Gary and Paul O’Donovan, of Lisheen, Co. Cork, made history at the Rio Olympic Games in August when they secured the country’s first ever medal in a rowing event. The brothers, who sped from fifth position at the halfway point, came in second place in the lightweight men’s double sculls, a feat which also marked Ireland’s first medal won at this year’s Olympics.
The brothers’ … [Read more...] about Silver Streak:
Ireland’s Olympic Medals
Olympics
Silver Streak:
Rory McIlroy Withdraws From 2016 Olympic Games
Rory McIlroy, who was chosen to represent Ireland in Brazil’s 2016 Olympic games, announced in July that he would not be competing. The Northern Irish golfer issued an official statement, explaining that his concerns about the mosquito-borne Zika virus were behind this change of heart. The virus has been speculated to result in extreme birth defects when passed from mother to … [Read more...] about Rory McIlroy Withdraws From 2016 Olympic Games
Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
As Britain hosts the Summer Olympic Games in London, we look back on the first great modern Olympic confrontation between the United States – most of whose top athletes were Irish – and Britain, which took place in London in 1908. Notably, they were the last Olympic Games at which the judging committee was made up entirely of people from the host country. In 1908, as the … [Read more...] about Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
The Glory Days of Celtic Park
One of the premier track- and-field training facilities in the world in its time, Celtic Park produced more than two dozen Olympic medalists who collectively won more than 50 medals for the U.S. Olympic team, and more than a dozen for other countries. In the early 20th century, amateur athletics were viewed as a rich man’s leisure activity, a notion largely influenced by … [Read more...] about The Glory Days of Celtic Park
News: Show Jumping Win Lifts Irish Gloom
Cian O'Connor jumped for gold at the equestrian events in Athens to send the Irish tricolor aloft for the first time in the Olympic Games. The 24-year-old County Meath show jumper won the individual event with a magnificent clear round on Waterford Crystal to defeat defending world champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. O'Connor's epic performance provided welcome relief from one … [Read more...] about News: Show Jumping Win Lifts Irish Gloom