The story behind Ireland's greatest collection of soccer jerseys

Analysis: Eddie O'Mahony's collection boasts over 158 jerseys, tracksuits, football boots, gloves and suits worn by Irish soccer players since 1921

In a world full of retro remakes and replica jerseys, the importance of the original jerseys worn by players rises even more. There is one man who has spent over 20 years buying, bidding, negotiating and safekeeping the most comprehensive collection of Irish soccer jerseys. That man is Eddie O'Mahony and this is his story.

In 2002, Eddie went to Japan to support the Irish team at the FIFA World Cup, Ireland’s last appearance at a men’s World Cup tournament. After the Germany game, Stephen Reid presented Eddie with his match worn jersey. When he returned home, Eddie looked to donate it to the Irish Football Museum so that it could be shared with the public and kept safely for the future. The Irish Football Museum didn’t exist then, and it doesn’t exist now.

That’s when Eddie took it upon himself to develop a collection of every unique Irish shirt style worn by the Irish senior men’s international team from 1921 to 2021. The objective was to build a collection as a legacy for the next generations of Ireland fans who will wear the jersey and support the teams. That collection now boasts over 158 jerseys, tracksuits, football boots, gloves and suits worn by Irish soccer players since 1921, the year the Football Association of Ireland was established.

Eddie's collection is dedicated to the memory of James Nolan from Blessington, Co Wicklow, a 21 year old who tragically lost his life in Poland in 2012 while supporting the Irish team during the Euro 2012 tournament. Although Eddie did not know him personally, James' death deeply affected him, like many Irish soccer fans. Eddie’s gesture with the dedication is in the hope that 'his name will live on and continue to be connected with the team that he loved to support'.

The collection has been sourced in various ways. Some jerseys have been purchased at auction and others have been found overseas. Many more have come to Eddie because people know about his collection and recognise how he will appreciate each piece of memorabilia. Eddie has approached players at charity events and matches, contacted them through their clubs and social media. In many cases, players have contributed items from their own personal collections.

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From RTÉ Radio 1, Eddie O'Mahony on collecting Irish soccer jerseys

When Eddie contacted Paul McGrath via social media asking if he could sign the memorabilia belonging to him, the response was an unexpected one. Paul phoned Eddie the following day inviting him to his mother’s house for lunch so that they could meet, chat, and sign the memorabilia.

Eddie acquired Roy Keane’s jersey from the 2002 World Cup – yes, the one he didn’t get to wear because of a dramatic fallout with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. Some years later, Eddie approached Keane at a hotel to ask for his signature on the jersey. Keane’s dubious response was ‘If It’s my shirt, how do you have it?’. An awkward stand-off resulted in Eddie getting exactly what he wanted.

On one occasion, Eddie and his wife had plans to have their house painted and had put some money aside for it. Then Richard Dunne's jersey from the Euro 2012 qualifier versus Russia came up at auction. Dunne’s heroic performance in Moscow that night is iconic and the jersey epitomises that match. Covered in blood, written in marker, created live on the pitch – it is as one off as these things get. The jersey was bought. The house wasn’t painted.

The most difficult jersey for Eddie to track down has been the jersey Ireland wore versus Norway in 1985. This was a year when O'Neills supplied the jerseys to the FAI and created seven unique styles for the nine international matches played that calendar year.

The all-green jersey with a gold hoop in the centre and pinstripes at the top, was only worn on one occasion in a vital World Cup qualifier, which ended in a scoreless draw at Landsdowne Road. In a desperate attempt to acquire the elusive jersey, Eddie contacted every member of the Norwegian team from 1985.

Only a few responded but crucially, Arne Larsen Økland did. He had the Ireland jersey as it was swapped with one of his Irish opponents, Gerry Daly, after the game. Arne gladly handed the jersey over to Eddie and was bemused at someone looking so frantically for a sweaty, old jersey.

From YouTube channel Three Ireland, The Collector

Name the iconic moment in Irish soccer and Eddie probably has the jersey: Ray Houghton's goal vs England in Stuttgart 1988, Packie Bonner in the penalty shoot out at the 1990 World Cup, Mick McCarthy at the training ground in Saipan. The only glaring gap in the James Nolan Memorial Collection is that it doesn’t incorporate the Ireland women's team. Perhaps now that the women’s national team are reaching international tournaments and competing with the best teams in the world, the time is right for this addition or another collection in its own right.

Beyond living memory, the collection is as impressive as it is historically important. In Christy Martin's jersey worn versus Italy in 1927, we are reminded of the early days of the Irish Free State with the hand embroidered 'Saorstát Éireann’ crest. With John Webster's yellow goalkeeper’s jersey from 1936, we are shown how thick woollen fabrics would likely have hampered performances rather than enhanced them.

Without any public or sporting organisation consciously developing a standalone collection of match worn jerseys and memorabilia from Irish soccer history, it is left to the initiative of private collectors like Eddie. That Eddie has used his own money to create this iconic collection and continues to fund its storage from his own pocket is an indication of how lacking the FAI is in strengthening and preserving its own history.

Without Eddie’s determination in collecting, these jerseys would be lost, dispersed around the world and their stories lost. It is surely time for the FAI to celebrate this collection and acknowledge Eddie’s contribution to Irish soccer. In a world full of FAIs, be an Eddie O’Mahony.

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