If anything shows the importance of the GAA in Irish culture, then this is it.
100 years to the weekend of the Bloody Sunday tragedy that took the life of Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan and 13 others in Croke Park, the Premier County’s footballers will wear a commemorative green and white jersey in their honour.
That was Sunday November 21, 1920. This is Sunday November 22, 2020.
Call it fate, call it a coincidence but whatever it is that brought the Tipperary footballers back to the field on the centenary anniversary of that fateful day, it has a special feel about it.
A whole host of planned commemorative events had fallen through this year, but this Munster final surely beats all as a means of honouring those who have fallen. The Tipperary footballers, doing what their predecessors did, carrying on the legacy.
The jersey itself was recently approved by Croke Park and the fine touch by Tipperary GAA sponsor Teneo, to forego their sponsorship for the day that’s in it is another mark of admirable respect. The work done by all involved to allow this to happen and indeed to raise awareness about this terrible day in our history, is remarkable.
The jersey itself has not yet been revealed but it will be similar to the two below.
100 years on from Bloody Sunday, the Tippperary footballers will wear the replica of the green and white jersey worn by their predecessors on that fateful day, in the upcoming Munster final v Cork 🟢⚪️
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/xgX6G9RH5f
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) November 9, 2020
Tipperary GAA released the following statement this morning.
“Croke Park recently approved this jersey as the first official Tipperary Bloody Sunday replica which features an image of Michael Hogan on the sleeve along with the official Tipperary and GAA crests.
Tipperary Team sponsor Teneo have agreed to forego their name on the front of this commemorative jersey in favour of the symbolic Tipperary name printed in gold across the front. Teneo Chairman and CEO and Tipperary native Declan Kelly congratulated David Power’s team on reaching the Munster Final and said he was “honoured to be associated with the Tipperary Senior Football team as we commemorate this very significant period in our history”.
No other event since the foundation of the Gaelic Athletic Association has affected our wonderful organisation so much as Bloody Sunday, a day in which Tipperary player Michael Hogan and 13 others were fatally wounded.
The Tipperary players and management of 2020 are honoured to wear the official replica green and white jersey in this year’s Munster Final and play their part in marking this historic anniversary event.
