In Ireland, this coming Sunday, May 26, sees Wexford take on Galway in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Pearse Stadium in the Salthill area of Galway will host the game.
Wexford currently wear purple jerseys with gold trim and Galway are generally clad in maroon and white, so a change will be required – though, unsurprisingly, that hasn’t always been the case in the recent past.
Since the switch to solid purple (the county’s historic shirt is this style), Wexford have favoured a gold alternative jersey, a simple reversal of the ‘home’ offering. However, the new change top looks to the county’s history.
The Battle of Vinegar Hill was a key part of the 1798 Irish Rebellion and the accompanying ‘Pikeman’ a symbol of that uprising. In 1998, to mark the 200th anniversary of the rebellion, the Wexford jersey carried a memorial on the sleeves and the current county crest, designed by Kevin Roche and chosen after a competition in 2006, ensured that the Pikeman and Vinegar Hill were commemorated in perpetuity.
That design has new been transposed to be body of the change shirt, which is accompanied by purple shorts. Wexford GAA commercial manager Éanna Martin, who is also a member of the county hurling squad, said:
We’re delighted with the new alternate jersey which we feel captures the essence of Wexford. The design process takes time. We worked on a number of designs with O’Neills with the final design being chosen by the county management committee. The jersey is already proving very popular and hopefully it can get a winning debut against Galway.
The goalkeeper shirt to match the new set features the same design, primarily navy with purple and gold trim.
Having been available to pre-order online, the new jersey appeared in shops last week and its popularity was clear to see in the Leinster hurling championship opener against Dublin, with several fans already sporting it.
