A unique honour is associated with John O’Grady, a man from Limerick. Remarkably, he is the only person who worked inspecting rate books for the county council to have a commemorative monument in his hometown. However, it’s his noteworthy sports achievements, not his bureaucratic career, that are celebrated.
O’Grady, originally from Ballybricken and born in 1892, matured into a 6ft 4in, 20st gentle giant—a perfect build for a seven-time champion shot putter in Ireland and holder of three world records.
His name was forever engraved in the annals of Irish sports after carrying his newly independent country’s flag for the first time at the 1924 Paris Olympics. O’Grady’s pioneering footsteps have since been followed by 23 of his countrymen, who have had the honour of carrying the Tricolour at the summer games.
The honour roll represents six various sports. A boxer has had this honour seven times, followed by athletes five times, equestrians four times, and team leaders taking on the honour three times. Swimming, rowing, and sailing have each been represented once.
Fairly impressive was the performance of three flag-bearers who won gold in their respective games: Pat O’Callaghan for hammer throwing in 1932, and boxers Katie Taylor in 2012 and Kelly Harrington in 2021. Sonia O’Sullivan narrowly missed out, winning silver in Sydney in 2000. Ronnie Delany, a flagbearer in Rome in 1960, had previously won in Melbourne, while Michelle Smith was selected for Barcelona, before her controversial treble gold win in Atlanta in 1996.
Francie Barrett delivered a memorable moment at the Atlanta games, proudly carrying Ireland’s flag and representing the pride of the Irish Travelling community during the opening ceremony.
Heather Boyle from the Irish Olympic Federation shares that the date of nomination for this year’s flag bearer is still uncertain yet agrees it will probably be named close to the opening ceremony.
Although the world has changed since O’Grady’s era, and the chances of a county council rate book inspector receiving the honour as in Paris 100 years ago is slim, the possibility of another commemorative monument isn’t out of the question.