GALLERY: Naas GAA officially open new club history museum at their headquarters

Another first for Naas GAA on Friday of last week when the club officially opened a museum at their Headquarters at Sallins Road, Naas. Photos taken by Paul O'Rourke Photography.

The entire project is the work of one man, club historian, former County Secretary, Liam McManus.

And what a job Liam has done. To put it simply it is absolutely magnificent, the culmination of hours and hours of painstaking work.

It is located at a former un-used store at the club that has been transformed by two club members, Jack and Charlie Sheridan and is named the Liam McManus Museum.

By all accounts the naming came as a complete surprise, and shock, to Liam, but it has been named very aptly and very appropriately.

It includes a complete history of the club from its humble beginnings back in 1887 in the Town Hall, moving along to various locations to where it is now situated on the Sallins Road, since 2004.

The story of the club is told in some 40 ‘poster’ size hoardings packed with pictures and information down the years.

Many players have supplied the club with individual medals won, with a picture of each and every medal identified no doubt more painstaking exercise.

Players have also donated various jerseys that were presented with over the years and looking through the history one could spend hours in the neat premises.

One story that sticks out is a major ‘spat' between the club the local PP at the time, dating back to the early ‘30s when a ‘disagreement' over the proceeds over a proposed carnival the PP wanted to host at Fr Brennan Park, the former premises of the club on the Dublin Road, but the man of the cloth was not willing to share any of the proceeds with the club despite it being in major debt of no less than £250 at the time.

Letters that were exchanged at the time, and a tape has been made of the letters which certainly makes for some very interesting exchanges.

The Naas club had no less than five club members of the the last Kildare team to win the Sam Maguire in 1928 and local artist Michelle Scott has done a beautiful water painting of the five, Gus Fitzpatrick, Dan Ryan, Jack Higgins, Tom Wheeler and Joe Curtis, which can be viewed in the museum.

Every photo on show is indexed under the title ‘Who Are They’ and among the many items are AGM reports; Scrap Books; List of Archive Topics a section under ‘Bits and Pieces’ and another under GAA Books.

Opening hours at the Liam McManus Museum are Saturdays 10 to 1 pm; Sunday 11 to 1 pm; Monday to Friday 10-12 (by appointment only), phone or text for appointment 087-3327886.