• Ireland first competed at the Olympic Games in 1924 as the Irish Free State.

• Prior to this, Irish athletes competed as part of Great Britain.

• Pat O'Callaghan

• Bob Tisdall

• Ronald Delaney

• Michael Carruth

• Michelle Smith

• Sonia O'Sullivan

• John Treacy

• Born in Co. Cork on the 15th September 1905

• Died on the 1st December 1991• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1928

– The Shot Putt• 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

• This was the first time the Irish Tricolour was raised and Amhrán na bhFiann was played.

• Born in Sri Lanka on the 16th May 1907

• Died in Australia on the 27th July 2004

• Raised in Tipperary• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1932

– 400m Hurdles• World record time of 51.7

seconds, which was not recognised because he had a hit a hurdle

• Later rules were changed and his record was recognised

• Born in Co. Wicklow on the 6th March 1935

• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1956 – The mile (1500m)

• Delaney became the first Irishman to win an Olympic title in athletics since Bob Tisdall in 1932.

• Born in Dublin on the 9th July 1967

• Olympic Gold Medalist in 1992 - Boxing

• Born in County Dublin on the 16th December 1969

• 3 time Olympic Gold Medalist in 1996 – Swimming

• Significant controversy followed these victories

• Smith later received a four-year suspension in 1998 after being found guilty of tampering with a urine sample.

• This ban effectively ended her career.

• Born in Cork on the 28th November 1969

• She was one of the world's leading female 5000m runners for most of the 1990s and early 2000s

• Gold Medalist in the 5000m at the 1995 Athletics Championships

• Olympic Silver Medalist in 2000 – 1500m

• Born in Waterford on the 4th June 1957

• Olympic Silver Medalist in 1984 – Marathon

• Waterford’s most successful athlete