The Bloody Sunday Hogan Jersey takes centre stage in the Museum’s new gallery. This jersey was allegedly owned by Tipperary Gaelic footballer Michael Hogan who was killed on the 21st November 1920 by British forces while playing against Dublin in the GAA Great Challenge Football Match in Croke Park, Dublin. He is forever remembered in The Hogan Stand at Croke Park, when in 1924 a new stand was built named in memory of Michael Hogan. A new 2 tier stand was opened in his memory on 7th June 1959.
Michael was one of 14 people killed and upwards of 60 wounded that day when the British forces stormed the Sunday game and began firing at random into the crowd and players. The was in retaliation for the assassination earlier that morning by the IRA of 13 British intelligence agents in Dublin, members of the so-called “Cairo Gang”, during which two civilians were also killed. Later that day, three IRA prisoners being held in Dublin Castle were tortured and shot to death, allegedly while “trying to escape”. The whole day became known as “Bloody Sunday”.
The Jersey
Unlike the traditional blue and gold of the Tipperary jersey today, the Hogan Jersey is white in colour, with a green stripe. The reason for this is that, originally, the colours worn to represent a county in the All Ireland final were those of the club who had won the County Championship. In this instance the club was Fethard, but the Fethard jerseys were in poor condition and so the team opted to wear the white-and-green Grangemockler jersey instead.
The match between Dublin and Tipperary was replayed on the 11th June 1922 with the victory going to Tipperary.
This jersey was donated by Christie Ryan, the wife of the Chairperson of Tipperary Board. The jersey was handed over to the museum in the 1979 to the then Tipperary SR County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Sean Healy and Cllr Seán Nyhan Mayor.
Hogan was marking Dublin’s star forward Frank Burke of UCD on the day. He was shot in the back as he crawled along the pitch to escape the shooting. In the aftermath Hogan’s teammate Ned O’Shea identified the body and Tipperary priest Fr. Crotty knelt beside him to say an Act of Contrition. Hogan’s body was taken to the Mater hospital and his mother at home in Tipperary was informed of his death by two local priests. Mick Hogan’s remains accompanied by his team members arrived in Clonmel station on the Wednesday after the game. Thousands joined the funeral procession to Grangemockler where he was laid to rest.
