Albertville 1992
8th Feb 1992 – 23rd Feb 1992
About
Ireland made its Winter Olympic debut at Albertville 1992 in the French Alps, competing in the two-man bobsleigh at La Plagne.
Pat McDonagh carried the Irish flag at the Opening Ceremony and drove the first sled with Terry McHugh as brakeman, finishing 32nd of 46 teams; a second Irish sled crewed by Gerry Macken and Malachy Sheridan finished 38th.
The team's origins were unlikely: McDonagh had been recruited to the sport after responding to a note left on his boat at Henley Regatta by British entrepreneur Larry Tracey, who founded and funded the Irish bobsleigh programme. McHugh, who competed in the javelin at four Summer Olympics and bobsleigh at two Winter Games, remains Ireland's most frequent Olympic competitor. The team had qualified for Calgary 1988 but the Olympic Council of Ireland withdrew the entry without explanation.
