Irish Whales

Kevin Martin holds a master’s degree in communications and cultural studies from Ireland’s Dublin City University. He has taught communications, Irish social and cultural history, and cultural studies at high school and university levels. Martin’s three published works in Ireland include Have Ye No Homes To Go To?:The History of the Irish Pub (2016), A Happy Type of Sadness: A Journey Through Irish Country Music (2018), and The Complete Guide to Irish Pubs (2018).

Cultural historian and educator Martin provides readers with an in-depth exploration of a forgotten group of Irish Olympians from the early 20th century. Names such as Jim Mitchell, John Flanagan, Matt McGrath, Pat McDonald, Martin Sheridan, and Pat Ryan fill the pages of this book, highlighting the impressive athleticism of this group of individuals, aptly named "Irish Whales" as a reflection of their girth and height. They set and broke myriad records for the hammer throw, discus, shot put, and 56-pound weight throw during numerous amateur athletic contests, including eight Olympic Games held between 1900 and 1932. The Whales earned a combined 22 Olympic medals (most of them gold) and 80 US Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles. Those Irish Whales who had immigrated to the US represented their new homeland with aplomb, but they never forgot the land of their birth. The text weaves together topics linking US immigration and Irish history, illustrating the significant role of nationalism and sports-related culture at the time, in a very readable manner. The influence of US-based sporting clubs and the role of the New York Police Department as employer for most of the Whales is also highlighted, and the presentation is enhanced by an appropriate selection of 33 photographic illustrations. Summing Up: Recommended.

• Introduction 1: Exodus: Isle of Hope, Isle of Dreams 2: American Sports: Irish Whales 3: James “Jim” Mitchell and the Irish Invasion 4: John “The Modern Hercules” Flanagan and Olympic Gold 5: American Fiasco, Irish American Triumph: The St. Louis Olympic Games, 1904 6: Peerless Athlete and Intrepid American: Martin Sheridan and the Forgotten Olympics 7: The Irish American Athletic Club: Home of the Whales 8: The Irish Whales’ Greatest Triumph: The 1908 London Olympics 9: 1912: The Swedish Masterpiece 10: Interregnum: 1912 to 1920 11: Last Throws of the Dice: The Antwerp and Paris Olympic Games 12: A Whale of a Story: Aftermath and Legacy Appendix A: Olympic Medals Won by the Irish Whales as Part of the U.S. Olympic Team Appendix B: Olympic Hammer Throw Medals, 1900–1932 Appendix C: Multiple Medals Ranking, Hammer Throw Notes Bibliography Index About the Author