IRISH OLYMPIANS' ASSOCIATION
Once and Olympian, Always an Olympian
The Irish Olympians’ Association (IOA) unites Ireland’s Olympians to honour their achievements and maintain a community among the over 1,000 athletes who have proudly represented Ireland at the Olympic Games since 1924.
Mission
The IOA is dedicated to fostering the values of the Olympic movement, in collaboration with the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), the IOA aims to enhance engagement between Olympians, current and aspiring athletes, and the broader sporting community.
Through initiatives that promote contact, provide resources, and elevate the role of Olympians as role models in society, the IOA strives to strengthen the Olympic legacy in Ireland and ensure that future generations are inspired, supported, and empowered to achieve their sporting goals.
The Irish Olympians’ Association is one of 148 National Olympians Associations (NOAs) spread across all five continents.
The IOA is mandated by the Executive Committee of the OFI and is led by an Honorary President.
The current President of the IOA is Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008 Olympian Roisin McGettigan-Dumas, who took up the reigns from Olympic Gold Medalist (Melbourne 1956) Ronnie Delany in December 2023.
You can get in touch with Roisin by email
Olympian's Recources
Team Ireland Plaques
Ireland’s Olympians come from communities across the country and the world. If you, your club, school or community organisation would like to recognise an Olympian, you can now apply for a special plaque.
The Team Ireland plaque features the Olympic rings, alongside the name and details of the Olympian being commemorated.
World Olympians Association
The WOA supports the more than 100,000 living Olympians throughout the world and works for their benefit at all stages of their lives.
The WOA also handles registrations for OLY – a post nominal (like PhD, MD) that gives a 24/7 public recognition of years of hard work, dedication and promotion of the Olympic values.
Irish Olympians’ Association Facebook Group
Connect with other Irish Olympians and stay in touch with news and events at home and abroad.
This is a closed facebook group for Irish Olympians and those interested in Team Ireland’s heritage.
Join the IOA Database
Every athlete who has been selected to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games is automatically a member of the IOA, however the IOA doesn’t always have contact details for athletes who competed in Games pre the internet age.
If you, or any Irish Olympian you know does not already receive occasional emails from us, please fill in our form and help us update our database.
Irish Olympians' Association News
Olympian Spotlight – Fionnuala McCormack
Few Irish athletes embody endurance, resilience, and sheer love of sport quite like Fionnuala McCormack. With a remarkable career spanning nearly two decades, she has represented Ireland at five Olympic Games—from Beijing 2008 right through to Paris 2024—and capped it all with her highest-ever global finish, 9th place at the 2025 World Championships. In this [...]
Celebrating the Olympic Spirit: the Irish Olympians’ Association BBQ
The Irish Olympic community came together in the courtyard of Olympic House on Sport Ireland Campus for the inaugural Olympic Day BBQ. The event brought together Olympians spanning six decades of Irish sporting excellence, along with their families, friends, and staff from the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) for an afternoon of connection, celebration, and [...]
School Honours McClenaghan and McKibbon with Commemorative Olympic Plaques
Olympians Rhys McClenaghan and Peter McKibbon have been honoured by their former secondary school with commemorative plaques. McClenaghan, who won gold in the men’s Pommel Horse at Paris 2024, and McKibbon, a member of Ireland’s men’s hockey team in Paris, both attended Regent House School in Newtownards as teenagers. It has recognised their Olympic achievements [...]
Olympian Spotlight – Julie Parkes & Carol-Ann Heavey
Swimmers Carol-Ann Heavey and Julie Parkes at Dublin airport before departing for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. More than 1,000 people have represented Ireland at the Olympic Games since our nation first participated in Paris 1924. In the second of an ongoing series exploring the personal stories of Ireland's Olympians, Julie Brown (nee [...]
Olympian Spotlight – Terry McHugh
Earlier this month, Terry McHugh was presented with the Olympic Federation of Ireland President’s Award in recognition of his achievements across two sports and six Olympic Games. As well as being the only Irish athlete to have competed in so many Games, Terry is in an exclusive club of dual winter and summer Olympians - [...]
100 YEARS OF TEAM IRELAND CELEBRATED AT CENTENARY OLYMPIC BALL
PHOTOS Last night, over 700 guests gathered for the special Team Ireland Centenary Olympic Ball, at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin. In 1924 the first team competed for Ireland at the Olympic Games in Paris, and throughout the evening athletes and performances spanning the one hundred years were celebrated. The unique event was [...]
Team Ireland Kickstart Centenary Celebrations at Trinity College Dublin
Yesterday, the Olympic Federation of Ireland brought together a number of Olympians to kickstart our centenary celebrations at Trinity College Dublin. Last night's function was the first in a series of events that Team Ireland has planned throughout our Centenary year to celebrate our Olympians, recognise their achievements and inspire the next generation of athletes to [...]
