Sam Maguire The Man and The Cup

Originally from a Church of Ireland family in west Cork, Sam Maguire played a leading role in the GAA and the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in London before and during the War of Independence in 1919-1921 when he was the main agent of Michael Collins in London. This book describes his role in the GAA and the IRB. It tells of his tragic final years when he returned to Ireland in 1923, was later dismissed from his job in the post office and died penniless from TB in 1927. However, his friends recognised his significant contribution and decided to give a cup to the GAA to perpetuate his memory: the Sam Maguire Cup. The book recounts who they were, the origins of the design of the cup and the story of its creation. The final chapters describe the most notable All-Ireland football finals and interesting facts and figures about them such as the first penalty, players who have been presented with the cup twice and players who have lost four finals without winning one.