Ireland at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ireland at the Olympics
IOC code	IRL
NOC	Olympic Federation of Ireland
Medals Ranked 51st	Gold Silver Bronze Total 15 10 17 42
Summer appearances
1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winter appearances
1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018
Other related appearances
Great Britain (1896–1920)

Ireland has been sending teams to the Summer Olympic Games since 1924. They first competed in the Winter Olympic Games in 1992.

The group in charge of Ireland's Olympic teams has changed its name a few times. It started as the Irish Olympic Council (IOC) in 1920. From 1952 to 2018, it was called the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI). Now, it's known as the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) since 2018. The Irish Olympic Council was created in 1922, just before the Irish Free State was officially formed. It joined the International Olympic Committee (also IOC) in time for the Paris Games in 1924.

For many sports, the national sports groups in Ireland cover the whole island of Ireland. This includes both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Athletes born in Northern Ireland can choose to represent either Ireland or Great Britain. This is because they can have citizenship for both countries. Sometimes, athletes pick Ireland to have a better chance at qualifying for the Olympics. Other times, they might choose Great Britain, especially in team sports, to increase their chances of winning medals. Some athletes have even competed for both nations!

Ireland's Olympic teams also include people from the Irish diaspora. These are people of Irish heritage who live in other countries. They often have Irish citizenship through their family.

Before Ireland became an independent state, from the first modern Olympics in 1896 until 1920, Irish athletes were part of the Great Britain and Ireland team. Ireland was one of the few countries that did not boycott the 1980 Moscow Games or the 1984 Los Angeles Games. However, Ireland did boycott the 1936 Berlin Games. This was a protest because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) tried to limit the Irish Olympic Council's power to only the Irish Free State.

The 2024 Summer Olympics was Ireland's most successful Olympics ever! They won 7 medals, beating their old record of 6 medals from London 2012. They also won 4 gold medals, which was more than the 3 golds they won in Atlanta 1996. This included Ireland's first Olympic medal and gold medal in Gymnastics. They also won their first ever men's gold in Swimming. The 2024 Paris Games also marked 100 years since Ireland first competed in the Summer Olympics.

Ireland's most successful sport at the Olympics is boxing. More than half of all their medals have come from boxing. Athletics, boxing, and swimming have each brought Ireland four gold medals.

Many popular sports in Ireland, like Gaelic games and horse racing, are not Olympic sports. Others, like golf and rugby sevens, have only recently become Olympic sports. This is why Ireland's overall medal count, apart from boxing, is moderate. Still, Ireland is a very dedicated Olympic nation. Their medal winners are widely celebrated, and just qualifying for the Olympics is a big achievement.

Ireland's Olympic Medals

Summer Games Medals

Ireland has won many medals at the Summer Olympic Games over the years. Here's a look at how they've done:

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1896 Athens	as part of  Great Britain (GBR)
1900 Paris
1904 St. Louis
1908 London
1912 Stockholm
1920 Antwerp
1924 Paris	49	0	0	0	0	–
1928 Amsterdam	29	1	0	0	1	24
1932 Los Angeles	8	2	0	0	2	16
1936 Berlin	did not participate
1948 London	72	0	0	0	0	–
1952 Helsinki	19	0	1	0	1	34
1956 Melbourne	18	1	1	3	5	21
1960 Rome	49	0	0	0	0	–
1964 Tokyo	25	0	0	1	1	35
1968 Mexico City	31	0	0	0	0	–
1972 Munich	59	0	0	0	0	–
1976 Montreal	44	0	0	0	0	–
1980 Moscow	47	0	1	1	2	31
1984 Los Angeles	42	0	1	0	1	33
1988 Seoul	61	0	0	0	0	–
1992 Barcelona	58	1	1	0	2	32
1996 Atlanta	78	3	0	1	4	28
2000 Sydney	64	0	1	0	1	64
2004 Athens	46	0	0	0	0	–
2008 Beijing	54	0	1	2	3	61
2012 London	66	1	1	4	6	41
2016 Rio de Janeiro	77	0	2	0	2	62
2020 Tokyo	116	2	0	2	4	39
2024 Paris	134	4	0	3	7	19
2028 Los Angeles	future events
Total		15	10	17	42	50

Winter Games Medals

Ireland has not yet won any medals at the Winter Olympic Games. Their best result was a fourth-place finish by Clifton Wrottesley in skeleton at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1992 Albertville	4	0	0	0	0	–
1994 Lillehammer	did not participate
1998 Nagano	6	0	0	0	0	–
2002 Salt Lake City	6	0	0	0	0	–
2006 Turin	4	0	0	0	0	–
2010 Vancouver	6	0	0	0	0	–
2014 Sochi	5	0	0	0	0	–
2018 Pyeongchang	5	0	0	0	0	–
2022 Beijing	6	0	0	0	0	–
2026 Milan/Cortina	future events
Total		0	0	0	0	–

Medals by Summer Sport

Here's a breakdown of Ireland's medals by sport at the Summer Olympics:

Irish Olympic Medallists

All of Ireland's Olympic medals have been won at the Summer Games. Clifton Wrottesley came closest to a Winter Olympic medal, finishing fourth in skeleton in 2002.

