By Kieran Connolly
Sam Maguire is buried in St. Mary’s Anglican church in Dunmanway, County Cork. That is because his parents were members of that church. He was the sixth of seven children, five boys and two girls born to John and Jane Maguire who owned a farm six and a half kilometres from Dunmanway. Despite the fact that there were seven children, there are no direct descendants.
He began his education in the Model School in Dunmanway and continued in Master Madden’s school in Ardfield near Clonakilty, county Cork. Master Madden was a man of strong nationalist views and it is likely that he helped to convert Maguire to a similar prerspective.
This school specialised in preparing pupils for the English civil service and post office examinations. Maguire went to work as a postal sorter in London in November 1897
As with many young men who travel to work and live in other countries he immediately joined the G.A.A. in London.
During the years in which he played London played the winners of the All Ireland in what was known as the “away final”. Counties were represented by the county club champions. Maguire’s club, Hibernians, represented London in several finals in the 1900s. They were never successful and in 1908 the G.A.A. decided to end the “away” final.