Melbourne 1956

About

Melbourne 1956 was the first Games held in the southern hemisphere, with the equestrian events held separately in Stockholm due to Australian quarantine laws.

On 1 December 1956, Ireland had its greatest day in Olympic sport to that point: Ronnie Delany won gold in the 1500 metres with a devastating final lap in the Olympic record time of 3:41.2, and hours later Fred Tiedt fought his way to the welterweight boxing final, where a controversial 3-2 split decision in favour of Romania's Nicolae Linca denied him gold - a verdict so disputed that the official Olympic dispatch named Tiedt as the unluckiest boxer of the Games.

Freddie Gilroy and John Caldwell also won boxing bronze, while Tony Byrne - who had relied on community donations from Drogheda to fund his passage to Australia - carried the Irish flag at the Opening Ceremony before winning bronze in the lightweight.

Ireland won one gold, one silver and three bronze medals - the most successful Games in Irish history to that point.