THE GAA understood the concept of “virtual reality” more than 100 years ago and awarded medals to the Meath team following the 1895 All-Ireland football final – even though Tipperary won.
One of the oddest events in the association’s history (although Louth fans may disagree) has come to light with the discovery of a medal awarded to members of the Meath football team after the 1895 All-Ireland championship.
Although Meath were beaten by Tipperary in the final, the referee admitted after the game that he had totted up the score incorrectly and that the game should have been a draw. But the result stood and no replay was granted. The official GAA records show Tipperary as titleholders for that year.
However, as an apparent mark of respect, the GAA issued the Meath players each with a specially struck medal engraved with the words: “Virtual Championship of Ireland 1895.” One of the medals has now surfaced and will be sold by fine art auctioneers Whyte’s at its sale of historic collectibles in Dublin next week.
The medal, value estimated at €5,000-€7,000, was awarded to Peter Clarke of the Pierce O’Mahony club in Navan. In the early years of the GAA, clubs represented their counties in the All-Ireland finals.
Auctioneer Ian Whyte said the medal, made from nine-carat rose-gold by Grafton Street jewellers Moore Co, was extremely rare and he had never come across one previously – nor heard of the “virtual” All-Ireland. The medal is also engraved with Clarke’s initials surrounded by shamrock and floral decoration. Clarke played in the full back line against Tipperary, represented by the Arravale Rovers club. Tipperary won the game by four points to three.
Despite the low score, Dublin referee JJ Kenny accepted after the game that he had made a mistake when adding the scores and the result of the game was a draw. He wrote to the GAA’s central council pointing out his error. The infamous match is commemorated by a plaque on the Hogan Stand at Croke Park.
The 1895 All-Ireland senior football championship final was in fact played on March 15th, 1896, the first final to be played in Jones’s Road (later Croke Park) and was also Meath’s first appearance in a final.
