Ireland and The Olympics

1
Ireland and The Olympics
2
Irelands First Olympic Games

• Ireland first competed at the Olympic Games in
  1924 as the Irish Free State.
• Prior to this, Irish athletes competed as part of
  Great Britain.

3
Famous Irish Athletes

• Pat O'Callaghan
• Bob Tisdall
• Ronald Delaney
• Michael Carruth
• Michelle Smith
• Sonia O'Sullivan
• John Treacy

4
Pat OCallaghan

• Born in Co. Cork on the 15th September 1905
• Died on the 1st December 1991
• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1928 The Shot Putt
• He was the first person from an independent
  Ireland to win an Olympic medal and is regarded
  as one of Ireland's greatest-ever athletes
• This was the first time the Irish Tricolour was
  raised and Amhrán na bhFiann was played.

5
Bob Tisdall

• Born in Sri Lanka on the 16th May 1907
• Died in Australia on the 27th July 2004
• Raised in Tipperary
• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1932 400m Hurdles
• World record time of 51.7 seconds, which was not
  recognised because he had a hit a hurdle
• Later rules were changed and his record was
  recognised

6
Ronald Delaney

• Born in Co. Wicklow on the 6th March 1935
• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1956 The mile (1500m)
• Delaney became the first Irishman to win an
  Olympic title in athletics since Bob Tisdall in
  1932.

7
Michael Carruth

• Born in Dublin on the 9th July 1967
• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1992 - Boxing

8
Michelle Smith

• Born in County Dublin on the 16th December 1969
• 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist in 1996 Swimming
• Significant controversy followed these victories
• Smith later received a four-year suspension in
  1998 after being found guilty of tampering with a
  urine sample.
• This ban effectively ended her career.

9
Sonia OSullivan

• Born in Cork on the 28th November 1969
• She was one of the world's leading female 5000m
  runners for most of the 1990s and early 2000s
• Gold Medalist in the 5000m at the 1995 Athletics
  Championships
• Olympic Silver Medalist in 2000 1500m

10
John Treacy

• Born in Waterford on the 4th June 1957
• Olympic Silver Medalist in 1984 Marathon
• Waterfords most successful athlete