The county colours thread

[GalwayBayBoy]

Didn't know the full history of our own county colours until I read this article recently. I'm sure most counties have some interesting stories behind their own. Post them up if you know them anyway.

Did you know that Galway didn't always take to the field in maroon & white?
Up to the early 1930's, the Galway county teams wore blue & gold!
Galway's first All-Ireland titles in football (1925) & hurling (1923) at senior level were won in the colours now worn by Tipperary.
It was 1934 before Galway teams started wearing maroon & white.
When the Galway hurlers won the long delayed 1923 All-Ireland SHC final, played in September 1924, Galway wore blue & gold.
When the Galway footballers lost the 1919 All-Ireland SFC final to Kildare, Galway wore black & amber jerseys.
While in the 1922 final against Dublin, the Galway colours were blue & gold.
By the early 1930's, the Galway County Board had to choose a different colour for the Galway county teams (as the blue & gold was clashing with Tipperary).
Galway hadn't registered their colours with GAA HQ (as instructed as far back as 1913) while Tipperary had registered their colours, as a result, Galway had to make a change.
A new colour was chosen for the county jersey; Green with a white collar & cuffs!
However, on September 15th 1934, eight days before the All-Ireland SFC final between Galway & Dublin, it was announced that Galway would be changing their colours from green & white to maroon & white.
The change was influenced was UCG's Sigerson Cup victory in the 1933-34 season & they were also the reigning county senior football champions. UCG's colours were maroon & white.
The man who captained UCG to those two titles was also the Galway captain, Kilkerrrin's Mick Higgins.
The switch to maroon brought luck with it, Galway defeated Dublin in the 1934 All-Ireland SFC final.
The Galway county hurlers also switched from green & white to maroon & white.
From then on, Maroon & White became the famous colours associated with Galway GAA.
"Maroon & White forever,
No matter where I go"
Source:
Jim Carney, The Tuam Herald.

[Itchy]

Breffni Blue

That is all

[Eamonnca1]

From an interesting site called GAA DNA:

Armagh GAA once wore the same colours as Kilkenny.  In 1926 they wore orange jerseys specially knitted for them by the Dominican nuns in Omeath, Co Louth for the All Ireland Junior semi-final against Dublin. They have worn these colours ever since.

[ballinaman]

Mayo - Green represents the beautiful green fields of East Mayo....primarily the ballaghaderreen area. The red represents the English aristocracy who redrew the county border siphoning off the area to South Central Roscompton. (Alternative facts)

[Rossfan]

Green with envy of the lovely lands to the East and red with anger over them.

[BennyCake]

I'd imagine most teams started off with whatever colour shirts they could lay their hands on at the time.

Eamonnca1, I heard Armagh wore saffron before orange.

[sligoman2]

We used to wear white shirts until we played Kildare one year in the backdoor and had to wear black to avoid a clash.   We won and decided to stick with the black jerseys

Why black and white? I don't know

[J70]

We used to wear white shirts until we played Kildare one year in the backdoor and had to wear black to avoid a clash.   We won and decided to stick with the black jerseys

Why black and white? I don't know

2002

[magpie seanie]

We used to wear white shirts until we played Kildare one year in the backdoor and had to wear black to avoid a clash.   We won and decided to stick with the black jerseys

Why black and white? I don't know

2002

2001 it was.

[AZOffaly]

When did sligo play Tyrone. Was that in 2002? They had the black jerseys that day I think as well. So I assume they had changed by then.

[Owenmoresider]

When did sligo play Tyrone. Was that in 2002? They had the black jerseys that day I think as well. So I assume they had changed by then.

They played Kildare the previous year which forced the change. We had worn black jersies many times before that though.

[Unlaoised]

I think its terrible the way the old county shirts tradition is broke...Sligo going from white to black

Donegal used to be the Kerry jersey before 1992 if i remember correctly ...

Always wonder whay so many county teams wear white shorts aswell ...Laois wore blue in the 80s and it looked much better.Killkenny had black shorts for a while it looked better aswell...

Only Derry,Down,Clare, Monaghan,Roscommon,Sligo and Waterford wear shorts that aren't white...

[Owenmoresider]

I think its terrible the way the old county shirts tradition is broke...Sligo going from white to black

Donegal used to be the Kerry jersey before 1992 if i remember correctly ...

Always wonder whay so many county teams wear white shorts aswell ...Laois wore blue in the 80s and it looked much better.Killkenny had black shorts for a while it looked better aswell...

Only Derry,Down,Clare, Monaghan,Roscommon,Sligo and Waterford wear shorts that aren't white...

Thing is we had been wearing black (or navy maybe) shirts back in the 20's when playing in Croke Park, so we've changed now and again. Had a black hoop at times too on the white also. Donegal I'm pretty sure wore the yellow jersies back when they emerged in the 70's.

[LeoMc]

Tyrone wore red and white to match the blood and bandages they would have on display against Meath as foretold in the Annals of Ulster. #spicerfacts

[seafoid]

Tyrone wore red and white to match the blood and bandages they would have on display against Meath as foretold in the Annals of Ulster. #spicerfacts

I thought it was to signify martyrdom at the hands of RTE Sport