As the 1996 Olympic Games begin in Atlanta, Georgia, we look at some of the Irish Olympians since the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, one hundred years ago.
1896, Athens, Greece
James Brendan Connolly – John Pius Boland – Thomas Burke
James Brendan Connolly became the first Olympic champion of the modern era when he won the Gold for the U.S. in the first event held in Athens in 1896 — the triple jump.
In March of 1896, at the age of 27, James Connolly had to quit his studies at Harvard University when the administration refused to permit him time off to participate in the Olympics. It was a difficult decision for a not-so-young Irish American who was one of the few Catholics to enroll at Harvard at the time. With no formal or high school education, Connolly was one of the first recipients of the Harvard revolutionary challenge program, the forerunner to scholarship grants. It was open to impoverished immigrants and children of immigrants who took a lengthy exam. For those who passed, Harvard paid full room and board and a stipend for books and living expenses.
Many thought the Dublin-born Connolly foolish to risk his Harvard education to enter an almost unknown competition in Athens.
“Maybe someday I’ll regret quitting Harvard,” Connolly admitted, “But I have to go.”
The risk of losing his education was not the only one the intrepid Connolly faced. Although he was sponsored and trained to some degree by the South Boston Suffolk Athletic Club, the group had only limited funds and couldn’t even help Connolly pay his boat fare to Europe. Connolly himself saved $250, and thought this would cover his trip, but the fare was $75 more than he anticipated.
As three athletes from Princeton University and six more from the Boston Athletic Association were able to pay the extra amount without difficulty, that left only Connolly, who went to Fr. Daniel O’Callaghan, his pastor. An avid sports fan, O’Callaghan helped raise the extra money by impressing on the parishoners that whether Connolly won or not he deserved to have his chance.
Connolly and his nine other team members sailed to Naples, where Connolly’s wallet was stolen. But this was not the major problem. When the American team finally arrived in Athens on April 5, they had planned to spend 12 days training before the games began. To the athletes’ consternation, they found out that the Greeks used a different calendar, and the Olympics would begin the following day.
On April 6, at 2 p.m., the first of the modern Olympiads began. The first event was the triple jump. Connolly, the last to participate in the event, sized up the mark of the leader and knew he could do better. To reassure himself, he placed his cap a yard beyond the leader’s mark. With a tremendous effort of 45 feet, a total of three feet and three inches ahead of his nearest opponent, James Connolly won the first-ever Olympic Gold medal for the U.S. and also became the first Olympic champion since the boxer Barasdates in 369 A.D.
“A band of 22 pieces was grouped at the lofty flag staff in the center of the arena,” Connolly recalled years later. “Before I woke up to what the band was playing, I saw a group of San Francisco bluejackets from the good ship U.S.S. Liberty which was in Greece at the time. They were standing at attention and saluting. I came wide awake then.”
That big band was sounding the opening notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and two Greek sailors were slowly hoisting an American flag to the top of that high staff. “It was a great moment in a young man’s life. South Boston, I thought happily, would be pleased to get word of it,” Connolly said.
It was a story of struggle and triumph which played for many a day, and overshadowed the victories of another Irish American, Thomas Burke, who won gold medals for the 100 meter dash (12 seconds) and the 400 meter race (54.2 seconds).
Following the Olympics, Connolly, who also placed second in the high jump and third in the long jump, returned to a hero’s welcome in South Boston’s Irish community and elsewhere. True to his nature, Connolly didn’t permit himself to rest on his Olympic laurels.
He became a noted journalist, war correspondent, and novelist of sea stories, many of which were made into popular films. Some 40 years after he quit Harvard to go to Athens, Connolly was invited back to receive an honorary degree and the Harvard track letter “H.”
He continued his distinguished career until his death in 1957 at the age of 88, a champion to the end.
John Pius Boland went to the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, to compete in tennis under British colors simply because no Irish team was fielded. He became the first ever Olympic Gold medalist for Ireland, and when the time came for the medal presentation ceremony, Boland refused to go ahead until an Irish flag was found and he was recognized as an Irish athlete. He got his wish.
1900 Paris, France
Pat Leahy – John Flanagan – John Mahony
Pat Leahy was the only member of the Irish Olympic team which set out for Paris to actually make it there – the others turned back in London after facing the Americans in competition. Leahy was rewarded with a silver medal in the high jump and a bronze in the long jump. And the threatening American team which caused the Irish to quake also went on to glory.
Limerick-born John Flanagan took gold in the hammer-throwing event and John Cregan earned the silver in the 800 meters, while John Mahony won two silver medals and a bronze in tennis.
