A Timeline of the Important Dates During the GAA's Lifetime
Foundation
When Michael Cusack moved to Dublin, in 1877, to open his academy
preparing Irish students for the Civil Service examinations, sport throughout
Ireland was the preserve of the middle and ascended classes.
Within Cusack’s academy sport was central with students who were encouraged to
participate in rugby, cricket, rowing and weight-throwing.
In the early 1880’s Cusack turned his attentions to indigenous Irish sports. In
1882 he attended the first meeting of the Dublin Hurling Club, formed ‘for the purpose of taking steps to re-establish the national game of
hurling’.
The weekly games of hurling, in the Phoenix Park, became so popular that, in
1883, Cusack had sufficient numbers to found ‘Cusack’s Academy Hurling Club’
which, in turn, led to the establishment of the Metropolitan Hurling Club.
On Easter Monday 1884 the Metropolitans played Killiomor, in Galway. The game
had to be stopped on numerous occasions as the two teams were playing
to different rules.
It was this clash of styles that convinced Cusack that not only did the
rules of the games need to be standardised but that a body must be established
to govern Irish sports.
Cusack was also a journalist and he used the nationalist press of the day to
further his cause for the creation of a body to organise and govern
athletics in Ireland.
On October 11 1884 an article, written by Cusack, called ‘A word about Irish
Athletics’ appeared in the United
Ireland and The Irishman.
These articles were supported a week later by a letter from Maurice Davin, one
of three Tipperary brothers, who had dominated athletics for over a decade
and who gave his full support to the October 11 articles.
A week later Cusack submitted a signed letter to both papers announcing that a
meeting would take place in Hayes’s Commercial Hotel, Thurles on November
1 1884.
On this historic date Cusack convened the first meeting of the ‘Gaelic Athletic Association for the Preservation and Cultivation of
national Pastimes’. Maurice Davin was elected President, Cusack, Wyse-Power and McKay were
elected Secretaries and it was agreed that Archbishop Croke, Charles Stewart
Parnell and Michael Davitt would be asked to become Patrons.
From that initial, subdued first meeting grew the Association we know today.
TIMELINE 1884-1945
1884 Foundation of the GAA
At the behest of Michael Cusack seven men met in Hayes Hotel, Thurles on
November 1 1884 and founded the Gaelic Athletic Association for the
Preservation and Cultivation of our National Pastimes. Maurice Davin was
elected President, Michael Cusack, John Wyse Power and John McKay elected
Secretaries and Archbishop Thomas William Croke, Charles Stewart Parnell
and Michael Davitt were asked to become patrons.
1887 Split and Reconstruction
The GAA split along political lines with one faction supporting the
physical force IRB and the other the Irish Parliamentary Party. Matters came to
a head at the 1887 Annual Congress when the IRB candidate, Edward Bennett,
defeated Maurice Davin for the Presidency. Scanlon, (who favoured the Home Rule
faction), left the Annual Congress and announced his intention to form a rival
athletic association-one that would pledge allegiance to the National League.
Archbishop Croke brought both sides together and at a Special Congress, in
January 1888, Maurice Davin was re-elected as President of the GAA.
1888 American Invasion Tour
One of the main ideas considered by the founders of the GAA was the revival of
the ancient Tailteann Games, An Aonach Tailteann. The GAA decided to host the
games in Dublin in 1889 and estimated that £5,000 would be required for
such a venture. To raise the capital a group of 50 Irish athletes embarked
on a fundraising tour of Irish centres in America staging displays of hurling
and athletics and international contests between Ireland and America. However
terrible weather and infighting between the two athletic organisations in
America resulted in low attendances and gate receipts. The GAA had to borrow
£450 from Michael Davitt to bring the party home and up to 17 members remained
in America. While the tour was a financial failure it did arouse interest in
Gaelic Games amongst the Irish and Irish-Americans.
1913 Purchase of Croke Park
At the G.A.A.’s 1905 Annual Convention the decision was taken to erect a
memorial in honour of Archbishop Thomas William Croke, First Patron of the GAA,
who died in 1902. Between 1905 and 1913 fund-raising for this memorial was
sporadic at best but in 1913 a ‘Croke Memorial Tournament’ (Hurling and
Football) was held which resulted in a profit of £1,872, to be used for the
memorial. Using these funds the GAA decided to purchase Jones Road Sports
Ground from Frank Dineen for £3,500. They re-named the grounds ‘Croke Park’ in
honour of Archbishop Croke.
1916 GAA Involvement
Although not officially involved, many members of the GAA took part in the
Rising. GAA activities throughout the country came to a halt as many
of the association's members were imprisoned. In 1916 the GAA entered
the ‘political arena’ when it agreed to send a delegation to a Dublin
Corporation conference for the purpose of forming a Political Prisoners Amnesty
Association. After the 1916 Rising the British Authorities severely curtailed
the movement of traffic throughout Ireland and this included trains taking
people to Croke Park. The finances of the GAA suffered severely as a result.
1918 Gaelic Sunday
In 1918 the British Authorities informed Luke O’Toole that no hurling or
football games would be allowed unless a permit was obtained from Dublin
Castle. The GAA, at their meeting of July 20 1918, unanimously agreed that no
such permit be applied for under any conditions and that any person applying
for a permit, or any player playing in a match in which a permit had been
obtained, would be automatically suspended from the Association. In a further
act of defiance the Council organised a series of matches throughout the
country for Sunday August 4 1918. Matches were openly played throughout the
country with an estimated 54,000 members taking part. This became known as
Gaelic Sunday.
