Dennis Fenton, a native of Kerry, born in the late 19th century (1888 to be precise), was a man of significant accomplishments. Although he joined the military forces in April 1916, his endeavours had little to do with the Easter Rising or the War of Independence. In 1906, he had moved away from his homeland – to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and it was there that he took up arms, not as an Irishman, but as an American soldier, particularly becoming known for his expertise with a gun.
However, Fenton’s true claim to fame didn’t come amidst the horrors of the First World War, but rather in the tranquil peace of Belgium after the war had ended. It was at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics that he showcased his marksmanship, obtaining three gold and one bronze medals in shooting events.
Four years on, he was competing again, this time in Paris, where he added another bronze to his collection – in an event intriguingly called ‘team running deer’. Despite its intriguing name, it was a non-lethal competition that required participants to run and shoot at a deer-shaped target.
Life post-Olympics saw Fenton returning to his military duties until retirement, when he moved to sunny California. He passed away in 1954, his gravestone bearing his Irish heritage with the inscription “Dennis Fenton [of] Ireland”
Unusually, given his achievements, Fenton’s story remains relatively unknown both in his home country and across the pond – even among his own extended family, like his 78-year-old grandnephew Brian McKenna, a Dublin-resident with Kerry lineage. However, Fenton’s name will be soon etched into the collective memory of his birthplace – this Wednesday will witness the dedication of a bench bearing his accolades in Ventry, his home village in County Kerry.
Interestingly, Fenton was born in close proximity to Ventry, in the quaintly named village of Ballincota (which translates to “Town of the coat”). Its peculiar name doesn’t seem to bear any connection to its prominent personality, the famed lexicographer of Kerry Irish, Seán a Chóta (Seán the Coat).
Drawing from the Logainm locality database, some believe that Ballincota once fell under the proprietorship of a gentleman named Coates.
Consideration should also be given to the glory-filled 1920 Olympics, where Irish sportsmen made substantial contributions despite no team under the Irish banner. This was in spite of a newly-formed Irish Olympic Council advocating for recognition of competitors hailing from Ireland.
Suggesting established pedigree, the IOC proclaimed historical support existed for a distinct Irish contingent, comparing their deep-seated dedication and skill in athletic endeavours to those of Ancient Greece.
However, the proof of Ireland’s athletic prowess once more came predominantly from emigrants, who, just like Fenton, primarily donned US colours. A case in point was the Irish Whales, a collective of large, appetitive men who represented the US in several early iterations of the contemporary Olympics, who again won several golds in 1920. This cohort included Paddy Ryan, a Limerick-born hammer thrower, and shot-putter Pat “Babe” McDonald, an original native of Doonbeg, County Clare.
All these achievements led to the belief that a newly-sovereign Ireland, debuting at the 1924 Paris games, would be replete with medals. However, a centenary exhibit titled “Paris 1924 – 2024” at the Centre Culturel Irlandais continues to remind us of the contrast between expectation and reality. In 1924, no athletic medals were secured by Ireland, with the maiden victory waiting until 1928 when Pat O’Callaghan triumphed in the hammer event in Amsterdam.
In the intervening period, the Free State depended on its artists to extol the virtues of sport and secure medals from Paris. Jack B Yeats is well-known for his silver medal-winning representation of the preceding year’s Liffey Swim. Furthermore, echoing the Irish Olympic Council’s assertion of the island’s sporting rivalry with ancient Greece, Oliver St John Gogarty was awarded a bronze for his sweeping lyrical poem about the Tailteann Games, composed for a choir of 500.
After a pause of seven and a half centuries, a revival was set to take place on a mammoth scale. The magnitude of the Paris Olympics was much more significant than it had ever been, witnessing the participation of 44 nations up from just 19 in 1920. However, as the exhibition showcased by the Cultural Centre highlights, the 1924 Olympics did not stand as the year’s largest sporting event. This title was claimed by the Tailteann Games or Aonach Tailteann, hosted in Dublin a mere week post the Parisian events. An online version of this exhibition can be accessed at centreculturelirlandais.com and it is also open for view at the CCI’s courtyard until September.