Tipperary's GAA Archive Project

Ag Lorg Thiobraid Árann

Sam Melbourne Launches Tipperary's GAA Archive Project

L-R: Sam Melbourne, Mary Guinan - Darmody, John O'Gorman

On Saturday last, 3 July, Tipperary Studies, the local history library for Co. Tipperary, was proud and honoured to welcome Sam Melbourne and his family to their home in The Source on Cathedral Street in Thurles. To GAA folk of a certain vintage, Sam Melbourne’s name is one synonymous with the memorabilia of the glorious days gone by, days lit up by the likes of Christy Ring and Mick O’Connell. During the course of his near 90 years Sam has seen and enjoyed the best to swing the ash and field the football, and his lifelong collection of GAA related material is testament not only to his own unique love for the games, but also the greatness of the Gaels that played them. Since his youth Sam has been an avid collector of all things GAA related, and every corner of the country – and the corners of some others abroad – have had, at some time or another, the pleasure of a visit from Sam’s travelling GAA Museum. His store of hurleys, sliotars, jerseys, medals, miniatures, ticket stubs and scrapbooks form perhaps the most wide-ranging, comprehensive and well known gathering of GAA paraphernalia ever amassed. For the last number of years much of Sam’s memorabilia collection has been on display in Thurles at Lár na Páirce, the interpretive centre for Gaelic Games on Slievenamon Road and, on Saturday last, Tipperary Studies became the new home for his many folders of GAA press cuttings.

The Collection dates back to the 1950s, and contains thousands of articles, reports and pictures concerning the activities of the Association over the course of the last half century or so. A casual browse through one of Sam’s scrapbooks will provide the reader with reports of county, provincial and All Ireland fixtures at all grades and in every code, rare photographs of some of the well known (and not-so-well known) faces that have shaped the history of our Games throughout the 20th Century, and countless nuggets of fact and opinion as appeared in the media, both national and local. When the reader delves into Sam’s decades old labour of love they are, in effect, transported back to the heady hurling and football summers of yore.

It is indeed fitting that Sam’s collection of memorabilia, in Lár na Páirce, and his scrapbooks, in Tipperary Studies, have now found their way to his own former home of Thurles, and the birthplace of the GAA.

Sam Melbourne’s presence in Thurles last Saturday had another purpose, as he also took the opportunity to launch a joint initiative between the Tipperary GAA County Board and Tipperary Libraries aimed at collecting and preserving the multitude of GAA memorabilia that has been amassed by GAA members over the course of the last 125 years. It is hoped that this appeal for archival material will unearth a wealth of GAA-related match programmes, books, photographs, annuals etc. which will be safely deposited among the archives in Tipperary Studies. This will then enable both GAA historians of every level, from the interested browser to the prospective author, to easily access the wealth of information that has been printed about our Games. If anyone has any material that they may be interested in donating to the archive we would be delighted if it could be dropped into your local Tipperary Libraries branch, of which there are 12 throughout the county. For more information please contact PJ Maxwell, 087 9588233 ( pjmaxwell@eircom.net ), or John O’Gorman, Tipperary Studies, at 0504 29278.

last updated on: Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 15:40:10 IST

Baineann Finding Tipperary amach Leabhar na Bliana Tipperariana

Terry Cunningham, Cumann Staire Fhiodh Ard, Mary Hanarahan, Cumann Staire Fhiodh Ard, Mary Guinan-Darmody, Denis G. Marnane, Doirin Saurus, Cumann Staire Fhiodh Ard

Céiliúradh an chéad chomóradh bliana de sheoladh Finding Tipperary i slí an-speisialta ar fad, bhronn Cumann Staire Fhiodh Ard dámhachtain Leabhar na Bliana Tipperariana air. Bhí an bronnadh ar siúl san Amharclann Abymill, Fiodh Ard ar 26 Eanáir 2008, áit ar bronnadh dhá phota tae coimisiúnaithe go speisialta ar an mbeirt údair, Denis G. Marnane and Mary Guinan Darmody. Potaire ó Fhiodh Ard, Doirin Saurus, a dhear agus a rinne an dá phíosa ag úsáid léaráidí ó fhorchlúdach Finding Tipperary, Caisleáin an Aonaigh agus Daingean an Phríomhgharda. 
Chuir baill Chumann Staire Fhiodh Ard sóláistí den chéad scoth ar fáil don lucht féachana mór. Ian Meagher ón Londis áitiúil a d’urraigh na sóláistí agus chuir an coiste áitiúil an bhácáil bhaile ar fáil. 

