Friday 27 July 2012

Take Three: Olympics

As the Olympics officially gets underway today, why not take a peek into Ireland's sporting heritage? Here are three ways to get into a sporting mood, even if clicking the mouse is as energetic as you get:

Patriot Games: Ireland and the Olympics 1896-2010 – This timely exhibition in County Museum, Dundalk, has received approval from the Olympic Council of Ireland and is the only such exhibition in the country this summer.

The extensive exhibiton features contributions from many former Olympic competitors and their families, as well as Dr Ronnie Delany's gold medal from the 1956 Melbourne Games. It will run until October. Entry to the Museum, which is housed in a beautifully restored warehouse in Jocelyn Street, is free.Details.

Ireland's team at the first post-war Olympics: This RTE (radio) documentary is about the Irish team's participation at the 1948 London Olympics. It was first broadcast in 1989. (Link broken, so removed.)

Ireland’s Forgotten Olympians – The Irish Whales:
Read about a group of Irish immigrants to America who became the most famous and successful sportsmen in the world. The Irish Whales were seven Irish-born athletes who dominated the throwing events at the Olympics from 1896 to 1924 and were the first modern sporting superstars. The story is on The Irish Story, a website that is full of interesting reads and podcasts.