Joseph Ledwidge

Joseph James Ledwidge (8 June 1877 – 19 January 1953) was a Gaelic footballer, an Irish international soccer player and a cricketer. He won two All-Ireland medals playing with the Dublin Geraldines and later played with Shelbourne in the Irish League.

Ledwidge was born on Arran Quay, Dublin, Ireland to Joseph William Ledwidge, a butcher, and Elizabeth Trulock. He had his first successes playing with the Geraldines' selection that won two All-Ireland titles for Dublin in 1898 and 1899.

Ledwidge joined Shelbourne in 1901 when they played in the Leinster Senior Leagueand played 51 times for them in the Irish League after they joined in 1904 until he left the Reds in 1909.

He played for Shelbourne in their historic Irish Cup final win over Belfast Celtic in 1906 as well the cup final defeat to Distillery in 1905 and the cup final replay defeats to Cliftonville and Bohemians in 1907 and 1908. He became the first man to win both a GAA All-Ireland and an IFA cup-winner's medal.

Ledwidge also won an inter-league cap for the Irish League against the Football League in Manchester during the 1905-06 season.He got his first international caps playing for Ireland against Scotland and Wales in 1906. He also played cricket for many years for Clontarf Cricket Club as a left-handed medium-fast bowler and as an impressive slip fielder.

He worked for the Ordnance Survey office and later for the Land Commission.

He died in Dublin on 19 January 1953 and is buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery. He is a great - great nephew of historian Edward Ledwich and 2nd cousin of notable Irish anatomist and surgeon Thomas Hawkesworth Ledwich,both also buried in Mount Jerome.