Patrick McClure was one of the outstanding figures in Irish water polo and swimming, a Clonard Club player from the Falls Road in Belfast who scored the only Irish goal in the water polo competition at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games – later described as the last goal scored in Olympic water polo by an Irish player.

From Cavendish Street off the Falls Road, McClure was first capped for Ireland in 1924 against England and was a regular on the Clonard team that won ten Irish cup titles between 1924 and 1937.

He also won thirteen individual freestyle swimming titles.

A bookmaker’s clerk with McAleavey Bookmakers, he was facilitated with time off from work to train at Celtic Park where Joe Devlin provided the massage that aided his recovery.

Against Belgium he showed outstanding speed in competing for the ball and scored a remarkable goal from over halfway.