replica medals

hunnymonster

hi guys, This is my first time to wander into GAA but I'm hoping the knowledgeable people here can help me out.
My uncle won an all Ireland (juvenile or minor I assume) medal for hurling wayyyyyy back (late 50's, early 60's) for Louth (yes I know we don't usually hear hurling and Lu in the same sentence). Anyway he gave it to his fiancée as a gift and she lost it. It's become a bit of a family in-joke in the family about how she lost the most valuable thing he ever owned and he still married her etc. Anyway, they will be married for 40 years in February and I was thinking it might be a nice idea to get a replica made for him.

now for where I need the help. I have no idea what such a medal would look like? Would anyone know where I would go to find out? Any suggestions welcome. I've had a look on the GAA website but nothing is jumping out at me.

Thanks in advance.

aDeener

hunnymonster wrote: »

hi guys, This is my first time to wander into GAA but I'm hoping the knowledgeable people here can help me out.
My uncle won an all Ireland (juvenile or minor I assume) medal for hurling wayyyyyy back (late 50's, early 60's) for Louth (yes I know we don't usually hear hurling and Lu in the same sentence). Anyway he gave it to his fiancée as a gift and she lost it. It's become a bit of a family in-joke in the family about how she lost the most valuable thing he ever owned and he still married her etc. Anyway, they will be married for 40 years in February and I was thinking it might be a nice idea to get a replica made for him.

now for where I need the help. I have no idea what such a medal would look like? Would anyone know where I would go to find out? Any suggestions welcome. I've had a look on the GAA website but nothing is jumping out at me.

Thanks in advance.

hmm you are going to have to find out who his team mates were and ask one of them to borrow the medal. show it to a trophy maker, im sure there will be one in drogheda or dundalk and id say they will be delighted to make one for you.

MementoMori

First step would be to double-check and make sure exactly what level the All-Ireland was won at and also in what year exactly. From what I can find out from a quick search Louth never won the minor all-ireland in hurling so I don't think it's that. Finding out exactly what was won and when would give you the best starting point.

After that I'd say you're best bet is to try and get in touch with some of his winning team-mates and work from there. You're best bet is once you have a list of the team maybe get in touch with someone from the Louth County Board (PRO/Secretary) or go through the local clubs the team came from as these would probably be able to put you in touch with the surviving members of the team, who would still have the medals.

If that doesn't work you could maybe try getting in touch with the Mealy Auctioneers below. Might be a remote shot but they might have a similar one for sale or might be able to put you in touch with someone who has one or would know something about one.The auctioneer's mentioned in the report Mealy Auctioneers seem to have an auction of GAA memorabilia pretty much every year.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Very nice idea for a gift.

http://www.hoganstand.com/Louth/Profile.aspx

GAA fans splash out at sale of sporting history
Wednesday March 21 2007

GAA fans started a bidding war at an auction of sporting memorabilia sending the price of a rare Roscommon All-Ireland medal soaring to €20,000.
The lifelong obsession of the late Brendan Brennan, the son of TD Tom Brennan, a founding member of Fianna Fail, fetched thousands for his family as his collection of rare tickets, programmes and posters went under the hammer.

Mealy Auctioneers, who were behind the auction of over 900 lots, said they believed interest was sparked in the medal for Roscommon's 1943 All-Ireland Senior Football Title, which was expected to fetch €3,000, as top GAA wins were rare in the county.

The auction in Dublin's Tara Towers Hotel contained lots from the Brennan family, of Co Wicklow, as well as Irish coins and medals owned by the late Englishman Mervyn Clapham.

A ticket for the Tipperary v Dublin match on Bloody Sunday, November 21, 1920, was sold for €7,500.

From behind a table packed with rare programmes, auctioneer George Mealy said the ticket for the Bloody Sunday game, which had been sold by another family, had its own story to tell.

Mr Mealy revealed that on the reverse of the pink ticket was a handwritten note permitting a woman to collect money from match-goers for the Irish Republican Prisoners Dependents Fund.

Mr Mealy said: "Interest is soaring in these kind of items, there are people here who have travelled from Roscommon. A lot of collectors or programmes will be here trying to fill in their missing years in their collections."

A signed first edition of the 1916 'The Story of the GAA - the First History of the Great Organisation', by Thomas O'Sullivan, fetched €1,800.

A set of four gold All-Ireland Senior Football medals from 1915 to 1918, won by Jim Byrne during Wexford's four-in-a-row, went for €24,000.

A rare coin, the 1553 Queen Mary shilling, was sold for €4,200, while an Irish international tug-of-war medal from 1893 went for €2,000.

DARK-KNIGHT

hi hunnymonster, hope you find what your looking for its a brilliant and thoughtful present!

fair play to you!

hunnymonster

sorry to drag up an old thread but I thought I should update people. I have been completely bowled over at the generosity of time and spirit of the people in Louth GAA. So I started by getting in contact with the cathaoirleach of Louth GAA who put me in touch with someone from my uncle's old club who forwarded the request to one of their members who is also a keen historian. They figured out it was a club all Ireland (league, div 2) medal from 1967. He put me in touch with someone from that team who rooted around in the drawer where he keeps all his medals, found the relevant medal and brought it to a jeweller who has made some stuff for Louth GAA before and had the replica made. All this was done off their own initiative and I am very very appreciative. It arrived a little late for their wedding anniversary but luckily I'm getting married myself in 2 weeks so I can give it to him then.

hunnymonster

hunnymonster wrote: »

sorry to drag up an old thread but I thought I should update people. I have been completely bowled over at the generosity of time and spirit of the people in Louth GAA. So I started by getting in contact with the cathaoirleach of Louth GAA who put me in touch with someone from my uncle's old club who forwarded the request to one of their members who is also a keen historian. They figured out it was a club all Ireland (league, div 2) medal from 1967. He put me in touch with someone from that team who rooted around in the drawer where he keeps all his medals, found the relevant medal and brought it to a jeweller who has made some stuff for Louth GAA before and had the replica made. All this was done off their own initiative and I am very very appreciative. It arrived a little late for their wedding anniversary but luckily I'm getting married myself in 2 weeks so I can give it to him then.

class story. good to hear. pity it didnt arrive for the anniversary but your wedding will be also a special event for such a nice gesture.