Cork postman seeks help in finding rare GAA programmes to complete his collection

A MACROOM postman who has spent his life collecting Cork GAA programmes has appealed for help from hurling and football supporters as he seeks to complete a collection of county final programmes stretching back to 1947.

Dan Cronin is missing just seven programmes of the county finals which were played since 1947, which he believes was the first year that the publication of a programme became a regular part of those match days .

An admitted hoarder, Mr Cronin has over 5,000 publications in his collection. “I never threw anything away, be it a match programme, bus ticket, or pamphlet,” he told The Echo. 

“I was always interested in the GAA as my dad would have been secretary of Canovee GAA in the 1940s, so the GAA was always a thing in our house, but my club has always been Macroom GAA.

“I primarily class myself as a Cork GAA programme and memorabilia collector.

“I reckon I have about 1,400 Cork county programmes from single sheets to county finals and since 1947 I have 159 Cork county senior hurling and football county finals.

“I estimate, including replays, that there were 166 finals played so I’m missing seven programmes.”

There’s only one missing hurling programme, the 1949 decider involving Glen Rovers and Imokilly.

The other missing programmes are from the football deciders — including Millstreet vs St Vincent’s in 1948, Macroom vs Collins Barracks in 1949, a tie which went to a replay in 1949, the Collins vs St Nick’s in 1951, the Macroom vs Avondhu clash in 1958 and the 1968 replay of Carbery vs Clonakilty, which pitted west Cork neighbours against each other.

In the 1940s and 50s, Collins Barracks had a formidable side while other strong clubs at the time included the Lees, a club comprising mainly of players from outside the city working in Cork and the Nils, which included clerks working in city draperies. “Nils” is short for the Latin phrase “Nils Desperandum/Do Not Despair”.

While he has prioritised the completion of his Cork county final GAA programme collection by acquiring the seven missing publications, Dan has also got his eye out for the “Holy Grail” of GAA programmes, the 1939 All Ireland hurling or “Thunder and Lightning” final, which took place on the day World War II was declared.

“Most programmes got badly soaked on that day and the paper used was of poor quality.”

He’s also on the lookout for the 1947 All-Ireland football final. “It was between Kerry and Cavan and was played in the Polo Grounds in New York.

“I have held the 1947 programme in my hands but the guy who owned it wouldn’t part with it.”

If you have one of the programmes missing from Dan’s collection, you can get in touch with him on his Facebook page, Cork GAA Programme and Memorabilia Collector.

If you’re interested in GAA programmes yourself, he may have a programme you would be interested in.

“The first thing I’d say to any collector starting out is don’t ever refuse a programme or whatever, as you never know the day that person will give you a rare programme.”