100-year anniversary of first awarding of Liam MacCarthy Cup to Limerick

THIS COMING Saturday, March 4, marks the 100 year anniversary of the first awarding of the Liam MacCarthy Cup and on that day it was Limerick that collected the new trophy.

Bob McConkey was the Limerick captain that first lifted the famous cup after he led the Treaty men to victory in the delayed 1921 hurling decider, which was played in 1923 due to the ongoing Irish Civil War.

McConkey captained the team playing full forward  and lead by example scoring four goals and winning on a score of 8-5 to Dublin’s 3-2. It was Limerick's third All-Ireland success after 1897 and 1918. 

MacCarthy’s father Eoghan was from Ballygarvan Co Cork and his mother Bridget Dineen from Crawford’s Lane Bruff, They got married in 1851 and relocated to Peckham, London.

MacCarthy was highly involved in GAA circles in London, becoming the first ever treasurer of the London county board. He also served as chairman twice in the early years of the committee.

In 1922, Liam and two of sons commissioned the Liam MacCarthy Cup. It was a replica of an old Irish drinking vessel. The trophy was manufactured by  Edmund Johnson on Grafton St, in Dublin and cost the princely sum of 50 pounds. It replaced the Great Southern Cup.

A new Liam MacCarthy Cup was commissioned in 1991 with Tipperary being the last county to be awarded it after All-Ireland success. Kilkenny were the first team to win the new trophy a year later.

Limerick won the initial Liam MacCarthy Cup a total of five times (1921, 1934, 1936, 1940 and 1973) and won the 'new' MacCarthy Cup for the first time in 2018.