Fionbarr Farrell competed in the fencing at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games in the individual and team foil, épée and sabre events - a sport he discovered through a note on the cash register in Hely's of Dame Street, Dublin, after a scientific experiment had gone badly wrong. As a teenager with a passion for scientific experiments, Farrell suffered a laboratory accident when his experimental apparatus exploded, embedding glass shrapnel in his legs and thighs and temporarily preventing him from horse riding, his favourite recreation. Recovering his mobility, he noticed the invitation in Hely's - 'Give fencing a try' - and accepted it, joining the Salle Duffy in the winter of 1961 where he was coached by Paddy Duffy.
His rehabilitation required him to concentrate on footwork for several months before his injuries allowed full participation - an introduction to the sport's technical foundations that proved invaluable. He went on to develop a lifelong association with Irish fencing.
Fencing
