Pat O'Callaghan
Encyclopedia
Dr. Patrick O'Callaghan (15 September 1905 - 1 December 1991), was an Irish
athlete and Olympic
gold medallist. He was the first person from an independent Ireland
to win an Olympic medal and is regarded as one of Ireland's greatest-ever athletes.
, County Cork
in 1905. The youngest of three sons born to Paddy O'Callaghan and Jane Healy, he began his education at the age of two at Derrygallon national school. O'Callaghan progressed to secondary school
in Kanturk and at the age of fifteen he won a scholarship to the Patrician Academy in Mallow
. During his year in the Patrician Academy he cycled the 32-mile round trip from Derrygallon every day and he never missed a class. O'Callaghan subsequently studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons
in Dublin. Following his graduation in 1926 he joined the Royal Air Force
Medical Service
. He returned to Ireland in 1928 and set up his own medical practice in Clonmel
, County Tipperary
. Dr. Pat, as he was known to all, worked in Clonmel until his retirement in 1984. A special treat for small boys who attended his surgery was to view his gold medals. O'Callaghan was also a renowned field sports practitioner, greyhound
trainer and storyteller.
with Cork in 1893. O’Callaghan’s eldest brother, Seán, also enjoyed football as well as winning a national 440 yards hurdles title, while his other brother, Con, was also regarded as a gifted runner, jumper and thrower. O’Callaghan’s early sporting passions included hunting, poaching and Gaelic football. He was regarded as an excellent midfielder on the Dromtarriffe
football team, while he also lined out with the Castlemagner
hurling
team.
At university in Dublin O’Callaghan broadened his sporting experiences by joining the local senior rugby
club. This was at a time when the infamous Gaelic Athletic Association
‘ban’ forbade players of Gaelic games
from playing so-called ‘foreign sports’. In spite of this O’Callaghan enjoyed some success with the oval ball. It was also in Dublin that O’Callaghan first developed an interest in hammer-throwing. In 1926 he returned to his native Duhallow where he set up a training regime in hammer-throwing. Here he fashioned his own hammer by boring a one inch hole through a 16lb shot and filling it with the ball-bearing core of a bicycle peadal. He also set up a throwing circle in a nearby field where he trained constantly and developed his own unique teachnique. In 1927 O’Callaghan returned to Dublin where he won that year’s hammer championship with a throw of 142’ 3”. In 1928 he retained his national title with a throw of 162’ 6”, a win which allowed him to represent Ireland
at the upcoming Olympic Games in Amsterdam
. On the same day O’Callaghan’s brother, Con, won the shot putt and the decathlon and also qualified for the Olympic Games. Between winning his national title and competing in the Olympic Games O’Callaghan improved his throwing distance by recording a distance of 166’ 11” at the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Sports in Belfast
it was his younger brother who became the hero. O’Callaghan was still regarded as a novice when he represented his country in the Olympic Games and it was expected that he wouldn’t do much. In spite of this he finished in sixth place in the preliminary round and started the final with a throw of 155’ 9”. This put him in third place. He was behind Oissian Skoeld of Sweden
but ahead of Malcolm Nokes
, the favourite from Great Britain
. For his second throw O’Callaghan, a master of the psychological element of competition, used the Swede’s own hammer and recorded a throw of 168’ 7”. It was 4’ more than what Skoeld could manage and it resulted in a first gold medal for O’Callaghan and for Ireland. The podium presentation was particularly emotional as it was the first time that the Irish tricolour was raised and it was the first time that Amhrán na bhFiann
was played.
