# Liam MacCarthy

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{{Short description|Irish nationalist and businessman (1853–1928)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{no footnotes|date=August 2018}}
'''Liam MacCarthy''' (1853–1928) was an [Irish nationalist](/source/Irish_nationalist), businessman and activist in [London](/source/London); best known for his donation to the [Gaelic Athletic Association](/source/Gaelic_Athletic_Association) of a trophy for the [All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship), which is called the [Liam MacCarthy Cup](/source/Liam_MacCarthy_Cup) in his honour.

== Personal life ==
MacCarthy was born in [Southwark](/source/Southwark), London to Catholic Irish parents who had emigrated from [Ballygarvan, County Cork](/source/Ballygarvan%2C_County_Cork). His father Eoghan MacCarthy was nicknamed ''Capall'', Irish for 'horse' because of his great strength. Liam MacCarthy grew up in a close-knit Irish community; he played [hurling](/source/hurling) on [Clapham Common](/source/Clapham_Common) and Irish was the first language in the family home. After leaving school he worked as a blacksmith's hammerman and as a railwayman. In 1875, at age 22, he married Alice Padbury in [St George's Cathedral, Southwark](/source/St_George's_Cathedral%2C_Southwark). The couple had four sons. His wife's family owned a fancy box factory and MacCarthy joined the family business but a few years later he struck out on his own setting up a fancy box making factory in the family home. After some years he set up a factory in [Peckham](/source/Peckham) which he called St. Brigid's works. He died on 28 September 1928 and was buried at [Camberwell Old Cemetery](/source/Camberwell_Cemeteries) in London.

== GAA ==
He was also elected chairman of [London GAA](/source/London_GAA) county board, a position he held for 10 years. [Michael Collins](/source/Michael_Collins_(Irish_leader)) and [Sam Maguire](/source/Sam_Maguire) were also members of the London county board. In conjunction with two of his sons, Liam MacCarthy commissioned the manufacture of [a trophy](/source/Liam_MacCarthy_Cup) in the form of a [mether](/source/mether), an ancient Irish drinking cup. This cup was offered to the GAA central council in [Croke Park](/source/Croke_Park) and was gratefully accepted. It is awarded annually and in perpetuity to the winners of the [All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship](/source/All-Ireland_Senior_Hurling_Championship).

[Ballygarvan GAA](/source/Ballygarvan_GAA)'s ground is called {{lang|ga|Páirc Liam Mhic Cárthaigh}} "Liam MacCarthy Park".

==Politics==
MacCarthy became a leader in London's Irish community and was elected to the council of the [Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell](/source/Metropolitan_Borough_of_Camberwell) in the North Pechkam [ward](/source/Wards_and_electoral_divisions_of_the_United_Kingdom).  Despite his advanced years he joined the London branch of the [Irish Volunteers](/source/Irish_Volunteers) along with his sons. He was also a member of the [Irish Republican Brotherhood](/source/Irish_Republican_Brotherhood). In 1915, [Britain introduced conscription](/source/Recruitment_to_the_British_Army_during_the_First_World_War); a crisis meeting of the London branch of the Irish volunteers was held at his home in east Dulwich to discuss the issue. As a councillor, MacCarthy could not publicly advise men to avoid conscription but in response to question from Michael Collins he said, "If you come from [Clonakilty](/source/Clonakilty) it is obvious where you must go" - in other words advising them to return to Ireland where conscription was not in force.

== References ==
* {{cite web|title=The Story of Liam MacCarthy|author=[Ballygarvan GAA](/source/Ballygarvan_GAA)|url=http://www.ballygarvangaa.ie/en/general/history/86-the-story-of-liam-maccarthy.html}}
* {{cite web|title=Original Liam MacCarthy Cup|author=[Gaelic Athletic Association](/source/Gaelic_Athletic_Association) (GAA)|url=http://www.gaa.ie/centenary/museum-artefacts/original-liam-maccarthy-cup-video}}
* {{cite news|title=Bid to honour hurling's Liam MacCarthy, the 'forgotten man of 1916'|first=Nick|last=Bramhill|date=March 26, 2016|newspaper=Irish Examiner|url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/bid-to-honour-hurlings-liam-maccarthy-the-forgotten-man-of-1916-389535.html#}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacCarthy, Liam}}
Category:1853 births
Category:1928 deaths
Category:People from Southwark
Category:Gaelic games players from London
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:Members of Camberwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Category:Patrons of the Gaelic Athletic Association

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Liam MacCarthy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_MacCarthy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_MacCarthy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.