Sam Maguire was born on March 11, 1877, in the townland of Mallabraca near Dunmanway in West Cork, Ireland. He was one of seven children in a farming family and was a member of the Church of Ireland.

His first went to school at The Model School in Dunmanway and continued at the National school in Ardfield.

At the age of 20, he passed the exams for the UK Post Office and moved to London, where he joined the London Hibernians Gaelic football team and captained them to several All-Ireland finals between 1900 and 1904. In 1907 he was elected as Chairman of the London County board.

As well as his sporting achievements, Sam Maguire was involved in the Irish nationalist movement. He was a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and played a significant role in recruiting Michael Collins, a key figure in the struggle for Irish independence.

Maguire returned to Dunmanway, where he lived out the rest of his days until his death from tuberculosis on February 6, 1927. In his honour, the Sam Maguire Cup was created and is awarded to the All-Ireland Senior Champions of Gaelic football each year.

The Sam Maguire cost around £300 back in the 1920s and is made from silver. Today it would have cost €25,392. The trophy, inspired by the design of the Ardagh Chalice he cup was made by Matthew J. Staunton, a silversmith at Hopkins and Hopkins jewellers of Dublin. The 1928 Sam Maguire Cup was based on the Ardagh Chalice. When you look closely you can see small hammer marks on the cup. This isn’t because the cup has been damaged; it’s because it was hand-beaten into a bowl shape from a flat piece of metal.

Who was Sam Maguire?