The Little Book of Irish Athletics is a concise history of all the major figures in Irish athletics, from the nineteenth-century to the Olympic medal winners of Rio, this new book from author Tom Hunt is a must for fans of Irish athletics all over the world.
A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about Ireland’s proud sporting heritage.
Some interesting facts include:
- On 6 July 1924, high jumper and legendary Gaelic footballer, Larry Stanley became the first athlete to represent independent Ireland in Olympic athletics competition.
· Tom Kiely, arguably Ireland’s Greatest athlete, reportedly won an estimated 3,000 prizes, five AAA hammer titles, as well as fifty-three national titles between 1888 and 1908.
- The oldest medallist in Olympic track and field history is Irish-born Matt McGrath, who competed in Paris in 1924 at the age of 49 years and 195 days.
- In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne Ronnie Delany became Ireland’s first track champion, winning the 1,500m title with in the new Olympic record time of 3:41.2.