Echo News ~ . ~ m n Gardai hear about NYPD·s Olympic heroes o~
By Peter McDermott w ho were in New York for the way for the comprehensive p"[email protected]'l lnternational Police GAA Tour documentation of the cl ub's his namen t. McGowan, curator of tory presented in "The Iri sh SEAN HARAN of Swinford; Co. . "The Irish Whales: OlympiC Whales." Mayo, recognized a name when Chani pions of the NYPD, 1900 - McGowan told the visiting scanning the walls of the New 1924," told fhem about Sheridan, athletes, who were competing York City Police M useum in Matt McGrath, from Nenagh, against GAA teams from the ~ . Downtown Manhattan last Fri Co. Tipperary, Patrick Ryan, of Police Service of Northern ire ~ m n day. It was Martin Sheridan, the Old Pallas, Co. Limerick, John land, fh e NYPD and the London ~ OlympiC discus thrower, shot Flanagan of Kilbreedy, Co. lim Metropolitan PoUce, that while o o putter, long jumper and high erick, and Patrick "Babe" an athlete like Jim Thorpe from "3 jumper who came from nearby McDonald from Doonbeg, Co. Oklahoma is very well known in Bohola. Clare. this country, the remarkable sto "My grandfather used to talk He related how he'd been ries of Irisrunen of the sa me gen about him all the time," he said. cu rious about the name of his eration w ho won gold for Amer Haran added that his grandfa apartment building in Queens ica are not. fher died nearing his 90fh birth and later discovered that Celtic Ryan and Flanagan both set day about a decade ago, and he Pa rk was a holdover from the tled back in Ireland. McGrafh, thought that Sheridan had had a days of the Irish-American A th who'd won silver in 1908 and long life too. letic Club, which had its stadi gold in 1912, got anofher ham Assistant Commissioner Fintan Fanni ng, who led the Garda GAA "No," sa id Ian McGowan, an um on the site. He learned that mer-throwing silver at the 1924 Cl ub trip to New York, makes a presentation to Ian McGowan, expert on fhe subject. "In fa ct he fhe organization dominated U.s. Paris Olympics. He was 48, a curator of "The Irish Whales: Olympic Champions of th e NYPD, died in 1918, fhe day before his track and field in the first quar record for the oldest American 1900-1 924. " PETER MCDEAMOTr 37fh birthday." . ter of fh e 20fh century. ever to win a track and field Sheridan was one of, fhe mil McGowan recounted how he medal fh at sti ll holds. Sheridan, lions of victims of the JIu pan stumbl ed upon a treasure trove in fhe years before his death, demic sweeping the world at of cups won by the club's ath patrolled out of fhe downtown that time. The New York Times' letes stored at the American precinct that now houses the obitu ary the next day said he Irish Historical Society's build museum, w hile McDonald was was one of the g reatest athletes ing on Fifth A venue. Over the for a time a beat cop at Times th at A merica had ever pro past few years, he has tracked Square, where he became some duced. Except of cou rse, Sheri dow n more trophies, including thing of a tourist attraction. dan wa sn't Ameri ca n by birth . three on display in the exhib it "This would make a great Li ke ma ny of Ih(, cu rly U.S. l·h,, 1 were presented at the Wal movie," McG.owan said. Olympic gold m l'd , di ~ l :-; , he W.1 :': dorf A, lorio Ii olcl in '1908 fo l Irish an d a member of lhl! Iri sh lowing the Lond on Olympics. "The Irish Whales: OIYI"pic Cham American A thle tic Club based in In his campaign to document pions of the NYPD, 1900 -1924" is Queens. fhis chapter of hidden history, showing daily through Oct. 30 at Much of this was new to fhe he had fhe support of NYP\i) the New YQrk City Police Museum, 52 traveli ng with the Garda Chief George Anderson and 100 Old Slit It is presented by the GAA Club, Haran among them, Sgt. Rich Wall, which paved the Winged Fist Organization and NYPD Emerald Socieh;. For more details about opening hours, visit County Mayo native Martin Sheridan competing at th e London ulww.nycpm.org. Olympics in 1908.