One hundred years of Irish participation at the Olympic Games will be celebrated this year with a series of events highlighting the achievements and rich history of Team Ireland’s Olympic athletes.
A century after the fledgling Irish State first took its place among the family of nations at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, the Olympic Federation of Ireland is paying tribute to the extraordinary achievements of athletes who have represented Ireland, highlighting their stories and creating a legacy that inspires the next generation to reach for their Olympic dreams.
Ireland has participated at 22 Summer and eight Winter Olympic Games since the Irish Free State was established in 1921. During that period, a total of 38 Olympic medals have been won by Ireland at the Games, from the first – a silver medal in painting for Jack B Yeats for ‘The Liffey Swim’ at Paris 1924, right up to the most recent – the gold medal won by Kellie Harrington in the Women’s -60kg Lightweight Boxing class in Tokyo 2020.
Over the coming months, 100 years of Team Ireland will be celebrated across the country, through events and campaigns including the following;
- In March, the Olympic Federation of Ireland, together with the Irish Olympians Association, will be publishing a list of the 911 men and women who have represented Ireland at the Olympics.
- St. Patrick’s weekend will see Team Ireland celebrated in parades nationwide, including a significant presence in Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival, alongside title sponsor of Team Ireland, PTSB
- Then Irish Olympic Exhibition will be launched shortly in Paris, celebrating some of the defining stories of Ireland’s Olympic journey since Paris 1924.
- The Team Ireland Centenary Ball will be held in Dublin on 9 November and will bring Olympians from all Olympic Games together to close out 100 years of Team Ireland.
Details of all the celebrations can be found HERE.