Irish Olympians - Faster, Higher, Stronger

Catherina - apologies for delay. Skiing comes unde...

2011-02-18T10:39:13.784Z

Catherina - apologies for delay. Skiing comes under snowsports for Olympic purposes and there is such a thing as an Irish Snowsports Association although I can't find a contact for them. Someone at the Ski Club of Ireland or indeed the Olympic Council would know. Have a look at both their websites.

2011-02-18T10:38:04.522Z

This comment has been removed by the author.

Hi my name is Catherina Corcoran from Co. MAyo but...

2011-02-08T12:44:29.295Z

Hi my name is Catherina Corcoran from Co. MAyo but live in Connecticut. I have a daughter that is a fanatic skier and is 15 year old. I would love her to ski for the Irish team some year how can I get some information on this. She has been racing from the age of six. Please let me know who I can get in touch with. My family live in Ballina Co.Mayo my father is a well know name in Ireland for football and golf .

We would have to ask him, it would certainly be go...

2008-09-02T22:06:00.000+01:00

We would have to ask him, it would certainly be good for Irish rowing if he did continue. I believe they have lost their coach, that will not help attract oarsmen. It would be awesome to see Ireland improve and grown from this years Olympics.
Of course the big problem is that Ireland's sports council expect their sportspeople to work for their country without payment, what a shame they are so short sighted.

Not judging at all - just curious, so thanks for r...

2008-09-01T23:22:00.000+01:00

Not judging at all - just curious, so thanks for responding. Will he now continue?

Jonno Patrick Devlin was born Irish! He was born o...

2008-08-27T23:19:00.000+01:00

Jonno Patrick Devlin was born Irish! He was born on St Patricks day to Irish parents. He has every right to represent his country. His brother rowed for Neptune rowing club and represented Ireland in the Juniors at the worlds. He was one of the top oarsmen at Trinity College Dublin. Do not be quick to judge. Jonno is a top oarsman, he rowed in the heavy weights for GB when Ireland did not have heavyweights and before they found a fantastic heavy weight coach. He also represented South Africa in the Junior worlds event in Norway. He is a well traveled man and a brilliant oarsman. He was honored to represent Ireland and Ireland was very happy to have him on board.

This is all the info I have. Would love more on th...

2008-08-27T17:44:00.000+01:00

This is all the info I have. Would love more on the 1948 team.

1924: 5th.
Goalkeeper Paddy Reilly (Athlone Town); defenders Herbert Kerr (Bohemians), Jack McCarthy (Bohemians), Thomas Murphy (St James's Gate); midfielders John Thomas (Bohemians), John Joe Dykes (capt) (Athlone Town), Tommy Muldoon (Athlone Town), Christy Robinson (Bohemians), Ernest McKay (St James's Gate); forwards Charlie Dowdall (St James's Gate), Paddy Duncan (St James's Gate), Frank Ghent (Athlone Town), Johnny Murray (Bohemians), Michael Farrell (St James's Gate), Joe Kendrick (Brooklyn FC), Dinny Hannon (Athlone Town); reserves John Lea (Shelbourne), Frank Heaney (St James's Gate), Bob Cowzer (Shelbourne), Ernie Crawford (Bohemians), Th Aungier, J Healy.

1948: played one prelim match against Netherlands and lost 1-2.
W Barry, W Brennan, J Cleary, F Glennon, P Kavanagh, P Lawlor, R Smith, Lt Patsy McGonagle, P McDonald, Emmet McLoughlin, W O’Grady, B O’Kelly, W Richardson.

Thank you for the kind words. Even moe detail in t...

2008-08-27T14:04:00.000+01:00

Thank you for the kind words. Even moe detail in the book!

No-one told me about the falls...I may have to re-...

2008-08-26T11:52:00.000+01:00

No-one told me about the falls...I may have to re-think my plans to become an Irish Olympian!

Excellent source of information and detail on our ...

