Sir, – As an Irish sports fan, I have often wondered about the role of politically motivated and self-seeking sports administrators in our often less than impressive international record since independence.
Controversies involving Irish sports administrators are nothing new in Olympic or international sport.
In the early years of the State, they usually concerned the vagaries of partition. They led to such absurdities as three warring athletics and cycling associations on the island in the 1930s; top 26-county athletes at the 1948 London Olympics being refused recognition by their 32-county Olympic committee; regular rows over whether the country’s Olympic designation should be Ireland or Éire; Britain forcing Irish swimming teams out of the games because they contained Northern Irish swimmers; and a 32-county National Cycling Association team barred from the Olympics turning up anyway to disrupt the 1972 Munich road race.
One must ask what effect this had on Irish sport in the international arena. It certainly was not a benign one. For example, in the past 84 years – since Pat O’Callaghan and Bob Tisdall won double gold in Los Angeles in 1932 – Irish track and field athletes have won just three Olympic medals: Ronnie Delany (who nearly wasn’t sent because of lack of funding) winning gold in Melbourne in 1956, and John Treacy and Sonia O’Sullivan winning silver in Los Angeles in 1984 and Sydney in 2000.
Compare this to the years before independence when, even allowing for lower standards and fewer competitors, it is an amazing fact that Irish athletes competing for Britain (often very reluctantly), the US, South Africa and Canada won no fewer than 25 Olympic medals (13 golds) between 1900 and 1920. They were particularly dominant in the throwing and jumping events – always traditionally strong in Ireland – where Irishmen won gold in every Olympic Games in that period, led by Martin Sheridan with four gold medals in the 1904, 1906 and 1908 Olympics in the shot put and discus and John Flanagan with three gold medals in 1900, 1906 and 1908 in the hammer, both competing for the US.
Why did these spectacular performances decline to almost nothing in the 60 years after independence?
Did it have something to do with the shenanigans of egotistical and/or politically motivated sports administrators, of which we have had more than our fair share in this country?
The GAA, in contrast, has been blessed, at least in recent years, with top-class administrators.
And boxing, at least before the unfortunate departure last year of Billy Walsh – which many in that sport would also put down to the large egos of some in the Irish Amateur Boxing Association – was a successful exception, with 16 Olympic medal-winners since the 1950s. – Yours, etc,
ANDY POLLAK,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – It is less than ideal to have the same people in charge of sporting organisations for too long a period of time. The Government needs to introduce conditions regarding the governance of sporting bodies and, indeed, all other organisations that it funds. This would ensure a regular turnover of the people at the top.
I find it hard to accept that any organisation can be so lacking in talented members that it needs to have the same person in charge for close to 30 years. – Yours, etc,
PAVEL MARIANSKI,
Dungarvan,
Co Waterford.
Sir, – After every Olympics, I always found that I had new heroes to admire. This time it is the Brazilian police.– Yours, etc,
OLIVER DUFFY,
Bishopstown.
Cork.
Sir, – I am looking forward to the Attorney General’s advice to the Cabinet about the difference between a dressing-down and a dressing gown. – Yours, etc,
ULTAN Ó BROIN,
Sandycove,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Trying to sell tickets at over the face value to people who can say “no thanks” is a crime in Rio but defrauding boxers and spectators of a fair contest and an honest decision is “just one of those things”. This is an illustration of how Olympian principles and fair play have been subverted by commercial greed. – Yours, etc,
RICHARD NOLAN,
Cratloe,
Co Clare.
Sir, – Noel Whelan accuses the Minister for Sport of naivety and then, in a delicious twist of irony, goes on to advocate a judicial "scoping exercise", whatever that is ("Shane Ross needs to be better prepared to tackle Rio ticket controversy", Opinion & Analysis, August 19th).
An inquiry, statutory or otherwise, may take the political heat out of the situation, but in practical terms, its most likely potential is to be an expensive game of “run-around”, funded by the taxpayer. – Yours, etc,
DIARMUID BRENNAN,
Churchfields,
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Am I missing something? The biggest story in Irish media for a week was about the sexual practices of a few seminarians, and now the country’s press and politicians spend a week discussing ticket-touting. How about some real news, Irish and international? – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN FEENEY,
Sligo.
Sir, – It seems now that most sports have become elitist in that there are only stars or losers. It looks like good old-fashioned healthy enjoyment of sport for all is fast disappearing. – Yours, etc,
JAMES QUINN,
Loughlinstown,
Co Dublin.