Ireland at the British Empire Games#1934 games

The organising committee for the 1930 games in Hamilton, Ontario sent an invitation to the National Athletic and Cycling Association (NACA), and offered to pay $1000 towards travel expenses.{{cite news|title=Ireland and the Empire Games|date=19 July 1930|work=Irish Independent|page=13|location=Dublin}} It also invited the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA), which declined in order to concentrate on the 1932 Olympics.{{cite news |title=I.A.B.A. declines invite to concentrate on Olympics |date=27 February 1930 |work=The Irish Times |page=13 |location=Dublin}} The NACA executive decided to accept, on condition that the team be designated "Ireland" rather than "Irish Free State". The NACA was affiliated to the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) and regarded itself as the governing body for athletics in the whole of Ireland, although a separate Northern Ireland Amateur Athletic, Cycling and Cross Country Association (NIAAA) was affiliated to the Amateur Athletic Association of England (AAA). NIAAA athletes, including some born in the Free State, were included on the AAA's England team.{{cite book|last=Gorman|first=Daniel|title=The Emergence of International Society in the 1920s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5DlxTDEIaYC&pg=PA160|year=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107021136|pages=160, fn.49}}

The NACA's attendance of the games proved to be controversial among some of its members who held Irish nationalist views. Sean Ryan, the President of the Gaelic Athletic Association, publicly dissociated himself from the NACA, and the Crokes club of one of the selected athletes voted to disband in protest.{{cite news |title=Empire Games – Letter from President, G.A.A. |date=2 August 1930 |work=The Kerryman |page=1 |first=Seán O. |last=Ryan |author-link=Seán Ryan (sports administrator)}}{{cite news |title=Club Disbanded; Crokes' Protest against N.A.C.A. |date=15 August 1930 |work=Irish Independent |page=11 |location=Dublin}}

The NACA made a shortlist of athletes whom it would fund for the trip to Canada if they could secure the necessary time off work. The NACA was careful to include an athlete from Northern Ireland to assert its all-island jurisdiction. The English AAA offered to pay the expenses of hammer thrower Bill Britton on condition that he and Pat O'Callaghan take part in a British Empire athletics team to compete in a challenge match against the United States immediately after the Empire Games. The NACA rejected this offer. In the event, O'Callaghan went to the 1930 International University Games in Germany, making him unavailable for the Empire Games.{{cite news |title=Irish Side for Empire Games|date=30 July 1930 |work=Irish Independent |page=11|location=Dublin}} Neither Britton nor any other Irish athlete was in the Empire challenge selection.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0hxlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=64cNAAAAIBAJ&dq=british-empire%20chicago%20match&pg=2461%2C5810797|title=Team is selected for international meet in Chicago|date=25 August 1930|work=Edmonton Journal|page=7|access-date=21 May 2013}} Ultimately four Irish-based athletes travelled. They were joined by a fifth, P. "Jack" O'Reilly, who was already living in Canada; O'Reilly wrote to the NACA asking to be nominated for the marathon and offering to pay his own way.

The Irish team's ship was delayed by fog and the team missed the opening ceremony, except for O'Reilly, who carried the flag.{{cite news |title=Fog delays Irish team |date=19 August 1930 |work=Irish Independent |page=11 |location=Dublin}} The flag was not the Irish tricolour, considered by unionists as specific to the Free State; instead it showed the coat of arms of Ireland, a gold harp.Liston and Maguire 2016, p.324, 326{{cite web|url=http://preview.hpl.ca:8080/Sites/latelogin.jspx?recordsWithCatalogName=IMDB:11145&r=1471517436185#1471519844690_0|title=Flags of competing nations|publisher=Hamilton Public Library}} The team colour was green, and singlets included the shamrock symbol.{{cite book|last=Moore|first=Katharine |editor=J.A. Mangan|title=The Cultural Bond: Sport, Empire, Society|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W8k83f5r5xUC&pg=PT192|date=7 March 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135024376|page=192|chapter=The Warmth of Comradeship: The First British Empire Games and Imperial Solidarity|orig-year=1992}}Liston and Maguire 2016, p.326

{{see also|Athletics at the 1930 British Empire Games}}

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{{see also|Northern Ireland at the 1934 British Empire Games}}

Liston and Maguire state, "Contradictory media and sports reports exist regarding a team representing Ireland and/or Northern Ireland in 1934".Liston and Maguire 2016, p.329 Colonel Evan Hunter, of the 1934 organising committee,{{#tag:ref| Hunter was also secretary of the English AAA, the newly formed Empire Games Federation, and the British Olympic Association |group="n"}} opposed an all-island team, stating that teams must have "the political style and title of the respective territories by which they are known within the British Empire".Liston and Maguire 2024 p. 31 The English AAA invited the NIAAA to nominate competitors to represent Northern Ireland in athletics, cycling, boxing, and swimming;{{cite news|title=Empire Games Event|date=8 January 1934|work=Irish Independent|page=13}} the NIAAA regulated only the former two sports, for which it nominated athletes who competed.

