As part of Cork City Council’s Decade of Centenaries commemorations, the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Deirdre Forde launched Seandún GAA’s MacCurtain and MacSwiney Cup commemorative medals tonight in City Hall, on the 103rd anniversary of the death of former Lord Mayor Tomás MacCurtain at the hands of Crown Forces.
Seandún GAA has run the Mac Curtain (hurling) and MacSwiney (football) cup competitions at Junior A level in Cork City since 1953/54, the competitions named in honour of the two martyred Lords Mayor, who were both passionate supporters of Irish language and culture. This year, winners will be awarded special commemorative medals, funded under the 2020 Cork City Commemorations Fund and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media. The project was held back by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic but finally goes ahead this year.
Amongst the clubs competing are Nemo Rangers, Brian Dillon’s, Passage West, Bishopstown, Blackrock, Glen Rovers, Whitechurch, St. Vincent’s, Whites Cross, Douglas, St Michael’s, and Delaney’s.
Launching the commemorative medals, the Lord Mayor said: “We have previously seen the Cork GAA already honour these two incredible men with commemorative jerseys worn by the Cork team in 2020 which is fitting as they both had such a love for the Irish language, music and Irish sport. It has been said that while Mac Curtain was the sportier of the two friends, MacSwiney made up for it in his pride of the Irish Culture.”
Cork City Commemorations Fund 2023 was launched in January 2023, with a call out to communities, schools, individuals and organisations across Cork City to apply for funding and received 30 applications from a diverse range of groups and individuals across the city.
This year marks the final chapter of the national Decade of Centenaries commemorative programme. A wealth of material has already been produced, scores of events have taken place, and a proud legacy is being created for future generations.
Details of Cork City Council’s Commemoration events, interviews, exhibitions, books, academia and cultural events can be found at www.corkcitycommemorations.ie