In the summer of 1930 O’Callaghan took part in a two-day invitation event in Stockholm
where Oissian Skoeld was confidently expected to gain revenge on the Irishman for the defeat in Amsterdam. On the first day of the competition Skoeld broke his own European record with his very first throw. O’Callaghan followed immediately and overtook him with his own first throw and breaking the new record. On the second day of the event both O’Callaghan and Skoeld were neck-and-neck, when the former, with his last throw, set a new European record of 178’ 8” to win. O’Callaghan had confirmed that his Olympic success was not a flash in the pan.
came around O’Callaghan was regularly throwing the hammer over 170 feet. The Irish team were much better organised on that occasion and the whole journey to Los Angeles
was funded by a church-gate collection. Shortly before departing on the 6,000-mile boat and train journey across the Atlantic O’Callaghan collected a fifth hammer title at the national championships.
On arrival in Los Angeles O’Callaghan’s preparations of the defence of his title came unstuck. The surface of the hammer circle had always been of grass or clay and throwers wore field shoes with steel spikes set into the heel and sole for grip. In Los Angeles, however, a cinder surface was to be provided. For some unexplained reason the Olympic Committee of Ireland had failed to notify O’Callaghan of this change. Consequently he came to the arena with three pairs of spiked shoes for a grass or clay surface and time did not permit a change of shoe. He wore his shortest spikes but found that the spikes caught in the hard gritty slab and impeded his crucial third turn. In spite of being severely impeded he managed to qualify for the final stage of the competition with a spectacular all-or-nothing third throw of 171’ 3”. While the final of the 400m hurdles was delayed O’Callaghan hunted down a hacksaw and a file in the groundskeeper's shack and he cut off the spikes. The result was less than ideal but it promised a much surer footing. O’Callaghan’s first throw was short of his earlier mark but he was satisfied with his footwear. His second throw reached a distance of 176’ 11”, a result which allowed him to retain his Olympic title. It was Ireland’s second gold medal of the day as Bob Tisdall
had earlier won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles.
In the early 1930s controversy raged between the British AAA and the National Athletic and Cycling Association of Ireland (NACAI). The British AAA claimed jurisdiction in Northern Ireland
while the NACAI claimed jurisdiction over the entire island of Ireland regardless of political division. The controversy came to a head in the lead-up to the 1936 Summer Olympics
when the IAAF finally disqualified the NACAI. O’Callaghan remained loyal to the NACAI, a decision which effectively brought an end to his international athletic career. No Irish team travelled to the 1936 Olympic Games, however O’Callaghan travelled to Berlin
as a private spectator. After Berlin, O’Callaghan’s international career was over. He declined to join the new 26-county AAUE and continued to compete under NACAI rules. At Fermoy
in 1937 he threw 195’ 4” - more than seven feet ahead of the world record set by his old friend Paddy 'Chicken' Ryan
in 1913. The AAUE and the British-dominated IAAF saw to it that this new world record did not receive official recognition.
In retirement O’Callaghan remained interested in athletics. He travelled to every Olympic Games up until 1988 and enjoyed fishing and poaching in Clonmel. Dr. Pat O’Callaghan died on 1 December 1991.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
athlete and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medallist. He was the first person from an independent Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to win an Olympic medal and is regarded as one of Ireland's greatest-ever athletes.
Early & private life
Pat O'Callaghan was born in knockanroe just outside KanturkKanturk
-Transport:*Kanturk railway station opened on 1 April 1889, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and finally closed altogether on 4 February 1963. Kanturk is however served by the nearby Banteer railway station.-People:...
, County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1905. The youngest of three sons born to Paddy O'Callaghan and Jane Healy, he began his education at the age of two at Derrygallon national school. O'Callaghan progressed to secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Kanturk and at the age of fifteen he won a scholarship to the Patrician Academy in Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
. During his year in the Patrician Academy he cycled the 32-mile round trip from Derrygallon every day and he never missed a class. O'Callaghan subsequently studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , is a Dublin-based medical institution, situated on St. Stephen's Green. The college is one of the five Recognised Colleges of the National University of Ireland...
in Dublin. Following his graduation in 1926 he joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Medical Service
RAF Medical Branch
The Royal Air Force Medical Services is the branch of the Royal Air Force that provides health care at home and on deployed operations to RAF service personnel. Medical officers are the doctors of the RAF and have specialist expertise in aviation medicine to support aircrew and their protective...
