A RARE medal commemorating “the first ever GAA hurling match in America” and the programme for an international soccer match between Ireland and Nazi Germany are among sporting memorabilia to be auctioned tomorrow week.
The sale, on Thursday, July 29th, at Mealy’s auctioneers in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, includes the only known medal to survive from the GAA’s first official trip to the United States. In 1888, the association organised a trip to New York for hurlers “with the view of strengthening the interest of the exiles in their native pastimes”.
Many of the 48 players, dubbed “the invaders” were members of the Tipperary team who had won the previous year’s inaugural All-Ireland hurling final. They were each awarded a commemorative silver medal in the shape of a Celtic cross featuring a design of crossed hurleys.
Auctioneer George F Mealy said the medal was in the ownership of an unnamed Tipperary family, “descendants of one of the players”, who had decided to sell it “because of the times we’re in”. He believed the medal was “the only one extant” and none had ever come on the market before. The medal carries a pre-sale estimate of €2,000 to €3,000 but is expected to attract significant interest from GAA supporters and collectors in Ireland and the United States.
Also being auctioned is a “very scarce” copy of the programme for the first international soccer match played between Ireland and Germany – at Dublin’s Dalymount Park in October, 1936. Mr Mealy said the cover, which depicts the Irish Tricolour and the German swastika flags, “shows the boldness of Nazi Germany at the height of their power”. The programme contains 32 pages and carries an estimate of €450 to €600.
On Friday, October 16th, 1936 The Irish Timesreported that the German team had arrived at Baldonnel Aerodrome the previous evening aboard a Deutsche Lufthansa plane which had "a swastika against a red background" painted on to its tailfin.
A bus “carrying two small swastika flags, took the party to the Gresham Hotel”. The following day, the team was met at Government Buildings by Eamon de Valera and officials from the German Legation.
Some 500 German supporters arrived from Hamburg at Dublin port aboard a steamer, the Reliance, and were welcomed by the lord mayor.
A crowd of 28,000 , including minister for finance Sean MacEntee, attended the game. While the Army No 1 Band played the “Nazi Anthem”, the German players and fans “stood rigidly to attention with right arms outstretched” and “gave the Nazi salute”. Ireland won 5-2.
Other items in the auction include the gold medal awarded to a member of Kilkenny’s first All-Ireland-winning hurling team in 1904; a rugby ball reputed to have been used at Ravenhill in 1948 when Ireland beat Wales to claim their first Grand-Slam” and a boxing glove signed by Muhammad Ali.
