The county colours thread

[J70]

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.

I read somewhere that Sligo wore black up until the early 70s.  Likewise Donegal wore yellow until the early 70s then went with a Kerry type jersey for 15 years or so.  Fermanagh wore red shorts for about 10 years or so (check out videos of their 82 Ulster Final appearance.)  I believe that Down were the first county to abandon the white shorts closely follow by the Dubs in the mid 60s.  Tyrone have recently gone the other way back to the original white shorts from red.

As for Antrim.  I've read a few different accounts of the origin of the Saffron.  When Antrim played in the 1911 All Ireland Football Final, as was the custom in those days, they were represented by county champions Seaghain An Diomais who played in saffron.  The county then adopted these colours.  The Shauns, as they were known, are supposed to have used saffron as a nod to the linen industry.  Although I've seen a photo of the Antrim team who appeared in the 1943 hurling final and they appear to be wearing green and saffron hooped jerseys.

From what I've read, Donegal wore the same colours as Kerry for decades, changing to the gold or yellow jersey in the mid-60s, going back to "Kerry" jersey for the 80s, before returning to the yellow in the 1992 AI semi due to the colour clash with Mayo. For whatever reason, they stayed with the jersey for the 92 final and ever since. We had to change for the Fermanagh game earlier in the 92 season, but wore the Ulster colours then, as they'd done for the previous decade or so when they had to change (wore them again against Meath in 2002).

[rosnarun]

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.

I read somewhere that Sligo wore black up until the early 70s.  Likewise Donegal wore yellow until the early 70s then went with a Kerry type jersey for 15 years or so.  Fermanagh wore red shorts for about 10 years or so (check out videos of their 82 Ulster Final appearance.)  I believe that Down were the first county to abandon the white shorts closely follow by the Dubs in the mid 60s.  Tyrone have recently gone the other way back to the original white shorts from red.

As for Antrim.  I've read a few different accounts of the origin of the Saffron.  When Antrim played in the 1911 All Ireland Football Final, as was the custom in those days, they were represented by county champions Seaghain An Diomais who played in saffron.  The county then adopted these colours.  The Shauns, as they were known, are supposed to have used saffron as a nod to the linen industry.  Although I've seen a photo of the Antrim team who appeared in the 1943 hurling final and they appear to be wearing green and saffron hooped jerseys.

From what I've read, Donegal wore the same colours as Kerry for decades, changing to the gold or yellow jersey in the mid-60s, going back to "Kerry" jersey for the 80s, before returning to the yellow in the 1992 AI semi due to the colour clash with Mayo. For whatever reason, they stayed with the jersey for the 92 final and ever since. We had to change for the Fermanagh game earlier in the 92 season, but wore the Ulster colours then, as they'd done for the previous decade or so when they had to change (wore them again against Meath in 2002).

Didn't Donegal play for year in Green with a gold sash , which are almost gone from Jerseys now. Gaelteact in Kerry still have one I think

[AZOffaly]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

I for one would welcome a little bit more variation in GAA jersey colour schemes. For example change kits should be whatever colours teams choose and nods to history would be welcomed. Teams should be encouraged to move away from white shorts where possible too.

Kildare's main strip should never be anything apart from all white though.

Navy is very much underused as a colour and I'm surprised that many counties and clubs that use blue and gold/saffron never experiment with navy and yellow sometime. 

[laoislad]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

Clonad in Laois have a sash jersey also.

[seafoid]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

Clonad in Laois have a sash jersey also.

It will always be Queen's county
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EDq26OhU5Y

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

Sarsfields, Milltown (most of the time) and Two Mile House all use sashes in Kildare.

[Hardy]

My son soldiered with Shamrocks of Shanbally/Ringaskiddy in a green jersey with a white sash.

[laoislad]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

Clonad in Laois have a sash jersey also.

It will always be Queen's county
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EDq26OhU5Y

And you'll always be a gobshite..

[omochain]

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.

I do believe that it was Saffron in the 1950s and 1960s.

[seafoid]

There's still a few sash jerseys around. Ahane in Limerick, st. Mary's cahirciveen are a couple that spring to mind. I think parnells in Dublin and portarlington in Laois do too. Kilruane McDonaghs in Tipp do too.

