GAA Museum events to commemorate Bloody Sunday

Tipperary footballer Bill Maher, left, and Dublin footballer Michael Darragh MacAuley remember the 14 victims who lost their lives in the Bloody Sunday tragedy 100 years on at the launch of the GAA Museum's Bloody Sunday centenary events series at Croke Park. Photos by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

A century on from the darkest day in the Association's history, the GAA Museum has announced a series of events to commemorate Bloody Sunday.

On November 21, 1920, 14 civilians were killed by British forces, and 60 more injured, during 90 seconds of gunfire at a football match between Tipperary and Dublin.

The events will include talks, tours, a new exhibition, and a community programme, beginning with the annual GAA Museum Summer School this Friday. This year, the theme focuses on 'Sport, Peace, and Reconciliation', examining the role of sport in peace-making and international affairs. 

Speakers include historian Dr Richard McElligott, Diarmaid Marsden from Ulster GAA, and Gareth Harper from Peace Players International.

The focal point for the centenary commemorations will be a 'Remembering Bloody Sunday' exhibition, opening in September, featuring contemporary artefacts, newspaper reports, official documents, photographs, and victim stories.

This will include a specially-commissioned centenary painting by artist David Sweeney, a former Dublin senior hurling captain and the GAA’s eLearning Manager.

Artist David Sweeney shows his specially-commissioned Bloody Sunday commemoration artwork to GAA Museum Education and Events Manager, Julianne McKeigue, a descendent of Tipperary footballer Michael Hogan who was killed during the attack.

Weekly events will include commemorative Bloody Sunday guided tours of Croke Park, starting this Saturday, and the ‘Mondays at the Museum’ lecture series, beginning September 14. Entry numbers have been reduced to accommodate social distancing.

Julianne McKeigue, Education and Events Manager at the GAA Museum, is a grand-niece of Michael Hogan, the Tipperary footballer who lost his life on Bloody Sunday.

“The GAA Museum Bloody Sunday centenary programme will remember the loved ones that were lost and remind people of who they were. This is their story, and we aim to tell it in a respectful and thought-provoking way,” she said. 

GAA Museum Director Niamh McCoy added: “Remembering Bloody Sunday is of utmost importance, as it is one of the most tragic and significant events in GAA and Irish history.

“The events have been sensitively curated to honour the victims of the day and safeguard their memory for generations to come.”

Further events will be announced in the coming weeks at: crokepark.ie/bloodysunday