Joe Casey competed in the men’s heavyweight boxing at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, opening his campaign at 1:15 a.m. in the late-night scheduling at the Palazzo della Sport.

A Garda Club member, Casey began his opening bout impressively, catching his Yugoslav opponent Obrad Sretenovic with a series of scoring jabs in the opening round before the Yugoslav’s heavy body punching changed the dynamics of the contest.

The Irish boxing team at Rome competed in the era when east-European nations had developed professional systems of preparation that transformed the landscape of Olympic boxing, with the USA also prominent – including a loquacious young light-heavyweight from Louisville, Kentucky called Cassius Clay, who was among the most impressive winners at those Games.