‘Bloody Sunday’Ticket An original Admission Ticket to Croke Park, Great Challenge Match (Football), Tipperary v. Dublin, Sunday November 21,1920. Pink card, 3 ins x 4 ¼ ins, vertical fold mark with slight tear, number written rear in ms. It was at this match that British soldiers opened fi re on the pitch and crowd, killing a player and twelve spectators. This followed Michael Collins’ operation against British secret service agents earlier that morning, in which fourteen British o ffi cers were shot dead. (1) The period 1918 - 1920 was a turbulent and dangerous period in Irish History. Martial Law was enforced in many areas, and the activities of the G.A.A. and other Sporting Organisations were severely curtailed. The behaviour of the British Forces in Ireland forced many young men to join the Irish Volunteers, and other Republican Organizations despite having no background in the movement. Especially in Tipperary, many young men of the time, and particularly those involved in Gaelic Games joined in the struggle for Irish Independence. With such exciting events as the Rescue of Sean Hogan at Knocklong Railway Station in May 1919, several of the country’s leading Footballers became involved in the War of Independence. By early March 1920 the number of Gaelic Games played almost came to a standstill. This trend continued into the early summer when normally the volume of activity should have been increasing. In October there came a sudden and brief revival of Inter-County Fixtures. However, the following month was to have a tragic outcome. In early October, approximately fi ve thousand spectators who had so far that year had little exciting fare were entertained by a rousing Challenge Football Match in Croke Park, between Dublin and Kildare, which Dublin won. Soon afterwards, the Tipperary County Board issued a challenge to Dublin. A match was arranged for 2.45 p.m. on Sunday November 21st, again at Croke Park. The game was well organised, and advertised as The G.A.A. Challenge Match. It was intended that the money raised from the match would help the Association for the Dependents of the I.R.A. who had been killed or imprisoned. The events which occurred at that game, now known as “Bloody Sunday,” followed the early morning assassination of eleven British Intelligence Agents, “The Cairo Gang,” in an operation organized by Michael Collins. When the British retaliated later that day, it was to Croke Park that the Military and Auxiliary Forces came, recognizing that the Stadium was the centre and symbol of Irish Nationalism and Nationalistic Aspirations. “Then suddenly and without any warning, Croke Park was the scene of a holocaust??”They fi red into the crowd indiscriminately, killing twelve people and wounding about sixty, “On the fi eld Michael Hogan, one of the Tipperary backs (and one of only two Irish Volunteer O ffi cers on the Tipperary Team) lay mortally wounded, while within seconds a dozen spectators were dead or dying, many more seriously wounded.”This was Bloody Sunday. Nothing more strikingly illustrates the close connections between the G.A.A. and the Republican Movement between 1916 and 1922, than “Bloody Sunday.” (1) € 2000 - 3000 G.A.A. Football: A magni fi cent and excessively rare 9ct gold circular medal, the obverse fi nely engraved with an Irish sportsman, togged out and standing in front of a goalpost ‘holding a ri fl e in his hands, two hurley sticks, a sliotar and a football lying in foreground, and decorated with shamrocks overhead, the reverse inscribed “Presented by The Irish Natl. Assurance Co., 1921 Anniversary T’ment. Won by Tipp. J. Kickham.” The loop suspension fl anked either side with engraved shamrock. In immaculate condition. (1) * This medal was awarded to Jack Kickham (C.J. Kickhams Club of Mullinahone) who played full forward for Tipperary on that faithful day. Jack was born at Ballydavid, Mullinahone into a farming family and community where he remained up to his death. He was a member of the Mullinahone Team that brought the fi rst ever Senior County Football Title to the Village in 1912. He progressed to become a full member of the Tipperary County Team along with his club mate Ned Egan. They were narrowly defeated by Kerry in the Munster semi- fi nal of 1919, a match that took place on May 25 th , less than a fortnight after the Knocklong Rescue of Sean Hogan by Sean Treacy, Dan Breen and others, in which two policemen were killed. After this incident, South Tipperary became an armed camp and all G.A.A. and other Sporting Activities ceased. Jack was a quiet man and reputed to be one who avoided the limelight at all costs, but one who would have surely won more honours from his sporting prowess except for the turbulent times that existed when he was in his prime. Nevertheless, he will forever be remembered with pride in his native village. An extremely rare memento of this extraordinary day in G.A.A. History. € 4000 - 6000 520 A Dark Day in GAA & Irish History 521 Bloody Sunday First Anniversary Tournament Excessively Rare Gold Medal