The saying “once an Olympian, always an Olympian” was first popularised by Ronnie Delany and remains a unique and esteemed statement in the 100-year history of Ireland’s involvement in the Olympics. This legacy is set to persevere at the imminent 33rd Olympiad in Paris.
The 2024 Games are suitably located in Paris, which was also the host city for the Olympics a century ago. Notably, this year also marks 100 years since Ireland made its first entry into the Olympics as the Irish Free State, this was only seventeen months after the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1922.
The precise number of Olympics participants born in Ireland is yet to be accurately determined. From the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896 until 1920’s Antwerp Games, numerous could have been represented under the Great Britain and Ireland team or even the USA for those who migrated there.
There are records suggesting that several Ireland-born individuals procured Olympic medals, the first instance was in 1896. Under the representation of Great Britain, a Dublin-born student from Oxford, John Pius Boland, took a break from his Greek lecture circuit and, somewhat regretfully, won golds in both men’s singles and doubles tennis. It’s worth noting that both Boland and Delany, who procured his Olympic gold for the 1500m race in Melbourne 60 years later, were educated at the Catholic University School in Dublin.
Several others, including John Flanagan, Martin Sheridan and Peter O’Connor, won Olympic medals representing either the USA or Great Britain and Ireland during the early years of the Games, though they always retained their links with their motherland. Among the group of seven athletes known as The Irish Whales – managed to secure an impressive haul of 12 golds, two silvers and eight bronzes for the USA in various throwing disciplines after moving to New York.
One extraordinary achievement saw Kerry native, Edmond Barrett win an Olympic gold medal with Great Britain in tug-of-war in London in 1908 and an All Ireland medal, having previously been part of the 1901 London All Ireland senior hurling champion team. He remains the only Irishman to achieve such a unique sporting double.
Celebrating 100 years of involvement, the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) embarked on several endeavours including publishing an authoritative roaster of the 911 athletes who have represented Ireland in the Olympics from 1924 Paris to the postponed 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The milestone of 1,000 representatives will be reached this month in Paris since approximately 130 Irish athletes spanning 15 sports, the broadest contingent in Ireland’s Olympic history, are participating. From the 1924 Olympics, Ireland has now attended 22 Summer Games and eight Winter Olympics, kicking off with the 1992 Albertville. Across these events, we have celebrated the victory of 38 Olympic medals, inclusive of three in the initial events of arts and literature which took centre stage from 1912 right up to London 1948. On the latter occasion, Marion Hamilton secured a bronze for her painting, the Meath Hunt.
Four additional medals were added to Ireland’s tally at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent was Kellie Harrington’s gold triumph in the women’s lightweight boxing, following Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy’s victory in the lightweight rowing double sculls a week prior.
Of the contemporary total of 45 Olympic sports, Ireland has clinched medals only in six: athletics (seven), boxing (18), swimming (four), rowing (three), sailing (two) and equestrian (one).
Remarkably, Ireland’s representation at the 1924 Paris Games which ran from May 20th through to October 28th included 48 athletes (46 men and two women) competing in five sports – athletics, water polo, boxing, football, tennis along with arts and literature. The women were Phoebe Blair-White and Hilda Wallis who competed in the tennis event.
Despite the limited groundwork of our athletes then, Ireland’s performance didn’t produce anything noteworthy. Of the team of 48 athletes, Thurles boxer Paddy Dwyer, also known as Rocky, achieved the best outcome by placing fourth in the welterweight division, but was so fatigued that he couldn’t take a shot at the bronze.
Ireland made its initial Olympic debut, largely attributed to its football squad, who triumphed over Bulgaria with a 1-0 victory on 28th May. Credit for the lone goal is attributed to Paddy Duncan from St James’s Gate. This match is also recognised as the inaugural international game for the Irish football team, occurring several weeks ahead of the opening ceremony of the 1924 Games on 5th July of the same year.
Larry Stanley, who excelled in the high jump in 1924, and is renowned as one of Kildare’s finest-ever footballers, was bestowed with the title of Ireland’s foremost Olympian by the OFI. Stanley is at the pinnacle of their present catalogue of 911 Olympians.
In 1924, Noel Purcell broke fresh ground as he turned out for Ireland in water polo, after earlier representing Great Britain in the same discipline in 1920. This made him the first sportsman to play for two different countries.
The tradition of awarding medals for sport-inspired artworks was enshrined in the 1912 Stockholm Games, thanks to the intervention of Pierre de Frédy, rhythm of the contemporary Olympic movement, also known as Baron de Coubertin.
Out of the eight Irish artistic submissions in 1924, Liffey Swim by Jack B Yeats — William Yeats’ younger sibling — bagged the silver medal, while the poet and medic Oliver St John Gogarty earned the bronze for his Ode to the Tailteann Games in a closely fought contest for the literature awards.
In a startling feat, Dr Pat O’Callaghan claimed Ireland’s inaugural sporting Olympic medal — a gold — in the hammer throw, a mere 13 months after his competitive initiation in the event. In his penultimate throw, O’Callaghan beat his personal best by 20 inches, setting a record distance of 168 feet and seven inches, overshadowing Swedish silver medal winner Ossian Skjold by four inches.
O’Callaghan retained his title in the 1932 Los Angeles games, with Bob Tisdall aiding his final leg of preparation. Tisdall had just recently earned a gold in the 400m hurdles. However, a 1936 political rift in Irish athletics, resulting in Ireland withholding athletes from the Berlin Olympics that year, curtailed any chances of a potential third gold for O’ Callaghan.
The 1952 Helsinki Olympics signalled notable advancement when, for the first time, those born in Northern Ireland were permitted to represent Ireland. This amendment was championed by then Olympic Council of Ireland president Lord Killanin, who later became the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This monumental decision allowed for the formation of an all-island team.
At the same Helsinki Games, an impressive event occurred when Ireland’s first Olympic boxing medal was taken home by John McNally, who hailed from Belfast. He secured a prestigious silver medal. Subsequently, at the Melbourne Olympics four years later, four additional boxing medals were won by Irish contenders Fred Tiedt, John Caldwell, Freddie Gilroy and Anthony Byrne, while Ron Delany famously bagged a gold medal in the 1,500m race at just 21.
This same event witnessed Maeve Kyle, born in Kilkenny, making history as the first female athlete to represent Ireland in the Olympic track and field programme. She participated in the 100m and 200m events, both were, surprisingly, the longest races open to women at the time.
Fast forward to the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Sonia O’Sullivan secured a silver medal in the 5,000m track event, becoming the maiden Irish female to accomplish such a feat. Katie Taylor, twelve years later, etched her name in history as the first Irishwoman to secure a gold in boxing.
At the Paris Olympics in 2024, gender equality is being fully embraced with all sports events maintaining a balanced 50:50 ratio of male to female participants for the first time.
With regards to the upcoming opening ceremony on July 26th, the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) is getting ready to present the best-prepared Irish team in Olympic history. This has been made possible through unprecedented levels of funding and support, with Sport Ireland’s funding for Olympic sports having increased to €89 million for the four-year cycle, a significant hike from the €59 million allocated for Tokyo.
Numerous Irish athletes are looking with hopeful eyes towards securing medals across a range of sports, covering boxing, rowing, golf, gymnastics and more. There is special buzz surrounding the athletics team after their success at the European Championships in Rome in June where they won four medals.
Partaking in the Olympics in Paris will be seen as an immense honour in itself for Irish athletes, adding their names to the honour roll of great Olympians that have come before from the Emerald Isle. The saying goes, “Once an Olympian …”.