The Liam MacCarthy Collection

The Liam MacCarthy collection is a series of letters, pictures and newspaper clippings donated to the GAA Museum and Archives in 1999 by the MacCarthy family. While a select number of letters have been chosen for digitisation, the full collection is available for consultation in the GAA Reading Room. You can view the digitised versions below.

Liam MacCarthy was born in London in 1853 of Irish parents with his father from Ballygarvan, Co. Cork and his mother from Bruff, Co. Limerick. Having inherited his father's athletic physique, Liam purused wrestling and later played Hurling in Clapham before the formal establishment of London GAA. 

By the time London GAA was formally established in 1896, MacCarthy’s playing days were behind him as he turned his focus to the administrative side of London’s Gaelic Games. When the London County Board was created in 1896, MacCarthy was appointed as its treasurer. In 1898 he was appointed chairman, a position he held until 1907 and then again from 1909 to 1911. MacCarthy played a huge roll in the promotion of the GAA in London and often encouraged Irish based teams to play in London. 

Until he died in 1928, Liam MacCarthy never ceased to take a lively interest in GAA affairs, and no man was more gratified at its steady progress and the high place it has come to occupy in the life of the nation. His family is still based in the South of England and attends games in Croke Park on a regular basis. Further information on Liam MacCarthy can be found here.