One Cork Worldwide is an initiative launched in November 2020 by Cork GAA. One Cork amalgamates all the organisations working to further Gaelic Games across the county, including the Cork County Board, the SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh Stadium Board, Cairde Chorcaí, the clubs and the army of dedicated supporters of Cork GAA.
As well as supporting Cork teams to be the best they can be, One Cork Dublin is about maintaining a vibrant connection for and within the Dublin diaspora and celebrating those high achievers and positive contributors, whether in sport, business, culture, public affairs, or community, who have done us proud. We aim to do this in a light hearted and enjoyable way.
For those who would like to know a little more of our history read on.
The Cork GAA Reception Committee (originally known as the Cork Reception Committee) was established in 1931. This was the year the first formal post match function for a Cork All-Ireland team in Dublin was held. The honourees were the players who won the 1931 All-Ireland Hurling Championship after 3 games against Kilkenny. The three-parter is often credited with having brought hurling to the attention of the nation with much increased media coverage and a then new record crowd of over 33,000 spectators to watch the second instalment.
Far different from today, the first function attendance consisted of not much more than the team, mentors, county board officials and a few Dublin based Cork luminaries. At the time a hotel meal was for many a rare treat. The lead organiser was businessman, one time Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and former Chairman of the Cork Co Board, JJ Walsh, from Bandon. Walsh was instrumental in each of the 1931 players receiving a replica McCarthy Cup, gold hurley and silver watch in addition to their All-Ireland medals.
We claim to be by far the oldest supporters organisation in the country. In the intervening years we have had the honour of hosting or supporting c.50 senior All-Ireland Final teams with a very high strike rate in terms of playing success. The eight year stretch between 1986-1993, featuring nine events, was particularly busy.
Event venues have included the Gresham, the Green Isle, the Grand in Malahide, the Lucan Spa, the Royal Marine in Dun Laoghaire and Citywest with the Burlington Hotel becoming our semi-permanent home since the 1990’s. An incomplete table of venues is below and any information to fill the gaps would be welcomed.
The move to the Burlington was prompted by the need to cater for larger numbers due to increased travelling party (now including partners) size and greater public demand. In the 14 years since the 1986 event in the Gresham Hotel, by 1999, numbers had tripled to 1,000 attendees.
Until recently the approach was always steadfastly low-key, doing what was asked rather than seeking centre stage. Not a county association, apart from support for some charitable initiatives, the committee has for most of its existence stuck close to its original raison d’etre, hosting Cork All-Ireland teams.
Pre modern communications and transparency, an influential quite word from a committee connection may have been useful with the relocation of a player back to Cork or securing a job or accommodation in Dublin. The committee was also a source of information or intelligence on goings on in the capital. One of our more unusual contributions was opening the door for the treatment of a prominent footballer by the Manchester United medical team in the run up to the 1987 All-Ireland Football Final.
From the late 1980’s our role began to expand. Functionwise saw the transition from the relatively simple, largely unpublicised, hosting of a dinner dance for a few hundred people to much larger and more organisationally demanding events - always within a short preparation window between semi-final and final. New territory included dealing with sponsors, selling corporate tables, securing fees for pouring rights, issuing press releases, seeking media coverage, setting up ticket sales points in Cork locations with strong panel representation, offering concessions on club tables, facilitating live event TV coverage and more generously recognising the contribution of players, mentors and their families while remaining the sole cost-bearer.
As with the GAA world in general, more commercialisation provoked the odd qualm -especially for a group that had once declined an offer to cover costs (on the grounds this was contrary to the Association’s ethos) and whose members on occasion had to personally foot accounts. With so many new and different stakeholders it was not all plain sailing. This was virgin country with plenty of tough negotiations and sleepless nights but by and large the not inconsiderable feat of getting the different groups our 1000+ diners (and, on a victory night, the same number clamouring to get in afterwards) to the right place at the right time and running successful nights while staying solvent was achieved.
In 1999 the committee turned its hand to fundraising. Our inaugural Golf Classic, attracting 27 teams, was held in Royal Dublin in 1999 with a repeat at the same venue in 2001. In 2003 we moved to Powerscourt and held events there for five years on the trot. From the proceeds of these seven Golf Classics a six figure sum was remitted to the County Board.
On 22nd November 2001 we had our first, and to date only, foray into showbiz with the hosting of the Dublin launch of “GAA Ballads of Rebel Cork”, featuring the committee’s good friend, the late Sean O Sé, attended by 250 people at the Burlington Hotel. O Sé was not the only Cork artiste to give generously. The late actor and comedian Niall Toibin regularly regaled function guests while entertainment personalities such as Donncha Ó Dúlaing, Liam Ó Murchú and Joe Lynch were also liberal with their time
Of the prominent Dublin-based Cork people associated with the Committee, the best known was former Taoiseach Jack Lynch who for years was the semi-official patron of the Committee. During his long Croke Park tenure from 1946, as assistant secretary, and from 1964 to 1979 as Ard Stiúrthóir, Sean O’Siochan was a very active member, making the naming our Golf Classic trophy in his honour an easy decision.
While drawing from all walks of life, an army thread was notable through to the 1990’s. Senior officer Eamonn de Barra (whose other hats included editorship of An Camán magazine and penning songs under the pseudonym Ned of the Hill) was for many years committee secretary and then chairman. Brigadier General Redmond O’Sullivan held the chair up until 1987 and Lieutenant Colonel E.J. (Ned) Barry was the committee’s second secretary holding the position up to 1987.
Heading for our centenary we strive to build on the work of our predecessors.
Mar 2026