Monday 1st August 1932 was perhaps the most momentous occasion in the history of Irish athletics.

On that remarkable day at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles Bob Tisdall (400 metres hurdles) and Pat O’Callaghan (Hammer) in the space of one hour won gold medals. That glorious piece of Irish sporting history is still widely revered.

It is only fitting that as the track and field programme of the London Games is imminent that we pause to reflect on the enormity of the achievement eighty years ago of those giants of Irish sport.

There is a wonderful piece written of that special day by that great aficionado of Irish athletics Kevin Byrne in the current issue of History Ireland.

It is worth noting that the History Ireland edition is devoted to “Ireland and the Olympics” with the commissioning editor being Kevin McCarthy and the Hibernian Athletics Historical Association ( HAHA ) providing a substantial amount of the raw material in what is a most significant piece of historical work on Irish athletics. Go out and buy it!

For more further insight into Irish athletes performance at Olympic Games - please see attached an Irish Athletics Olympic History complied by Pierce O’Callaghan
irish-athletics-olympians-1896