. He returned to Ireland in 1928 and set up his own medical practice in Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
. Dr. Pat, as he was known to all, worked in Clonmel until his retirement in 1984. A special treat for small boys who attended his surgery was to view his gold medals. O'Callaghan was also a renowned field sports practitioner, greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
trainer and storyteller.
Early sporting life
O’Callaghan was born into a family that had a huge interest in a variety of different sports. His uncle, Tim Vaughan, was a national sprint champion and played Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
with Cork in 1893. O’Callaghan’s eldest brother, Seán, also enjoyed football as well as winning a national 440 yards hurdles title, while his other brother, Con, was also regarded as a gifted runner, jumper and thrower. O’Callaghan’s early sporting passions included hunting, poaching and Gaelic football. He was regarded as an excellent midfielder on the Dromtarriffe
Dromtarriffe GAA
Dromtarriffe GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the North West of County Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to the Duhallow division of Cork GAA and is almost exclusively concerned with the game of Gaelic football though interest in Hurling has escalated in recent years...
football team, while he also lined out with the Castlemagner
Castlemagner GAA
Castlemagner GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the village of Castlemagner in the North West of County Cork, Ireland. The club plays in the Duhallow division in both Gaelic Football and Hurling competitions...
hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team.
At university in Dublin O’Callaghan broadened his sporting experiences by joining the local senior rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club. This was at a time when the infamous Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
‘ban’ forbade players of Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
from playing so-called ‘foreign sports’. In spite of this O’Callaghan enjoyed some success with the oval ball. It was also in Dublin that O’Callaghan first developed an interest in hammer-throwing. In 1926 he returned to his native Duhallow where he set up a training regime in hammer-throwing. Here he fashioned his own hammer by boring a one inch hole through a 16lb shot and filling it with the ball-bearing core of a bicycle peadal. He also set up a throwing circle in a nearby field where he trained constantly and developed his own unique teachnique. In 1927 O’Callaghan returned to Dublin where he won that year’s hammer championship with a throw of 142’ 3”. In 1928 he retained his national title with a throw of 162’ 6”, a win which allowed him to represent Ireland
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
at the upcoming Olympic Games in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. On the same day O’Callaghan’s brother, Con, won the shot putt and the decathlon and also qualified for the Olympic Games. Between winning his national title and competing in the Olympic Games O’Callaghan improved his throwing distance by recording a distance of 166’ 11” at the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
Sports in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
1928 Olympic Games
In the summer of 1928 the three O’Callaghan brothers paid their own fares when travelling to the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Even though Con O’Callaghan was taking part in the decathlonDecathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
it was his younger brother who became the hero. O’Callaghan was still regarded as a novice when he represented his country in the Olympic Games and it was expected that he wouldn’t do much. In spite of this he finished in sixth place in the preliminary round and started the final with a throw of 155’ 9”. This put him in third place. He was behind Oissian Skoeld of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
but ahead of Malcolm Nokes
Malcolm Nokes
Malcolm Cuthbert Nokes MC MA BSc was a British schoolteacher, soldier, research scientist and Olympic athlete...
, the favourite from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. For his second throw O’Callaghan, a master of the psychological element of competition, used the Swede’s own hammer and recorded a throw of 168’ 7”. It was 4’ more than what Skoeld could manage and it resulted in a first gold medal for O’Callaghan and for Ireland. The podium presentation was particularly emotional as it was the first time that the Irish tricolour was raised and it was the first time that Amhrán na bhFiann
Amhrán na bhFiann
is the national anthem of Ireland. The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored by Kearney. It is sung in the Irish language translation made by Liam Ó Rinn. The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only...
was played.
