Irish Athletics Caps

In a week when an Irishman became the most capped Rugby player in the history of the game, the Athletics Ireland Technical Committee is pleased to publish the first ever attempt to compile the definitive list of Irish Athletics Caps.

The list attempts to include the names of all athletes who were selected by the internationally recognised governing body and competed in an official senior International match, Cup or Championships for Ireland against other athletes wearing their national vests.

This includes all T&F events (indoors & outdoors) Road Races and Ultra Distances and Mountain Running.

While every effort has been made by the compilers to ensure as much accuracy as possible, compiling a list made up over nearly 7,200 selections over 140 years is bound to include some errors and omissions and the compilers welcome feedback to correct this information.

The list will be kept in the About us, history section of the AAI website as well as the competition, statistics section and will be updated with corrections and additions on a regular basis.

A working group of 5 members has been established by the Technical Committee to investigate the validity of all caps won or claimed to be won consisting of Pierce O’Callaghan (Technical Committee Member and List Compiler), Cyril Smyth (Athletics History Researcher), Killian Lonergan (AAI Statistician), John Cronin (Chairman of the Technical Committee) and Liam Hennessy (Association of Track & Field Statisticians).

The remit of this group is to ensure the authenticity of all Irish cap winners over the past 140 years.

By the end of 2014 when the list has been thoroughly reviewed by as many people as possible, the compilers intend to assign one unique number to every Irish International Cap winner which will stay with the athletes forever.

The immortal number one has already been assigned to Maurice Davin who threw the hammer which was the first event in the first ever International Athletics Match between Ireland and England in Lansdowne Road on June 5, 1876.

Davin was a colossus in Irish sport in the late 19th century, was the first President of the GAA and was generally regarded as the greatest all round athlete in the world in the 1870s and 80s.

Winning an Irish vest and representing Ireland in an international event is the highest honour many fortunate athletes will ever achieve in the sport and Athletics Ireland salutes the achievements, talent and dedication of all these athletes for the cause of Irish Athletics.

Athletics Ireland also recognises that many Irish athletes were denied the honour of an Irish vest due to various political reasons totally beyond their control.

Please send any corrections or additions to pierce@savvysportsmgt.com

Irish Caps April 29th