Clonad in Laois have a sash jersey also.

It will always be Queen's county
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EDq26OhU5Y

And you'll always be a gobshite..

The history is interesting
http://www.kildare.ie/ehistory/index.php/the-orange-order-in-kildare-and-laois/

[trileacman]

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...

Dublin, Donegal, Tyrone until recently there.

[Rossfan]

In the old days players at both Club and County had to supply their own shorts so white for everyone.
I believe Down in 61 were the first to go non white causing consternation among some fíor Gaeil for copying soccer believe it or not.

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

In the old days players at both Club and County had to supply their own shorts so white for everyone.
I believe Down in 61 were the first to go non white causing consternation among some fíor Gaeil for copying soccer believe it or not.

Kilkenny were wearing black shorts long before that as can be seen on the wikipedia page with images of their 1923 team. Their jerseys look better with black shorts but they believe the white ones are luckier.

[weareros]

Origin of the primrose and blue as told by Tony Conboy. Ros were originally black and green.

In the early years counties were represented by clubs and wore club jerseys. Roscommon seem to have used black jerseys probably because the dominant club, Elphin, had those colours, The first county team picture, with players from different clubs, 1915, (Ros. Hist p. 34) has a mix of 'black with an unusual crest (3) ', 'black with a shamrock' (goalie), 'black with a diagonal band' (1), and vertical bands of black and maybe green (10).
The 1916 team (p. 36) has a couple of black with crest, one with shamrock and the remainder black.
The 1925 team (p 45) has the vertical black and maybe green band in toto.
The 1932 team (p. 50) has the black jersey, with green horizontal hoops.
The 'black with green hoops white collars and cuffs' is given in 'The Irish Independent GAA Golden Jubilee Number, Easter, 1934, as the official Roscommon county colours. (Nemo Rangers wear this kind of combination today).
This obtained until 1939 and the beginning of the 'new' colours.
In 1937 Tarmon (just outside Castlerea) and Castlerea Clubs combined. The agreement was that, the name Tarmon would be the name of the amalgamated Club but the Club colours would be that of Castlerea, blue and gold/primrose/yellow.
Castlerea got their colours, and by connection Roscommon County, as follows.
In the 20s' the fortunes of the Castlerea Club were low and a group of young fellows were 'doing the town' collecting money to buy a set of jerseys and a football. They came to a Mr. Callaghan who owned a bakery (no relation of J.P (Doc) Callaghan). He told them to continue to collect for the football but that he would 'sponsor' a set of jerseys for them so long as the colours were those of the painting of a nearby shop, 'primrose and blue'. This was no problem to the collectors and so the subsequent Castlerea colours were thus.
Returning to the county scene in 1939. Roscommon had no Senior team and were graded Junior and reached the All Ireland final. They wore the County colours of 'black and green' against Mayo, Limerick (Co. Hist. p. 74) but were beaten by Dublin in the Final.
The Minors also were also featuring in a run that won the county its first All Ireland title. The county had only one set of jerseys, it is assumed. Dan O' Rourke County Chairman since '35 was the N.T. in Tarmon and a Tarmon official. The Minors, we assume, wore the Tarmon jerseys, blue with yellow hoops (Ros. Hist. P. 70 and 72 ).
Because of the success of this team and their colour of 'blue and gold' being 'lucky' for them and perhaps with a better look input 'the blue and gold' colours were adopted by the county Board in 1940.
We see these jerseys on pages 76 (All Ireland winning Juniors), 78 (Minors All Ireland winners again) up to and including the 1943 All Ireland Semi-final winning team V Louth 1943.
Roscommon now faced Cavan also with blue, in the All Ireland final. At Central Council it was said to Dan O'Rourke, Roscommon's delegate that Roscommon being the 'new' team. Mr. O' Rourke said that they would change the jerseys but retain the colours. Yellow/primrose dominated the jersey for the Final. Yellow with blue cuffs and collars. These are still the county colours with style adoptions. The old yellow with blue band is regarded as the alternative Roscommon jersey and has been used on a number of high profile occasions eg. All Ireland Semi-final 1977 and '80 V Armagh. That is the story and I'm going to stick to it.