Sam Maguire was a member of the Church of Ireland who was a Gaelic Footballer.
The trophy awarded to the All-Ireland Senior Football Champions is named after him: the Sam Maguire Cup. While working in the Civil Service in London, he had been hugely involved in the London G.A.A., including as Chairman of the London County Board, and as a delegate to the Annual Congress. He became a trustee of Croke Park.
As a Republican it is widely thought that it was Sam Maguire who recruited Michael Collins to membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1909. He served as COllins’ chief intelligence officer in London.
He is buried in the churchyard of his home parish: St Mary’s Church, Dunmanway (Fanlobbus). He also attended the local school, still there today: the Model School.
Fanlobbus/Dunmanway