2008-08-25T22:24:00.000+01:00

Excellent source of information and detail on our olympic achievements. keep up the good work!

Good luck with the BMX - don't know where you live...

2008-08-25T16:35:00.000+01:00

Good luck with the BMX - don't know where you live but they have a dirt track in St Ann's Park, Raheny where the falls wouldn't hurt too much!

Very well put and reflecting my own thoughts as a ...

2008-08-25T16:33:00.000+01:00

Very well put and reflecting my own thoughts as a coach. On a wet night it will be me and a few 40-plus old hacks who turn out for training.
A further problem is that youngsters have no discipline - they don't stick at things. But that could be corrected with an imaginative coach; I wouldn't say many of the youngsters in boxing clubs start out with great attention spans.
The Eileen story is getting out of hand. The new hammer cage was wrongly poured initially which was when she got the injury. But then they did it right - I had a look as it myself as recently as yesterday. She could also have come over to Belfield to train. Blaming the supposed lack of facilities is too easy.

I have been a long time follower of sport, and I a...

2008-08-25T15:14:00.000+01:00

I have been a long time follower of sport, and I am disappointed that we do not have a Sonia or John Tracey or Eamon Coghlan or Catherina McKiernan these days. It seems to me that it will take pure luck to produce athletes of this calibre again. To be honest, the public aren't in love with Athletics. Back in the 70's and 80's we has little to cheer on the playing fields with our national soccer team, rugby etc losing most of the time. GAA was dominated by Kerry, and Dublin, and Kilkenny and Cork. Nowadays, I don't believe that we are producing youngsters who are tough enough mentally and physically to excel at really gruelling sports like middle and long distance running. Genetically, we seem to be at a disadvantage in sprinting which makes Hession's achievements so much more remarkable. A friend of mine told me that he was recently attended at a coaching session of an underage GAA team given by the football coach of St Jarlath's college in Tuam, which has a great tradition in producing gaelic footballers. He mentioned that 30 years ago, as part of a fitness test for new first years, they would ask these 12 and 13 year olds to climb a rope suspended from the ceiling of their sports hall. At that time 80-90% could perform the task. Today, he said 80-90% fail. The reality is that only a handful of youngsters are ever going to have the talent to reach the olympics. I suspect most of these are being lost to team sports, because it's easier, and society today is always looking for something easier. What would it take to keep these kids in athletics, when it is hard and lonely, when they can play rugby or football or hurling instead, and be recognised for their talents locally? If the parish team wins the county title under 12, there is recognition and plaudits. If a boy wins the national athletics title at 800 metres, apart from his family, does anyway take notice? Does his local paper report on the race? Is there someone there who will say to him "you could be an olympian some day?" And if they do say that, does he wonder if he will be branded a failure like Alastair Cragg Derval O'Rourke and the others if he doesn't win medals.

I don't know what the answer is...we seem to be very competitive in racewalking, and that is a tough tough sport, but a minority event within a minority sport, and perhaps the africans will turn their attentions to that soon. Eileen O'Keeffe was injured, but she remains a great talent. I read that she's not allowed practice her event in Santry, because she would damage the surface for the local soccer team who use the grass area. This is ludicrous. What is needed is to get these minority sports being taught at a basic level in schools, and the sports governing bodies need to spot talent at under age national championships, community games etc, and select them for expert coaching in the field events at an early age. They need to be made feel special, so that they will stick with the sport. Otherwise they will be lost to Soccer GAA and Rugby

The "I hope they go from strength to strength" com...

2008-08-25T14:35:00.000+01:00

The "I hope they go from strength to strength" comment was with regard to their boxing careers, and that was in respect of Bernard, Andy and Katie (a certain gold medallist if womens boxing is included as expected in 2012). I think Mick Dowling and Michael Carruth have years of analysis ahead of them. Mick Dowling has been great on RTE for years, but the others, like Sonia, grew into the job as the Olympics went on.

