Maurice Davin
Encyclopedia
Maurice Davin was an Irish
farmer
who became co-founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association
. He was also the first President of the GAA
and the only man ever to serve two terms as president.
He was born in Carrick-on-Suir
, County Tipperary
. He became an extremely talented athlete and achieved international fame in the 1870s when he held numerous world records for running
, hurdling
, jumping
and weight-throwing. In fact at a time he was regarded as the best athlete in the world.
From 1887 he actively campaigned for a body to control Irish athletics. Athletics in Ireland at the time was controlled directly by an English association which excluded the masses from most competitions.
Davin wrote "the laws under which athletic sports are held in Ireland were designed mainly for the guidance of Englishmen, and they do not deal at all with the characteristic sports and pastimes of the Irish race. Irish football is a great game" he wrote, "but there are no rules for either hurling or football and they are often dangerous."
Together with Michael Cusack
, of Carron on the eastern fringe of The Burren
, County Clare
he called a meeting in Hayes’s
Commercial Hotel, Thurles
, County Tipperary
, on 1 November 1884, and founded the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA). In that meeting they established ""a Gaelic athletic association for the preservation
and cultivation of national pastimes". As far as we know, only six others attended the historic meeting.
Davin was elected President and Cusack became its first secretary. John Wyse Power and John McKay were also elected secretaries. Later, Thomas William Croke, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Michael Davitt
and Charles Stewart Parnell
became patrons. The following year standardised rules were set for hurling, football, weight throwing, jumping, running, walking and cycling. Séamus Ó Riain described Davin as "the rock on which the Association survived turbulent waves".
Many top games including the 1904 All-Ireland Hurling Championship
final between Kilkenny
and Cork were played on Davin's farm.
The Davin Stand in Croke Park
, Dublin is named in his honour as are some GAA clubs throughout the country including Carrick Davins
in Tipperary
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
who became co-founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
. He was also the first President of the GAA
Presidents of the Gaelic Athletic Association
The role of President of Gaelic Athletic Association has existed since the foundation of the GAA . The current president of the GAA is Christy Cooney. The role of President involves representing the GAA in Ireland and across the world...
and the only man ever to serve two terms as president.
He was born in Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. He became an extremely talented athlete and achieved international fame in the 1870s when he held numerous world records for running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...
, jumping
Jumping
Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory...
and weight-throwing. In fact at a time he was regarded as the best athlete in the world.
From 1887 he actively campaigned for a body to control Irish athletics. Athletics in Ireland at the time was controlled directly by an English association which excluded the masses from most competitions.
Davin wrote "the laws under which athletic sports are held in Ireland were designed mainly for the guidance of Englishmen, and they do not deal at all with the characteristic sports and pastimes of the Irish race. Irish football is a great game" he wrote, "but there are no rules for either hurling or football and they are often dangerous."
Together with Michael Cusack
Michael Cusack
Michael Cusack was an Irish teacher and founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association.-His Life:...
, of Carron on the eastern fringe of The Burren
The Burren
The Burren is a karst-landscape region or alvar in northwest County Clare, in Ireland. It is one of the largest karst landscapes in Europe. The region measures approximately 250 square kilometres and is enclosed roughly within the circle made by the villages Ballyvaughan, Kinvara, Tubber, Corofin,...
, County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
he called a meeting in Hayes’s
Hayes' Hotel
Hayes Hotel is a hotel in Libery Square Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland. In 1884 the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in the billiards room of the hotel.- History :...
Commercial Hotel, Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, on 1 November 1884, and founded the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA). In that meeting they established ""a Gaelic athletic association for the preservation
and cultivation of national pastimes". As far as we know, only six others attended the historic meeting.
Davin was elected President and Cusack became its first secretary. John Wyse Power and John McKay were also elected secretaries. Later, Thomas William Croke, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Michael Davitt
Michael Davitt
Michael Davitt was an Irish republican and nationalist agrarian agitator, a social campaigner, labour leader, journalist, Home Rule constitutional politician and Member of Parliament , who founded the Irish National Land League.- Early years :Michael Davitt was born in Straide, County Mayo,...
and Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
became patrons. The following year standardised rules were set for hurling, football, weight throwing, jumping, running, walking and cycling. Séamus Ó Riain described Davin as "the rock on which the Association survived turbulent waves".
Many top games including the 1904 All-Ireland Hurling Championship
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1904
The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1904 was the eighteenth series of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 1-9 to 1-8 in the final.-Format:...
final between Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
and Cork were played on Davin's farm.
The Davin Stand in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, Dublin is named in his honour as are some GAA clubs throughout the country including Carrick Davins
Carrick Davins GAA
Carrick Davins GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club is located in the town of Carrick-on-Suir in south County Tipperary in Ireland. It is one of three GAA clubs in the town, one of which, St. Molleran's, is in County Waterford in the southern suburb of Carrickbeg across the River Suir. The...
in Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
.