1920 Bloody Sunday
The Dublin football team was scheduled to play Tipperary, in Croke Park, on
November 21 1920 and the proceeds of this ‘great challenge match’ were to
be donated to the Irish Republican Prisoners' Fund. The night before Michael
Collins sent his ‘Squad’ out to assassinate the ‘Cairo Gang’, a team of
undercover British agents working and living in Dublin. A series of shootings
took place throughout the night which left 14 members of the British Forces
dead. In reprisal the British Military entered Croke Park and opened fire
killing 14 people.
1924 Tailteann Games
With the end of the Civil War the Irish Provisional Government decided
to stage the Tailteann Games (due to take place in 1922 but postponed due to
the outbreak of the Civil War) with Croke Park as the main centre of activity.
The GAA was given a grant of £10,000 to refurbish Croke Park for the event, out
of which they purchased a new stand, The Hogan Stand. Although the Tailteann
Games were staged again in 1928 and 1932, the 1924 games are considered the
most successful.
1929 Death of Luke O’Toole
Luke O’Toole, General Secretary, died of influenza on the 17th of July
1929. In November he was succeeded by Pádraig Ó Caoimh.
1938 Removal of Dr Hyde as
President of Ireland
In December 1938 the GAA removed Douglas Hyde, President of Ireland, as a
Patron of the Association. Hyde had broken the GAA’s “exclusion/foreign games
rule’ by attending (in an official capacity) the Ireland v Poland International
soccer match in Dalymount Park, Dublin.
1939-1945 The GAA and World War II
Travel and fuel restrictions during World War II severely curtailed the playing
of Gaelic games. The GAA in Britain continued to play their championships
against all the odds.
TIMELINE 1945-2009
TIMELINE 1945-2009
1947 Polo Grounds Final
The 1947 All-Ireland Senior Football Final, between Cavan and Kerry, was
played in the Polo Grounds, New York, to stimulate interest in Gaelic
Games amongst the Irish-American population there. The final, with Cavan
victorious, was a resounding success with new clubs formed throughout America
and a profit of close to £10,000 recorded.
1958 Wembley at Whit
The British GAA rent Wembley Stadium for the hosting of an exhibition of Gaelic
Games. This venture was so successful that ‘Wembley at Whit’ became an annual
date on the British GAA’s calendar until 1975; in 1962 over 40,000 spectators
attended the challenge game.
1961 GAA and the advent of Telefís Éireann
With the establishment of Telefís Éireann television became a reality for a
large section of the Irish population. Gaelic Games were televised live for the
first time and initial worries that the televising of games would result in a
serious drop in attendances proved unfounded.
1964 Seán Ó Síocháin succeeds Pádraig Ó
Caoimh as Secretary General
In May 1964 Pádraig Ó Caoimh, General Secretary of the Association,
passed away; he was succeeded by Seán Ó Síocháin.
1966 - "1916" 50 Years On
The GAA marks the 50th anniversary of the 1916 Rising by staging a pageant
‘Seachtar Fear: Seachtar Lá’ in Croke Park. The GAA also commissioned an
extended essay on the GAA’s role in 1916. Veterans of the 1916 Rising were
quests of honour at the 1966 All-Ireland Hurling Final.
1971 Rule 27 is rescinded
At a landmark Annual Congress, held in Ulster for the first time, the GAA
deleted ‘Rule 27’ from its Official Guide. Members of the GAA were now
permitted to play and attend previously banned sports.
1972 The Report of the Commission on the GAA is
published
In 1972 the Commission on the Affairs of the Association, which was established
in 1969 to ‘investigate all aspects of the affairs of the Association’,
published its report. This report was far reaching and upon its adoption
radically changed the administrative structures of the Association.
1979 Appointment of Liam Mulvihill
1981 The H-Block Hunger-Strikes
In 1981 Republican prisoners in the H Blocks embarked upon a hunger strike in
an effort to get political status re-instated in the prisons. The issue of
hunger strikers caused serious friction within the GAA with some members hoping
that the GAA would actively support the prisoners while others believed the GAA
should remain completely neutral. Once the prisoners entered the political
arena (with some standing for election) the GAA took the decision to remove
itself completely from the issue, in accordance with Rule 7 of the Official
Guide.
1983 Dublin's 12 man All-Ireland final success
The 1983 All-Ireland Football Final, between Dublin and Galway, is best
remembered for ill-tempers on the pitch with Dublin ending the game with 12
players. An incident at the Hill 16 End of the stadium played a part in
convincing Liam Mulvihill of the need for a complete revamp of Croke Park.
1984: GAA Centenary Year – All Ireland hurling
final played in Thurles
1991: Jersey Sponsorship is introduced - the Leinster Championship First Round game between Dublin and Meath involves a marathon series of four games, which attracts 237,000 supporters.
1993: The Redevelopment of Croke Park commences
2001: The GAA’s Rule 21 - which prevents members of the British Security forces from becoming members of the Association is abolished.
2003: The New Croke Park - is opened with a capacity of 82,300. The world Special Olympics are staged at the venue
2005: The GAA’s Rule 42 -
which prevents sports other than Gaelic Games from being played at GAA venues,
is temporarily set aside to allow the Ireland Rugby team and the Republic of
Ireland soccer team to play games at Croke Park while Lansdowne Road rugby
grounds are being redeveloped.
Over 80,000 people attend the All Ireland Hurling finals for the first time
since 1956
2007: The first Rugby game - staged at Croke Park is between Ireland and France in the Six Nations championship. The first soccer game at the venue is played between Ireland and Wales.
2009: 125th Anniversary - the GAA celebrates its 125th year in existence with an array of events to mark the year.