1908 London, England
John Flanagan – Matt McGrath – Con Walsh – Johnny Hayes – Con O’Kelly – Jim Kerr
John Flanagan, who retained his hammer throwing title in 1904, repeated it four years later in London with a record throw of 55.19 meters. Matt McGrath and Con Walsh took silver and bronze in the London event to make it a sweep for Irish American throwers
But disputes between American athletes and British athletic authorities almost ended the events. At the center of controversy was the marathon: Italian winner Pietro Durando was disqualified after being helped over the line, and the gold went to second-placed Johnny Hayes from Nenagh, County Tipperary, who competed in U.S. colors. Heavyweight wrestler Con O’Kelly also took gold for the U.S. that year, and Irish-born Jim Jerr brought the 200 meters title to Canada.
1904, St. Louis, Missouri
Tom Kiely – Martin Sheridan
The first American games in St. Louis were dominated by American and Canadian athletes, and Ireland’s Tom Kiely, from Limerick, was recognized as an Olympic hero when he won the All-Round championships, prototype of the modern decathlon. But it was in the heavy events that the Irish made their mark, and it was largely a generation of immigrants who took home the medals. Known as the “Irish Whales” and drawing on many members of the New York Police Department, Irish competitors became the envy of athletes around the world. The “Irish Whales” proved a potent force, with Martin Sheridan taking the discus and James Mitchell winning the bronze in the 35 lb. weight throw.
1912, Stockholm, Sweden
Matt McGrath – Pat McDonald – Kennedy McArthur
Matt McGrath, also from Nenagh, County Tipperary, improved on his previous silver to win the gold for the U.S. in the hammer event, with teammate Pat McDonald, a towering man from County Clare, beating out the competition in the shot put. Another Irishman, Kennedy McArthur, from County Antrim, raced to marathon victory wearing South African colors that year.
1920, Antwerp, Belgium
Noel Purcell
By 1920, Irish athletics was in decline, not least due to political unrest, but Ireland did manage a gold medal via Noel Purcell, a member of the British water polo team.
1924, Paris, France
Matt McGrath
Ireland appeared in the Olympics as a separate nation for the first time in Paris, France, where Irish American Matt McGrath took silver in the hammer.
1928, Amsterdam, Holland
Dr. Pat O’Callaghan
Legendary Irish Olympian and hammer thrower Dr. Pat O’Callaghan returned triumphant from Amsterdam with a gold medal at the age of 23.
1932, Los Angeles, California
Bob Tisdall
While Dr. Pat O’Callaghan entered the record books again in 1932 by taking the gold, another Irishman was also successful in Los Angeles. Bob Tisdall, born in Ceylon but reared in Nengah, County Tipperary, was victorious in the 400-meter competition.
1936, Berlin, Germany
Aileen Meagher
Ireland did not attend the infamous 1936 Olympics in Berlin (somewhat incongruously, however, there was an exhibition of traditional Irish dancing during the competition), but Irish-born Aileen Meagher won a silver medal as part of the Canadian relay team.
1952, Helsinki, Finland
John McNally
Ireland won its first ever boxing medal in Helsinki in 1952 and the only Irish medal of the tournament, when, in a controversial decision that favored the Finnish contender, bantamweight boxer John McNally took silver home to Belfast, County Antrim. McNally’s medal came despite a spate of bickering among Irish athletic bodies that caused a split in the Irish team.
1956, Melbourne, Australia
Ronnie Delany – Fred Tiedt – Freddie Gilroy – Anthony Byrne – John Caldwell
Despite a tragedy en route to Melbourne – the death of team manager Christy Murphy – the Irish team at the 1956 games became one of the most successful ever, with four medal-winning performances. Chief among these was the legendary track star Ronnie Delany, who had left his native Dublin on an athletic scholarship to the U.S. Delany raced to victory in the 1500 meters in 3:41:2, giving Ireland its first gold since Bob Tisdall’s win in 1934. Other medals at Melbourne went to boxers Fred Tiedt (silver), Freddie Gilroy, Anthony Byrne and John Caldwell, all of whom won bronze.
Interestingly, the Melbourne Games also gave Ireland an opportunity to become an Olympic site, when, due to quarantine restrictions, equestrian events had to be held elsewhere. Invited to host this section of the competition, Ireland declined, and the horses traveled to Sweden.
1964, Tokyo, Japan
Jim McCourt – Mary Rogers
Boxer Jim McCourt took the bronze for Ireland in the lightweight division, while Mary Rogers, competing for Britain, was fourth in the pentathlon.
1984, Los Angeles, California
John Tracy – Hugh Russell
Irish runner John Treacy became an Olympic hero when he won the silver medal in the marathon competition. Irish boxers continued to make their mark, with Belfast native Hugh Russell gaining a bronze medal.
1992, Barcelona, Spain
Wayne McCullough – Michael Carruth
In Barcelona, Irish fans thrilled to Dubliner Wayne McCollough, who took a boxing silver, and later to fellow Dubliner Michael Carruth, a 26-year-old Irish Army corporal who earned an unexpected gold in the welterweight division.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the July/August 1996 issue of Irish America. ⬥
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