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Home , Billy Sherring, Hurling, Tom Kiely

TERAPROOF:User:kevinsmithDate:03/02/2010Time:08:34:13Edition:03/02/2010Wedwedecho030210Page:65 Zone:EE

EE - V2

(YHQLQJ (FKR Wednesday, February 3, 2010 65

SUCH is the popularity of , , soccer and rugby that the majority of people, when asked to asso- ciate another word with the word‘sport’, will inevitably respond with one of the fol- lowing; hurling, football, soccer or rugby. This is not surprising because we arefed aconstant diet of these four games by the various elements of the media. The improving sports book industry is also dominated by publications devoted to the big four. Other than Kieran Shannon’s recent Hanging from the Rafters,there are very few sports books that examine the social dimension behind the facts of sport. TheAmericans have led the way in true sports history. These writers not only produce the facts of their topic but explain them in the context of their time. A new book, Gold, Silver and Green: TheIrish Olympic Journey 1896 to 1924 by Kevin McCarthy was published by University Press last week. It is a book thatcan sit comfortably on the history as well as the sports bookshelf. This book ex- amines the stories and circumstance of over 75 Olympic medals which werewon by Irish-bornathletes in the Olympics prior to 1924. The num- ber is even greater when you in- clude those of Irish parents who were born abroad. Billy Sherring, a second generation Irish runner, winning the for in the 1906 (10th Anniversary) in . Note the Irish The author,Kevin McCarthy is a shamrock on his vest and Prince George of Greece jogging along side. (Inset) Gold, Silver and Green: The Irish Olympic Journey 1896-1924. By Kevin native of Cappoquin, Water- McCarthy. Published by Cork University Press. ford. He is a senior inspector with the Department of Education and Science. He is a member of the Inter- national Society of Olympic Histori- ans, the Hibernian Athletics Histor- ical Association and on the advisory board of the ‘Winged Fist’, a historic- Exiles’ search for al society dedicated to Irish Americ- an athletics. He is also a life-long sports fan and member of Cap- poquin-Affane GAA club. When asked how this book evolved he replied “The initial re- search for Gold, Silver and Green was undertaken as partof my PhD gold was inspiring studies in UCC on the ‘Irish and Ir- ish American Involvement in the Olympic Games prior to independ- ence and its impact on nationalism “While some Olympic medals are that hurling and football were exhib- Banteer won two and individual and national identity’. Personally, I well protected in museums,aswith ited at St Louis in 1904. titles were won by Matt McGrath feel the importance of sport has been ’s 1904 decathlon medal in Munster was the power base of () and of Pallas- underestimated in academic South Tipperary museum in Clon- Athletics in the latter half of the 19th green, all between 1900 and 1932 and circles.” mel, Ihave, on more than one occa- century. This is reflected in the all hailing from within a thirty mile This begs the question whatcan sion, been ‘introduced’ to Olympic Olympic success of athletes from the radius of Croom, Co .” we hope to learn from the book? medals taken from hiding places in province. Kevin McCarthy’s takeon Gold, Silver and Green is a giant “I think the book shows how Irish value of an Irish Olympic team as a teapots or displayed in less than se- this is that economic circumstances leapforward in helping sports fans athletics was at the top of the tree in means of establishing our interna- cure locations.” and tradition played a large part in and historians understand and ap- a wide range of events when the tional identity.” One of the unusual stories in the Munster’s high profile. preciate why and how our relish for Olympics began. The traditions of Kevin feels thatthe GAA was less book concerns the proposal to play “Many of the great Irish weight competitive sportevolved. It re- the Gaelic Athletic Association nationalistic prior to 1916 than an exhibition of hurling at the 1900 throwers and jumpers came from minds us (if we need to be reminded (IAAA) in areas likehammer throw- people might think. In the course of Olympics which wereheld in Paris. good farming stock, with good pro- at all!) that sport and politics have ing, shot put and jumping events outlining the amusing story of the There aresuggestions thataCork tein rich diets and moreavailable never been too far apart. As Kevin were very strong, but it also shows Irish Cycling team in Stockholm in team was to take partinthe hurling time and training facilities than urb- McCarthy points out in his conclu- thatthe GAA did not have an inter- 1912, he explains thatthe row exhibition. Areport in the Kerry an dwellers or employees. sion however,the story of these national vision capableof using the between the GAA and the IAAA at Sentinel explained; “Tradition played ahuge parttoo. Olympians of the pre-1924 era de- greatIrish athletes to establish an the time was moreabout the control “The exiled of London are The quality of the sports meetings in serves commemoration in its own Irish identity abroad. of Irish sport than nationalist polit- sending teams to aParis exhibition, places like , Clonmel, right. “The irony was that aperceived ics.The events of 1916 changed Cork being unable to accept the in- Banteer, etc was world class, with Ir- Their success raises questions of unionist athletic body, the Irish Am- everything and by the early 1920s vitation to do so... There, in the intel- ish national records broken at such how generations of political and ateur Athletic Association, was the IAAA were as good as gone. lectual capital of the world… will be meetings very regularly and occa- sporting bodies have failed to devel- probably responsible for getting “However, the take-over by the heardthe crash of the camán, and I sionally, world records too.Al- op our international athletic more Irish competitors onto this GAA of mainstream Irish athletics hope the music of the Gaelic tongue though our greatest Olympian be- prowess in any consistent way since new world stage at the Olympics. did not result in a greatathletic or on the lips of excited hurlers.” fore independence, the foundation of the state. What also emerges is the huge role Olympic revival, with hurling and Another report, in the United Ir- (9 medals,including 5gold) came In the last paragraphof the book, played by Irish sportsmen, many of football now very firmly established ishman, said that the game was to be from Co Mayo. Arthur Griffith’sobservation that them in the Irish American Athletic in nationalist circles and the rest of between the “Chicago and London “Munster athletes included Tom ‘revolutions areslow and often Club in New York, in gaining accept- the world having caught up with and Gaels although the original idea was Kiely from Tipperary broke 28 world barely perceptible things’ is alluded ance for the Irish in the USA, and in passed Irish standards in Olympic that Cork and the Chicago men records in his career, while Peter to.If Griffith is correct, we can only helping things like fundraising for sports by independence.” should play.” It should be added that O’Connor from Waterford broke four hope thatthis book could be the be- the 1916 Rising into the bargain. The appreciation of the achieve- apart from newspaper reports noth- world long jump records in less than ginning of a proper and reasoned de- “It also shows the degree to which ments of these pre 1924 Olympians is ing has been found in either the two years. In the Golden Vale area, bate on how to harness and re-ignite awide rangeofpolitical figures like still of the hit-and-miss variety as Olympic or GAA records to suggest John Flanaganfrom near Kilmal- the sporting prowess of this country RogerCasement, Arthur Griffith Kevin found in the course of his re- that an exhibition game was ever lock won three Olympic hammer for the health and benefit of not just and Michael Collins could see the search. played. Whatis known however is titles, Pat O’Callaghan from near the elite, but for everyone. DON’T MISS LISA FALLON’S COLUMN IN FRIDAY’S EVENING ECHO