I've been reading this morning that Ken Egan is uncertain about his future, and may be lured into the professional sport. What a pity if that becomes necessary for him. As I watched the enthusiasm of Andy Lee for his amateur colleagues, I couldn't help thinking what a shame that he, turned pro after Athens. I believe that he has serious prospects as a professional, but at 24 years of age, he could have been a great prospect for Ireland in Beijing.

I know nothing about swimming either, but Gary O'Toole is a superb analyst too.

What do we do now that it's all over? I may get some sleep for a start, and then start training for London in 2012. I'm considering taking up BMX cycling...it looks good fun, and not that hard, as a lot of its downhill, and I used to do something like it as a child around the fields at home on my younger sisters bike!

..he's still better than my pals from athletics, w...

2008-08-25T12:57:00.000+01:00

..he's still better than my pals from athletics, who all seem to have an agenda, although Sonia was a revelation and grew into the job. Gary O'Toole on swimming (a sport I have no interest in) was also excellent.
What will we do with our time now??

I wanted to agree with your comments about the fiv...

2008-08-24T20:20:00.000+01:00

I wanted to agree with your comments about the five boxers in Beijing, and the five in the RTE studio (let's not forget Katie Taylor) They are a credit to their sport. Michael Carruth for his sheer decency, Bernard Dunne for enthusiasm and blind faith, Mick Dowling for his insightful analysis, and Andy Lee for his charisma. I hope they go from strength to strength...though admittedly, Mick Dowling is probably passed it at this stage.

can you tell me the secodn goalkeepr to ireland in...

2008-08-21T01:34:00.000+01:00

can you tell me the secodn goalkeepr to ireland in olympics 1948 and 1924 to football

yuca16_@hotmail.com

Great fight by Sutherland - all getting a bit hard...

2008-08-20T16:54:00.000+01:00

Great fight by Sutherland - all getting a bit hard to take in. Roll on Friday!

I certainly hope so re Belfast City Council.

2008-08-20T14:20:00.000+01:00
I certainly hope so re Belfast City Council.

I think I am confusing the Holy Family club's medal tally for the Olympics with the Commonwealth Games- me bad. I note in today's papers Paddy is their second medallists (Hugh Russell being their first.)

Thanks Chris - know little of Paddy (or very littl...

2008-08-20T10:35:00.000+01:00

Thanks Chris - know little of Paddy (or very little anyway) but maybe we should write a chapter on the Holy Family club in the next edition of he book.
Egan to me is pure class - and I am not a great boxing fan (despite knowing Mick D well through athletics and respecting what he does).
Delighted that like in Barcelona (the only Olympics I have attended) we will again have at least one Dub and one Belfast lad winning a medal. I hope this time the city fathers in Belfast will give due honour to Paddy.

Absolutely fantastic performances by both Barnes a...

2008-08-19T22:44:00.000+01:00

Absolutely fantastic performances by both Barnes and Egan.

I teach in the part of north Belfast where Paddy comes from and know that from the ages of eight the boys are queueing up to join the boxing clubs in the area.

Not many people's cup of tea, but the clubs are well run and the boys learn a lot regarding self-discipline and respect, never mind gaining opportunities to further sporting interests.

The Holy Family club that 'produced' Barnes has now been responsible for (I think) six Irish Olympic medallists.

That's an astonishing success story, given that we've only had some 20-something Olympic medals as a Nation.

But then I'm sure you knew a lot of that already, Lindie....

Anyway, keep it up!

Thanks Chris.
Lantinus is a great horse, so as ...

2008-08-19T11:25:00.000+01:00

Thanks Chris.
Lantinus is a great horse, so as far as I'm concerned, it's his to lose...
So far so good!

Great blog site, Lindie.
What do you think are ...

2008-08-18T23:12:00.000+01:00

Great blog site, Lindie.
What do you think are Lynch's chances of a medal?