A Great Gaelic DNA Journey: John McKay, Cork Official and Co-founder of the GAA, Rediscovered 140 Years on 

History talk by Dónal McAnallen, featuring Patrick McKay (great-grandson of John McKay) 

Saturday 2 November, 3.00 p.m., at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh 

Cork had one representative at the famous foundation meeting of the GAA, at Thurles on 1 November 1884. John McKay, of Cork Amateur Athletic Club, was elected Joint Secretary of the new association. He went on to become the main driver in the growth of the GAA in Munster in its vital first two years. Despite his significance in Irish sport and his role as a reporter for the Cork Examiner, McKay became a forgotten man of the GAA’s history for the past century. 

This talk represents the completion of the amazing story of the recovery of John McKay’s legacy. It spans his County Down origins; how he came to Cork in 1878 and worked there for 16 years; his marriage to Ellen Browne of Ballyclough; his key role in Irish athletics and the GAA; his involvement in the Parnell Commission, Cork National Society and trade unions; and his later years working in Belfast, Dublin, back in Cork and finally in London. This tale reveals also how his burial place was found in an unmarked grave in London in 2009, and a gravestone was erected; the incredible careers of his sons, in showbusiness, war and tragedy; and most remarkably, how his direct descendants were at last tracked down in Kent in December 2023, a century after his death. On the 140th birthday weekend of the GAA, this is a talk that anyone interested in Cork GAA history should hear. 

Dónal McAnallen has authored eight books, including The Evolution of the GAA (2009), The Cups that Cheered: A History of the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups (2012), and The Pursuit of Perfection: the Life, Death and Legacy of Cormac McAnallen (2017). He was Contributing Editor, with Humphrey Kelleher, for A Place to Play: The People and Stories behind 101 GAA Grounds (2023). He works as Library & Archives Manager for National Museums NI, is a member of the GAA’s national History Committee, and is still playing football for Tyrone Masters. 

Patrick McKay is a great-grandson of John McKay, GAA co-founder. It was only last December, at the age of 73, that Patrick learned the amazing story of his famous ancestor. He grew up in Fulham and the Isle of Wight, and now lives in Kent. He made his first trip to Ireland in April 2024, when he visited County Down and Croke Park. This is his very first visit to Cork, and he is accompanied by his son Simon.   

Date: Saturday 2 November.  

Venue: Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork  

Time: 3 o’clock.   

Bí ann gan teip, fáilte roimh gach éinne.  

(For further information email dmcanallen@mail.com