The Irish Whales

Olympians of Old New York

Kevin Martin

In the early 1900s, the Olympic Games track and field throwing events were dominated by a group of Irish-born weight throwers representing the United States. Of immense size and with a larger-than-life presence, these athletes came to be known as the “Irish Whales.”

In The Irish Whales: Olympians of Old New York, Kevin Martin shares the untold story of these Irish American athletes who competed with unparalleled distinction for the United States. James Mitchell, John Flanagan, Martin Sheridan, Pat McDonald, Paddy Ryan, and Con Walsh won a total of eighteen medals in the Olympic Games between 1900 and 1924 and completely dominated the world stage in their chosen athletic disciplines. They were lionized in the American and Irish press and became folk heroes among Irish-American immigrant communities. Almost all of these men were further distinguished by their membership in the fabled Irish American Athletic Club of New York and careers with the New York Police Department.

The story of the Irish Whales is the very embodiment of the American Dream and exemplifies the triumph of many Irish emigrants in the New World. Featuring a wonderful collection of original photographs, The Irish Whales tells the dramatic stories of these international athletes and their extraordinary sporting successes.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 238 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-1-5381-4230-1 • Hardback • September 2020 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-5381-4231-8 • eBook • September 2020 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Olympics & Paralympics, History / Europe / Ireland, History / United States / 20th Century, Social Science / Emigration & Immigration, Sports & Recreation / Track & Field

The Irish Whales

Olympians of Old New York

Hardback

eBook

Summary

In the early 1900s, the Olympic Games track and field throwing events were dominated by a group of Irish-born weight throwers representing the United States. Of immense size and with a larger-than-life presence, these athletes came to be known as the “Irish Whales.”

In The Irish Whales: Olympians of Old New York, Kevin Martin shares the untold story of these Irish American athletes who competed with unparalleled distinction for the United States. James Mitchell, John Flanagan, Martin Sheridan, Pat McDonald, Paddy Ryan, and Con Walsh won a total of eighteen medals in the Olympic Games between 1900 and 1924 and completely dominated the world stage in their chosen athletic disciplines. They were lionized in the American and Irish press and became folk heroes among Irish-American immigrant communities. Almost all of these men were further distinguished by their membership in the fabled Irish American Athletic Club of New York and careers with the New York Police Department.

The story of the Irish Whales is the very embodiment of the American Dream and exemplifies the triumph of many Irish emigrants in the New World. Featuring a wonderful collection of original photographs, The Irish Whales tells the dramatic stories of these international athletes and their extraordinary sporting successes.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 238 • Trim: 6½ x 9

978-1-5381-4230-1 • Hardback • September 2020 • $38.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-5381-4231-8 • eBook • September 2020 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Olympics & Paralympics, History / Europe / Ireland, History / United States / 20th Century, Social Science / Emigration & Immigration, Sports & Recreation / Track & Field

Author

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).

Table of Contents

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

Reviews

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.

— Choice Reviews

[Kevin Martin’s] terrific new book The Irish Whales: Olympians of Old New York [documents] how an exceptional wave of sportspeople would help transform the Irish from being the runt of New York and American society to being the toast of the town.

— Irish Examiner

Given the crumbling barrier between politics and sport today, Martin’s book takes on added significance in that it shows how sports and nationalism have always been intertwined. Though lightly sourced, the book is a breezy, compelling read, and a perfect introduction for someone interested in either Irish immigration or early Olympic history.

— Irish Studies Review

The Irish Whales tells the story of a forgotten group of men. Natives of Ireland, they came to the US and dominated track & field athletics at a time when it was the premier sport in the nation, helping to fight discrimination against the Irish and Catholics when many of them were considered the lowest class of American citizen. A well-told story, I learned a lot from this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in track & field, sports, or Irish history.
— Bill Mallon, past-president, International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH)

This is a lively and very readable book, capturing the history and legends surrounding a group of Irish-born athletes who mainly achieved great fame in, and for, the United States prior to the 1920s. It is a story of emigration and opportunity, of men who learned their early athletic skills in Ireland, by and large, but who seized on the training, technical developments and some quite astounding dietary practices in New York. In doing so, they established themselves literally and metaphorically as giants of American athletics. I enjoyed this book very much.
— Kevin McCarthy, author of Gold, Silver and Green: Ireland's Olympic Journey 1896-1924

Finally a complete study of the athletic achievements of the Irish Whales who represented the USA with incredible success in the Olympic Games in the early 1900s. The careers of John Flanagan, Martin Sheridan, James Michel, Pat McDonald and Paddy Ryan are examined in the sporting, political, social and cultural context of the era in Kevin Martin's fine study. A must read for athletic fans and Olympic enthusiasts.
— Tom Hunt, author of The Little Book of Irish Athletics and Olympic historian

This book is a masterpiece of Irish-American social and sporting history. The wonderful and remarkable achievement of the Irish Whales are brought to light in most descriptive and researched manner.

— Philip Conway, Olympic Shot-putter and coach

Features

HIT/DETAILS: 2/16/2021, Irish Examiner: A profile of the book says “Kevin Martin's terrific new book, The Irish Whales: Olympians of Old New York, documents how an exceptional wave of sportspeople would help transform the Irish from being the runt of New York and American society to being the toast of the town.”
Link: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40227530.html

The Irish Whales

Olympians of Old New York

Kevin Martin

The Irish Whales

Olympians of Old New York

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