Project Finale with the Return of “The Peace Cup” to Fermanagh
6th October 2022
On Saturday 24 September 2022, Enniskillen Castle played host to the final showcase event for the ‘Your Sport, Your Family, Your Community’ project.
Organised by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Museum and Heritage Service, the project was part of the ‘Exploring Our Heritage’ programme, led by Co-operation Ireland and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The ‘Your Sport, Your Family, Your Community’ project involved a series of cross-border, cross community focused workshops, exploring local stories and sporting heritage surrounding the Decade of Centenaries, 1912-1923. Saturday’s finale showcase was attended by Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, as well as project participants.
Speaking about the Project, Chair of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, Councillor Barry McElduff, said:
“This project has been a great opportunity for the Museum and Heritage Service to develop new audiences and relationships with communities through the medium of sport.
People and communities are very passionate about sport in the context of where they are from.
The Project also uncovered some fascinating local histories relating to the period. There is no doubt about that.
But we have effectively just scratched the surface of local sporting heritage. We will now explore the potential of what can be done to develop these links further in the future.”
A highlight of Saturday’s showcase was the display of The Lipton Cup, the ‘Peace Cup’, kindly on loan for the project from Cavan County Museum on behalf of Clones Town Football Club. The trophy is believed to be the oldest soccer cup in the Republic of Ireland. It was played for only once in 1913-14 and was won by the Enniskillen Corinthians. With the outbreak of World War 1, the Easter Rising and the turbulence of the following decades, the cup was never played for again and disappeared from view. It was kept in safe keeping on the condition that it would be handed back to the Clones Soccer Club when peace reigned again on the island of Ireland.
Project participant, Roy Cathcart said, “We are delighted to be able to bring the Lipton Cup back to Fermanagh and thank Clones Football Club for their cooperation in this matter. The Lipton family are famous for their tea, but they are also famous for their sporting interests”.
Dr Paul Mullan, Director, Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “We are proud to support the Exploring Our Heritage project in collecting stories of the sporting history of the area with money raised by National Lottery players. It’s great to see the range of clubs and communities involved with safeguarding this important local heritage and I commend both Co-operation Ireland and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for providing opportunities for people to explore the area’s sporting past and create stories for the future.”
Co-operation Ireland’s Matt Gamble highlighted that, “The People, Places, Events – Exploring Our Heritage project has brought new audiences in uncovering and celebrating their local heritage together. The ‘Your Sport, Your Family, Your Community’ project has showcased memorabilia and stories from the rich sporting heritage in Fermanagh and helped to make connections with organisations across the county. We want to thank everyone involved with this engaging project.”
During the lifetime of ‘Your Sport, Your Family, Your Community’, other events have taken place including a storytelling session at Enniskillen Castle; a talk by Dr Siobhán Doyle, author of “A History of the GAA in 100 Objects”; outreach sessions at Melvin Anglers Clubhouse uncovering a series of historic photographs and at Enniskillen Tennis Club highlighting local minute books from the period. The Museum and Heritage Service’s developing collection of artefacts and photographs relating to the project can be discovered online at:
https://collectionsonline.fermanaghomagh.com/your-sporting-heritage
For anyone with an interest in sport heritage locally, please get in touch by emailing sarah.mchugh@fermanaghomagh.com