Success in Ireland
After returning from the Olympic Games O’Callaghan cemented his reputation as a great athlete by having much more success on the field between 1929 and 1932. In the national championships of 1930 he won the hammer, shot-putt, 56lbs without follow, 56lbs over-the-bar, discus and high jump. These were only a handful of titles that O’Callaghan won during this era.In the summer of 1930 O’Callaghan took part in a two-day invitation event in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
where Oissian Skoeld was confidently expected to gain revenge on the Irishman for the defeat in Amsterdam. On the first day of the competition Skoeld broke his own European record with his very first throw. O’Callaghan followed immediately and overtook him with his own first throw and breaking the new record. On the second day of the event both O’Callaghan and Skoeld were neck-and-neck, when the former, with his last throw, set a new European record of 178’ 8” to win. O’Callaghan had confirmed that his Olympic success was not a flash in the pan.
1932 Summer Olympics
By the time the 1932 Summer Olympics1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
came around O’Callaghan was regularly throwing the hammer over 170 feet. The Irish team were much better organised on that occasion and the whole journey to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
was funded by a church-gate collection. Shortly before departing on the 6,000-mile boat and train journey across the Atlantic O’Callaghan collected a fifth hammer title at the national championships.
On arrival in Los Angeles O’Callaghan’s preparations of the defence of his title came unstuck. The surface of the hammer circle had always been of grass or clay and throwers wore field shoes with steel spikes set into the heel and sole for grip. In Los Angeles, however, a cinder surface was to be provided. For some unexplained reason the Olympic Committee of Ireland had failed to notify O’Callaghan of this change. Consequently he came to the arena with three pairs of spiked shoes for a grass or clay surface and time did not permit a change of shoe. He wore his shortest spikes but found that the spikes caught in the hard gritty slab and impeded his crucial third turn. In spite of being severely impeded he managed to qualify for the final stage of the competition with a spectacular all-or-nothing third throw of 171’ 3”. While the final of the 400m hurdles was delayed O’Callaghan hunted down a hacksaw and a file in the groundskeeper's shack and he cut off the spikes. The result was less than ideal but it promised a much surer footing. O’Callaghan’s first throw was short of his earlier mark but he was satisfied with his footwear. His second throw reached a distance of 176’ 11”, a result which allowed him to retain his Olympic title. It was Ireland’s second gold medal of the day as Bob Tisdall
Bob Tisdall
Robert Morton Newburgh Tisdall was an Irish athlete of English origin who won a gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.Tisdall was raised in Nenagh, County Tipperary...
had earlier won a gold medal in the 400m hurdles.
Retirement
Due to the celebrations after the Olympic Games O’Callaghan didn’t take part in the national athletic championships in Ireland in 1933. In spite of that he still worked hard on his training and he experimented with a fourth turn to set a new European record at 178’ 9”. By this stage O’Callaghan was rated as the top thrower in the world by the leading international sports journalists.In the early 1930s controversy raged between the British AAA and the National Athletic and Cycling Association of Ireland (NACAI). The British AAA claimed jurisdiction in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
while the NACAI claimed jurisdiction over the entire island of Ireland regardless of political division. The controversy came to a head in the lead-up to the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
when the IAAF finally disqualified the NACAI. O’Callaghan remained loyal to the NACAI, a decision which effectively brought an end to his international athletic career. No Irish team travelled to the 1936 Olympic Games, however O’Callaghan travelled to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
as a private spectator. After Berlin, O’Callaghan’s international career was over. He declined to join the new 26-county AAUE and continued to compete under NACAI rules. At Fermoy
Fermoy
Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
in 1937 he threw 195’ 4” - more than seven feet ahead of the world record set by his old friend Paddy 'Chicken' Ryan
Patrick Ryan (athlete)
Patrick James Ryan was an Irish hammer thrower who won the Gold medal as a member of the U.S. Olympic team at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, winning the event by the biggest winning margin in history...
in 1913. The AAUE and the British-dominated IAAF saw to it that this new world record did not receive official recognition.
In retirement O’Callaghan remained interested in athletics. He travelled to every Olympic Games up until 1988 and enjoyed fishing and poaching in Clonmel. Dr. Pat O’Callaghan died on 1 December 1991.