Tributes have been paid of one of Tipperary GAA's great archivists Sam Melbourne who passed away on Wednesday August 7th. Sam was born near Curaheen in the Horse & Jockey in 1923 and carved out a special niche for himself in GAA history by his collection of GAA memorabilia that is famous not alone nationally but much further afield.

Sam commenced his collection in 1937 with a hurley he received from fellow Moycarkey man Johnny Ryan, an All-Ireland medallist that year. The collection subsequently grew to over three hundred hurlers from former stars in every county in Ireland. Indeed to many his sports shop in Thurles in the fifties was a colourful place with photos, scrapbooks, newspaper cuttings and jerseys of former players attracting people from far and wide.
Later his collection of GAA material forms the basis of Lar na Pairce, the Museum of Gaelic Games on Slievenamon Road in Thurles. The oldest hurley is Sam's collection dates back to Ennis in 1870. According to Sam he never met with a refusal when he asked a player for an item. His collection which spanned well over seventy years includes over 300 hurlers, signed by their star owners, photographs, whistles, jerseys, footballs and slithers, newspaper cuttings and trophies, all relating to the history and deeds of great hurlers and footballers.

Sam moved to Dublin in 1956 and when someone suggested he should put the material on show and he jumped at the idea. One of the first places he brought his exhibition was to Ballycotton on the invitation of Jack Lynch and Fr Bertie Troy. He continued collecting right up to the late 1980s. Eventually he retired from collecting in 1988 and the Tipperary county board purchased it. He continued visiting GAA friends after his retirement and was a regular visitor to his native Moycarkey-Borris.
Sam passed away at his home in Dublin on Wednesday August 7th in his 91st year. He is survived by his wife Charlotte, his children Edgar, Desmond, Alan and Ruby, his daughters-in-law and son-in-law, ten grandchildren, five great grandchildren, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends. His removal took place from Cunningham's Funeral Home, Clonsilla Village last Saturday afternoon to St. Michan's Church, Church of Ireland, Church Street and his burial took place afterwards at St. Mary's Churchyard, Clonsilla.

Tipperary Star, August 16th 2013 Tweet

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