Some Irish athletes have won medals for other countries, like Great Britain or the United States. For example, Tom Kiely won a gold medal in athletics in 1904. He insisted he was representing Ireland, even though he is listed as competing for Great Britain.

List of Medallists

Here are the athletes who have won medals for Ireland:

Medal	Name	Games	Sport	Event
1 Gold	O'Callaghan, PatPat O'Callaghan	1928 Amsterdam	Athletics	Men's hammer throw
1 Gold	Tisdall, BobBob Tisdall	1932 Los Angeles	Athletics	Men's 400 metre hurdles
1 Gold	O'Callaghan, PatPat O'Callaghan		Athletics	Men's hammer throw
2 Silver	McNally, JohnJohn McNally	1952 Helsinki	Boxing	Men's bantamweight
1 Gold	Delany, RonnieRonnie Delany	1956 Melbourne	Athletics	Men's 1500 metres
2 Silver	Tiedt, FredFred Tiedt		Boxing	Men's welterweight
3 Bronze	Caldwell, JohnJohn Caldwell		Boxing	Men's flyweight
3 Bronze	Gilroy, FreddieFreddie Gilroy		Boxing	Men's bantamweight
3 Bronze	Byrne, AnthonyAnthony Byrne		Boxing	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	McCourt, JimJim McCourt	1964 Tokyo	Boxing	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	Russell, HughHugh Russell	1980 Moscow	Boxing	Men's flyweight
2 Silver	Wilkins, DavidDavid Wilkins James Wilkinson		Sailing	Flying Dutchman class
2 Silver	Treacy, JohnJohn Treacy	1984 Los Angeles	Athletics	Men's marathon
1 Gold	Carruth, MichaelMichael Carruth	1992 Barcelona	Boxing	Men's welterweight
2 Silver	McCullough, WayneWayne McCullough		Boxing	Men's bantamweight
1 Gold	rowspan="4" | Smith, MichelleMichelle Smith	1996 Atlanta	Swimming	Women's 400 metre freestyle
1 Gold	Swimming		Women's 200 metre individual medley
1 Gold	Swimming		Women's 400 metre individual medley
3 Bronze	Swimming		Women's 200 metre butterfly
2 Silver	O'Sullivan, SoniaSonia O'Sullivan	2000 Sydney	Athletics	Women's 5000 metres
2 Silver	Egan, KennyKenny Egan	2008 Beijing	Boxing	Men's Light Heavyweight
3 Bronze	Barnes, PaddyPaddy Barnes		Boxing	Men's Light flyweight
3 Bronze	Sutherland, DarrenDarren Sutherland		Boxing	Men's Middleweight
1 Gold	Taylor, KatieKatie Taylor	2012 London	Boxing	Women's lightweight
2 Silver	Nevin, John JoeJohn Joe Nevin		Boxing	Men's Bantamweight
3 Bronze	Barnes, PaddyPaddy Barnes		Boxing	Men's Light flyweight
3 Bronze	Conlan, MichaelMichael Conlan		Boxing	Men's flyweight
3 Bronze	O'Connor, CianCian O'Connor		Equestrian	Individual Showjumping
3 Bronze	Heffernan, RobertRobert Heffernan		Athletics	Men's 50 kilometres walk
2 Silver	O'Donovan, GaryGary O'Donovan Paul O'Donovan	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Rowing	Men's lightweight double sculls
2 Silver	Murphy, AnnaliseAnnalise Murphy		Sailing	Women's Laser Radial
1 Gold	McCarthy, FintanFintan McCarthy Paul O'Donovan	2020 Tokyo	Rowing	Men's lightweight double sculls
1 Gold	Harrington, KellieKellie Harrington		Boxing	Women's lightweight
3 Bronze	Walsh, AidanAidan Walsh		Boxing	Men's welterweight
3 Bronze	Keogh, AifricAifric Keogh Eimear Lambe Fiona Murtagh Emily Hegarty		Rowing	Women's coxless four
1 Gold	McCarthy, FintanFintan McCarthy Paul O'Donovan	2024 Paris	Rowing	Men's lightweight double sculls
1 Gold	Rhys McClenaghan		Gymnastics	Pommel Horse
1 Gold	Wiffen, DanielDaniel Wiffen		Swimming	Men's 800 metre freestyle
1 Gold	Harrington, Kellie Kellie Harrington		Boxing	Women's 60kg
3 Bronze	Wiffen, Daniel Daniel Wiffen		Swimming	Men's 1500 metre freestyle
3 Bronze	Lynch, DaireDaire Lynch Philip Doyle		Rowing	Men's double sculls
3 Bronze	McSharry, MonaMona McSharry		Swimming	Women's 100 metre breaststroke

Changes to Medals Won

Sometimes, Olympic medals are re-awarded or taken away.

