John J. Flanagan was born in 1873 in Kilbreedy, Co. Limerick. He played inter – provincial hurling for Munster and won Irish and British titles at hammer throwing before moving to New York in 1896. He joined the NYPD and went on to head the world rankings until 1910. Over the course of his career he set seventeen world records and also won the American shot-put title five times. He was the first athlete to win three succesive gold medals at the Olympics (Hammer 1900, 1904 and 1908). He left the NYPD in 1911 and returned to the family farm in Limerick. He won the Irish hammer championship in 1911 and 1912. Flanagan became coach to the hammer thrower Pat O’Callaghan, the Irish Free State’s first gold medal winner.
[SIZE=5]Matthew McGrath[/SIZE]
Matthew McGrath was born in 1875, one of eleven children of a tenant farmer in Nenagh Co. Tipperary. As a youth he was known to walk ten miles to see his sporting hero John Flanagan compete and dreamed of becoming a champion hammer thrower.[10] He emigrated to the United States in 1897 where he worked at a variety of jobs including blacksmith and barman before joining the NYPD in 1902.
Proving his sporting prowess with the Irish American Athletic Club and the New York Police Athletic League he was chosen to represent the United States at the bad tempered 1908 Olympic Games in London. Despite winning a silver medal, where he finished second to his friend and rival John Flanagan, it is for the flag incident at the opening ceremony that he got most attention for . The etiquette for the game’s opening ceremony was that the flag bearer for each national team would dip their nation’s flag as they passed the King of England. There was uproar in the stadium as the American flag bearer, Ralph Rose, failed to dip the stars and stripes. This was interpreted as a grave insult to the King. Reports of the incident claimed that McGrath threatened to hospitalise Rose if he dipped the flag but this seems unlikely as Rose was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and a good friend of the Whales. McGrath was prominent though in defending the decision not to dip the flag to the press.
The Irish athletes representing America refused to salute the King of England at the 1908 Olympics in London, causing a major stir in the press.
McGrath went on to win gold at the 1912 Olympics, setting a record that would stand for the next twenty four years. He took silver at the 1924 Olympics and was chosen to represent the US at the 1924 games at the age of forty eight.
He was twice decorated for valour by the NYPD and was promoted to the third highest rank of the force in 1936. In 1989 Congressman Thomas J. Manton paid tribute to McGrath on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his sporting triumphs and his role in refusing to allow the American flag to be dipped to a foreign head of state.
[QUOTE=“TheUlteriorMotive, post: 1067775, member: 2272”][SIZE=5]Matthew McGrath[/SIZE]
Matthew McGrath was born in 1875, one of eleven children of a tenant farmer in Nenagh Co. Tipperary. As a youth he was known to walk ten miles to see his sporting hero John Flanagan compete and dreamed of becoming a champion hammer thrower.[10] He emigrated to the United States in 1897 where he worked at a variety of jobs including blacksmith and barman before joining the NYPD in 1902.
Proving his sporting prowess with the Irish American Athletic Club and the New York Police Athletic League he was chosen to represent the United States at the bad tempered 1908 Olympic Games in London. Despite winning a silver medal, where he finished second to his friend and rival John Flanagan, it is for the flag incident at the opening ceremony that he got most attention for . The etiquette for the game’s opening ceremony was that the flag bearer for each national team would dip their nation’s flag as they passed the King of England. There was uproar in the stadium as the American flag bearer, Ralph Rose, failed to dip the stars and stripes. This was interpreted as a grave insult to the King. Reports of the incident claimed that McGrath threatened to hospitalise Rose if he dipped the flag but this seems unlikely as Rose was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club and a good friend of the Whales. McGrath was prominent though in defending the decision not to dip the flag to the press.
The Irish athletes representing America refused to salute the King of England at the 1908 Olympics in London, causing a major stir in the press.
McGrath went on to win gold at the 1912 Olympics, setting a record that would stand for the next twenty four years. He took silver at the 1924 Olympics and was chosen to represent the US at the 1924 games at the age of forty eight.
He was twice decorated for valour by the NYPD and was promoted to the third highest rank of the force in 1936. In 1989 Congressman Thomas J. Manton paid tribute to McGrath on the floor of the US House of Representatives for his sporting triumphs and his role in refusing to allow the American flag to be dipped to a foreign head of state.[/QUOTE]
During the year I heard some man on the radio talking about the Tailteann Games and I’m sure he mentioned those athletes.
I think they might be attempting to revive the games too
John J. Flanagan was born in 1873 in Kilbreedy, Co. Limerick. He played inter – provincial hurling for Munster and won Irish and British titles at hammer throwing before moving to New York in 1896. He joined the NYPD and went on to head the world rankings until 1910. Over the course of his career he set seventeen world records and also won the American shot-put title five times. He was the first athlete to win three succesive gold medals at the Olympics (Hammer 1900, 1904 and 1908). He left the NYPD in 1911 and returned to the family farm in Limerick. He won the Irish hammer championship in 1911 and 1912. Flanagan became coach to the hammer thrower Pat O’Callaghan, the Irish Free State’s first gold medal winner.[/QUOTE]
Kilbreedy. Any good reason the pitch was not named for him?
Gary Anderson, the perennial Lakeside loser who was routinely routed at the home of darts, is now the best player in Phil’s Darts Club. He won the fake world title last weekend in front of a baying mob of BNP and UKIP voting hooligans at “Ally Pally”. 8 appearances at the Lakeside, 5 first round losses, never appeared in a final and was never good enough to win it.
They Might Be Giants, the duo who had the “hit” song Put a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul, wrote the opening and closing song for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse tv show. I’d like to shoot them for that fucking Hot Dog song they created.
Stack is going to Clonlara.