Roisin McGettigan-Dumas Becomes President of the IOA, Olympic Champion Ronnie Delany Steps Down
OLYMPIAN ROISIN MCGETTIGAN-DUMAS BECOMES THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE IRISH OLYMPIANS’ ASSOCIATION OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST RONNIE DELANY STEPS DOWN AND IS AWARDED THE IOA PRESIDENT EMERITUS TITLE Olympic Champion Ronnie Delany has stepped down from his position as President of the Irish Olympians’ Association and the mantle will be passed to 2008 Team Ireland […]
HUGH RUSSELL – OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST – RIP
The Olympic Federation of Ireland is sad to hear of the passing of Olympic Bronze Medallist Hugh Russell. The Belfast boxer died following a short illness and is remembered fondly by the Irish Olympic and boxing community. He won his bronze medal in the Men’s Flyweight category at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The OFI [...]
Olympic Medallist Jim McCourt RIP
Olympic Bronze Medallist in Boxing, Jim McCourt dies The Olympic Federation of Ireland is sad to learn of the passing of Tokyo 1964 Olympic Medallist, Jim McCourt. The Belfast boxer was one of 18 boxers to win an Olympic medal for Ireland and was the only Irish medallist at the Olympic Games in Tokyo […]
2026 National Elite Boxing Championships Draw
75 boxers from 17 counties will compete for coveted Elite titles when the 2026 National Elite Championships begins on Friday at the home of Irish Boxing. Among the competitors are double Olympic Champion Kellie Harrington, Paris Olympians Daina Moorehouse, Jenny Lehane, Michaela Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley – alongside Olympian and 2025 [...]
KÜRTEN TAKES REINS AS IRELAND’S NEW JUMPING BOSS
Legendary rider excited to work with team ahead of World Championships and LA28 Olympics Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to announce the appointment of legendary rider Jessica Kürten as the organisation’s new High Performance Jumping Manager following a comprehensive Request for Tender (RFT) and interview process for the role, as Ireland enters an exciting [...]
A Message from Peter Sherrard, CEO, Olympic Federation of Ireland
As we come to the end of a remarkable year, I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone across the Olympic community for your support in 2025. It has been a big year, marked by brilliant representation from our athletes across all sports. Their performances, resilience, and commitment continue to inspire the nation. [...]
Dare To Believe Updates
November was a busy month for Dare to Believe, with the launch of the new Olympic Movement Breaks bringing fresh Olympic-themed activities to classrooms across the country. Throughout the month over 75,000 students got moving thanks to the programme. We also released the Dare to Believe song with the Kabin Crew, adding a fun [...]
Milano Cortina 2026 – Team Ireland Update
Excitement continues to build as we move closer to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, scheduled for 6–22 February 2026. The Olympic flame has now completed its handover in Athens and begun a 12,000 km torch relay across Italy, visiting all 110 provinces in the lead-up to opening night in Milan. Organisers report [...]
OFI UPDATES – DECEMBER
OFI Delegation visit to ISPO 2025 A small delegation of OFI and McKvr Sports staff, joined by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Nadia Power, staff travelled to Munich last week and attended ISPO, the world’s largest sports industry trade show showcasing new products, materials and innovations from global sportswear and equipment brands. The purpose of the visit [...]
The Power of Perseverance: How Cross-country skier Thomas Maloney Westgård pushed past expectations
IF ANYONE embodies the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s ‘Dare to Believe’ motto it is the country’s top cross-country skier and programme ambassador Thomas Maloney Westgård. It is 11 years since the 6’ 1” Norwegian-Irish skier first represented Ireland and since then he has shot up through the ranks of the world’s toughest endurance athletes to [...]
TEAM IRELAND LAUNCHES NEW PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT IRELAND’S OLYMPIC AMBITION
A new way for the global Irish community to support Team Ireland’s Olympic journey The Olympic Federation of Ireland today announced the launch of the Team Ireland Foundation, a new philanthropic initiative designed to unite supporters at home and abroad behind Ireland’s Olympic ambition and to strengthen the pathway to world-class performance for athletes [...]
TEAM IRELAND OLYMPIC SPORT AWARDS 2025 WINNERS ANNOUNCED
The Olympic Federation of Ireland today announced the winners of the 2025 Team Ireland Olympic Sport Awards. The celebratory evening on 6 December saw Ireland’s best athletes swap their training kit for glad rags to mark an exceptional year in sport. More than 500 people attended the event, which featured special performances by the [...]
GYMNASTICS IRELAND’S MAIREAD KAVANAGH ELECTED PRESIDENT OF WOMEN’S EUROPEAN GYMNASTICS
It was a great day for Gymnastics Ireland at the European Gymnastics Congress in Prague on Saturday 29th November with Cork woman Mairead Kavanagh being elected President of European Women's Gymnastics. This is the first time that an Irish official has held the position on the influential Women's Technical Committee. Gymnastics Ireland's Chief Executive [...]