Michael Ahern, Cluain Meala, Mary Guinan-Darmody, Denis G. Marnane, Liam O’Duibhir, Cluain Meala, Patrick Bracken, Leabharlanna Thiobraid Árann

Sa lucht féachana bhí beirt a bhuaigh Leabhar na Bliana Tipperariana cheana, Michael Ahern, údar Figures in a Clonmel Landscape agus Patrick Bracken, údar of Foreign and fantastic field sports: cricket in County Tipperary. 
Tá cóipeanna de Finding Tipperary le fáil go díreach trí Staidéar Thiobraid Árann agus leabharlanna ar fud an chontae; praghas €30 (postas breise). Tá sé le fáil chomh maith i siopaí leabhar roghnaithe agus beidh na húdair ag freastal ar Aonach Leabhar Fhiodh Ard ar 10 Feabhra 2008.
Buíochas arís le Cumann Staire Fhiodh Ard as an Dámhachtain Leabhar na Bliana Tipperariana agus go n-éirí leo lena n-aonach leabhar bliantúil.
 (grianghraif le Joe Kenny, Fiodh Ard)

Finding Tipperary – Foilsiúchán nua do Leabharlanna Tiobraid Árann

Ar Déardaoin 25 Eanáir 2007 sheol an Comhairleoir Jack Crowe, Cathaoirleach Comhchoiste Leabharlainne Chontae Thiobraid Árann Finding Tipperary, treoraí le hacmhainní Staidéar Thiobraid Árann. [Is féidir téacs iomlán na hóráide a thug an Comh. Crowe anseo]

THUAS: An Comh. Jack Crowe, Cathaoirleach, Mary Guinan-Darmody & An Comh. Lucy McLaughlin, Méara

Is í Leabharlann Taighde Staidéar Thiobraid Árann san Fhoinse, Sráid na hArdeaglaise, an acmhainn intleachtúil is tábhachtaí sa chontae ar fad. Tugann Finding Tipperary rochtaineacht dá sealbhas cuimsitheach leathan: leabhair agus ailt chomhaimseartha agus stairiúla; cáipéisí clainne; taifid rialtais áitiúil; beagnach gach uile nuachtán foilsithe sa chontae riamh; raon leathan de léarscáileanna agus bailiúchán ghrianghraf atá ag fás. Déanann Finding Tipperary díreach a deir sé sa teidil. Tugann sé comharthaí don léitheoir Tiobraid Árann a lorg dó féin. Seans gur mian leat suíomhanna ársa lonnaíochta a chuardú; eachtraí ar an bpáirc imeartha a athachtú; fáil amach cé tú féin nó fiú contae difriúil a shamhlú tríd an bhficsean.
Tá Finding Tipperary roinnte ina sé chuid. Roinntear Cuid a hAon i sé chuid déag eile:

• Contae, Bailte, Sráidbhailte agus Tuath
• Spórt
• Ginealas
• Daoine Suntasacha
• Institiúidí
• Foinsí Ársa
• Seandálaíocht
• Oidhreacht
• Staidéar na mBan
• Leabhair Ghaeilge (bailithe ag Donnchadh Ó Duibhir)
• Stair na hÉireann Luath agus Meanaoise
• Stair Chomhaimseartha na hÉireann Mhoch
• Stair Chomhaimseartha na hÉireann
• Foinsí Dlí
• Riail agus Reacht
• Polaitíocht
• Reiligiún agus Oideachas
• Foinsí Dlí
• Ábhair Taighde
• Prós agus Véarsaíocht

Tá sealbhas Staidéar Thiobraid Árann liostaithe sna fonótaí cuimsitheacha a théann le gach uile chuid. Clúdaíonn Cuid a Dó go Chuid a Sé Irisí, Foinsí Neamhfhoilsithe, Nuachtáin, Léarscáileanna agus Grianghraif faoi seach. Tá innéacs ábhar priontáilte ar chúl, agus tá léaráidí den scoth ar fud an fhoilseacháin, iad ar fad tógtha ó bhailiúchán Staidéar Thiobraid Árann.
Is é seo an leabhar taighde bunriachtanach d’éinne le suim acu sa chontae agus, toisc nár fhoilsíodh ach beagán, beidh tóir mhór air cinnte.
Chuir Denis G. (Des) Murnane, duine de na staraithe áitiúla is cáiliúla sa chontae, agus Mary Guinan-Darmody, leabharlannaí i Staidéar Thiobraid Árann, Finding Tipperary le chéile. Maireann agus oibríonn Des Marnane i mBaile Thiobraid Árann. Tá PhD (An Choláiste Ollscoile, Corcaigh) i Nua-Stair na hÉireann agus scríobhann sé ar mórán ghnéithe de stair Thiobrad Árann.
Tá Mary Guinan-Darmody,a thagann ó Chill Náile ó dhúchais agus a mhaireann anois i Maigh Chairce, i bhfeighil ar Leabharlann Staidéar Thiobraid Árann i nDurlas agus tá MA aici sa Staidéar Áitiúil ó Ollscoil Luimnigh.
Is féidir cóipeanna de Finding Tipperary a cheannach díreach ó Staidéar Thiobraid Árann, ar phraghas €30
[Costas breise do phostas: Éire €8; Sasana €11; an Eoraip €11; Domhan ar uile €17]
Is féidir chomh maith cóipeanna a cheannach sna brainsí áitiúla ar fud an chontae. Seol fiosrúcháin chuig: Mary Guinan-Darmody, Staidéar Thiobraid Árann, An Fhoinse, Sráid na hArdeaglaise, Durlas, Co. Thiobraid Árann [ Guth. 353 (0) 504 29278]; Ríomhphost: studies@tipperarylibraries.ie

nuashonraithe ar: Tuesday, 03-Aug-2010 15:40:10 IST