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The origin of county colours

  • 07-10-2017 8:06pm
    #1
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,190 ✭✭✭


    I think they are associated with the GAA maybe have their origin there too. Anyone have an idea about this? If it is a GAA thing, is there any particular reason why Mayo is red and green or Down, black and red? Did a bunch of GAA folk just like the look of the colours and pick accordingly? Or has it to do with local authorities?


Comments

  • #2
    Bluefoam
    Registered Users Posts: 7,710 ✭✭✭Bluefoam


    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_games_county_colours

    Glad I could help


  • #3
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,190 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    Bluefoam wrote:
    Glad I could help


    Yes thanks. I had seen that previously and assumed it might have had something to do with local authorities initially but mainly popularised by the GAA.


  • #4
    jonniebgood1
    Registered Users Posts: 3,577 ✭✭✭jonniebgood1


    Most county colours are derived from club colours within the said county. In alot of cases the county championship winners went on to represent as the county team, sometimes picking out players from other clubs to join with them. In thos case the clubs colours were used and sometimes adopted as the county colours. In other cases there are more interesting reasons for the colours. In mayo the colours were chosen as per the motto of the tower hill club as having the "green above the red". In Meath the gold is said to be a reflection of their royal heritage, both the royals (as a nickname) and the colour being from the same piece of local history.

    Other counties such as cork and Dublin had colours chosen out of general meetings. Cork had played in jerseys with a large C on front. Ive seen photos of these. Their jerseys were apparently blue and orange but were seized by the British army in 1919. Borrowed red jerseys from a local club then became the cork colours.

    Wexfords colours have history going back to earlier versions of hurling. The purple and yellow are said to hail from landlords colours from the 1700s. Early versions of hurling had been community games with approval of local landlords. The colours of prominent wexford landlords were said to have been adopted.


  • #5
    Bluefoam
    Registered Users Posts: 7,710 ✭✭✭Bluefoam


    I believe some county colours have changed over the years... Offaly won the right to wear green white & gold in a competition.

    Armagh GAA once wore the same colours as Kilkenny. In 1926 they wore orange jerseys specially knitted for them by the Dominican nuns in Omeath, Co Louth for the All Ireland Junior semi-final against Dublin. They have worn these colours ever since.

    In 1910 Cavan GAA adopted royal blue as its colours. Up until then club colours were used when representing the county. The white was introduced in 1947 for the All Ireland senior football final against Kerry, in the famous match that took place in the Polo Grounds in New York.

    Down wore red jerseys initially but in the early 20’s this changed to a blue jersey with white trim. They reverted to red but with black collar and cuffs in 1933.

    Carlows red, yellow & green was adopted in 1893 in tribute to the Jamaican Hurling champions 'Kingston Wailers', the Carlow captain Peadar Tioch had spent some time in Jamaica honing his skills slapping the bass.

    http://www.gaa-dna.com/history/gaa-county-colours/ulster-gaa-county-colours.html


  • #6
    Harry Palmr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    I imagine Waterford is simple enough as the colours are also found on the soccer strip (albeit in different proportions) as they surely both come from the official coat of arms/crest of both City and County which reflect maritime heritage.


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  • #7
    Floki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 951 ✭✭✭Floki


    jonniebgood1 wrote: »
    Wexfords colours have history going back to earlier versions of hurling. The purple and yellow are said to hail from landlords colours from the 1700s. Early versions of hurling had been community games with approval of local landlords. The colours of prominent wexford landlords were said to have been adopted.
    I think the Wexford colours came from when there was an exhibition hurling match arranged between players from some estate in wexford and players from an estate in Cornwall. This was played in Cornwall during the time of Queen Victoria who was a spectator at the match. The Cornish players played in their normal clothes but the Wexford players wore a yellow ribbon around their waist to differentiate the team's. During the match things were getting close and exciting and Queen Vic is rumoured to have shouted out "Come on the yellow bellies".
    They took the purple then from that match as purple is the colour of royalty.

    I read this a long time ago in an enniscorthy local paper. Maybe now it wasn't Queen Vic but I think it was?


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