• Robert Heffernan originally finished fourth in the 2012 men's 50 kilometres walk. He was later awarded a bronze medal in November 2016. This happened after the athlete who won gold was disqualified.
• Cian O'Connor won a gold medal in showjumping in 2004. However, he lost his medal in 2005. This was because his horse failed a drug test after the event.

Medals in Art Competitions

The Olympic Games used to have art competitions from 1912 to 1948. Irish artists won medals in these events.

Medal	Name	Games	Event	Piece
2 Silver	Yeats, Jack ButlerJack Butler Yeats	1924 Paris	Mixed Painting	Natation ("Swimming"; now on display in the National Gallery of Ireland with the title The Liffey Swim)
3 Bronze	St. John Gogarty, OliverOliver St. John Gogarty	1924 Paris	Mixed Literature	Ode pour les Jeux de Tailteann (Tailteann Ode)
3 Bronze	Hamilton, Letitia MarionLetitia Marion Hamilton	1948 London	Paintings	Meath Hunt Point-to-Point Races

Ireland Before Independence

Before 1922, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. So, Irish athletes who competed before then are counted as British in Olympic records. Many Irish-born athletes also won medals for the United States and Canada. These included the famous "Irish Whales" who were strong in throwing events.

At the first Olympics in 1896, John Pius Boland won two gold medals in tennis. He is now listed as "IRL/GBR". There's a story that he wanted an Irish flag raised for his win.

Tom Kiely won an athletics competition at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. He had raised money himself to travel and compete for Ireland. But he is also listed as competing for Great Britain.

From the 1906 Games onwards, Irish athletes were part of the British Olympic Association (BOA) team. At the 1906 Games, Irish athletes Peter O'Connor and Con Leahy protested when the British flag was raised for their victories. O'Connor even raised a green Irish flag.

At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, there were separate Irish teams in some events. The Irish field hockey team won silver, and the Irish polo team won joint silver. In the 1912 Summer Olympics, an Irish cycling team also competed.

A list for the 1916 Olympics (which were cancelled due to war) included Ireland as a separate country. However, after the First World War, the IOC did not allow a separate Irish team for the 1920 Summer Olympics. This was because of the Irish War of Independence happening at the time.

Political Issues and Olympic Identity

The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has always used the name "Ireland." They see themselves as representing the whole island of Ireland, even though Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. This has sometimes caused disagreements.

Northern Ireland Athletes

Proposed Olympic flag for Ireland, the arms of Ireland.

Many sports organizations in Ireland cover the whole island. This was true even before Ireland was divided in 1922. The OFI has always wanted to represent the entire island.

In 1935, the international athletics group (IAAF) said that national teams should only represent political countries. The Irish athletics group (NACA(I)) refused to follow this rule. They were suspended, and Ireland missed the 1936 Summer Olympics. The OCI boycotted the Games in protest.

Later, in 1952, a new agreement was made. People from Northern Ireland could compete for the Irish Olympic team in any sport. This is because people born in Northern Ireland can choose to have an Irish passport. So, athletes from Northern Ireland can decide if they want to compete for Ireland or Great Britain.

There have been some disagreements over the years. For example, in 2004, the OCI found that the British Olympic Association (BOA) was using "Northern Ireland" in their team documents. This caused a dispute. To help London's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics, the term "Northern Ireland" was removed from BOA documents. Northern Ireland athletes can still choose to compete for Britain.

The Name "Ireland"

The OFI believes it represents the entire island, not just the Republic of Ireland. That's why they use the name "Ireland." They even changed their name from "Irish Olympic Council" to "Olympic Council of Ireland" in 1952 to make this clear. (The change to "Federation" in 2018 was a rebrand after a ticket issue.)

After 1930, the IOC sometimes called Ireland's team "Irish Free State" or "Eire." But the OCI always wanted to be called "Ireland." In 1955, the IOC finally agreed that "Ireland" would be the official name for the team. This was because "Ireland" is the name in the country's own Constitution. Also, most of Ireland's sports groups cover the whole island.

More to Explore

• List of flag bearers for Ireland at the Olympics
• Category:Olympic competitors for Ireland
• Ireland at the Paralympics
• Ireland at the British Empire Games