The AAA separately invited the NACA nominate competitors to represent the Free State.{{cite news|title=Athletic Rulers meet in Conference|date=5 February 1934|work=Irish Press|page=4}} The AAA's view conformed to a 1933 IAAF decision to require member associations to be delimited by political borders; the NACA had objected to that and would later be expelled from the IAAF as a consequence. NACA declined the invitation to the Empire Games, although it accepted a contemporaneous invitation to an international meeting in Scotland at which the NIAAA would field a separate Northern Ireland team. An AAA meeting preparatory to the games reported Northern Ireland among the teams to be represented, but not the Irish Free State.{{cite news |title=Athletics; A. A. A. Championships and the Empoire Games |work=The Times |issue=46756 |date=17 May 1934 |location=London, England |page=5}} Paddy Bermingham, a Garda from County Clare,{{cite book|author=Coiste Siamsa|title=Jubilee; A souvenir of 50 historic years of sport in the Garda Síochána|url=http://www.garda.ie/Documents/User/JUBILEE%201922%20-%201972%20publication%20sm.pdf#page=20|year=1972|publisher=Garda Síochána|page=19}} was entered in the discus but did not compete, although he won the English AAA title the previous month at the same White City Stadium which hosted the Games.{{cite news |title=Athletics; A. A. A. Championships |work=The Times |issue=46807 |date=16 July 1934 |location=London, England |page=5}} The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) lists Bermingham under "Northern Ireland" in the entries,{{cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?countryid=&resultsid=&gameid=3030&participants=&sportid=&teamid=&resultid=&categoryid=-1&athleteid=38531|title=Pat Bermingham|work=Athlete Performance|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=22 May 2013|archive-date=21 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321134505/http://www.thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?countryid=&resultsid=&gameid=3030&participants=&sportid=&teamid=&resultid=&categoryid=-1&athleteid=38531|url-status=dead}} while a contemporary preview lists him as from the Irish Free State,{{cite news |title=Empire Games Marks Are Expected to fall |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/ca/manitoba/winnipeg/winnipeg-tribune/1934/08-02/page-14 |access-date=15 September 2024 |work=Winnipeg Tribune |via=Newspaper Archives |url-access=subscription |date=2 August 1934 |page=14}} as does Bob Phillips.{{cite book|last=Phillips|first=Bob|title=Honour of Empire, Glory of Sport: The History of Athletics at the Commonwealth Games |url=https://archive.org/details/honourofempiregl0000phil/page/25 |year=2000 |publisher=Parrs Wood Press |isbn=9781903158098 |quote=DISCUS (4 Aug): ... Pat Bermingham (IFS) |page=25}}Liston and Maguire 2016, p.338 fn.74 The Association of Track and Field Statisticians lists him as "Ireland" and "did not compete".{{cite web |last1=Jenes |first1=Paul |title=British Empire Games, London 1934 |url=https://atfs.org/wp-content/uploads/British-Empire-Games-1934-London.pdf#page=11 |publisher=ATFS |access-date=15 September 2024 |page=11 |date=15 December 2021}}

The Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) refused to send teams for the Free State or Northern Ireland, pointing out that the bowling team was designated "Ireland" and that Jersey competitors were on the England team.{{cite news|title=Banning of Irish Swimmers|date=11 August 1934|work=Ulster Herald|page=6}} For similar reasons, the IASA boycotted the 1948 Olympic swimming gala, also in London.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/07/31/archives/eire-withdraws-swimming-squad-ban-on-two-athletes-born-in-northern.html|title=Eire withdraws swimming squad; Ban on Two Athletes Born in Northern Ireland Impels Protest at Olympics|date=31 July 1948 |work=The New York Times|page=10, sports|access-date=13 February 2010}}

The IABA in February declined to send a team, stating that the games were during its close season.{{cite news|title=Boxing Affairs|date=6 February 1934|work=Irish Press|page=8}} In March, William Grant asked in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland whether, in the absence of IABA participation, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) boxing club might represent Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://stormontpapers.ahds.ac.uk/stormontpapers/pageview.html?volumeno=16&pageno=399&searchTerm=%22EMPIRE+GAMES%22|title=R.U.C. BOXING TEAM AND BRITISH EMPIRE GAMES.|date=13 March 1934|work=House of Commons of Northern Ireland|publisher=The Stormont Papers|pages=Vol.16 cc.399–400|access-date=21 May 2013}} In May, four IABA boxers who applied for exemption to participate in the Games got leave to do so.{{cite news|title=Our Team to meet France; Our Representatives in Empire Games|date=31 May 1934|work=Irish Independent|page=11}} They were: Larry Scally (flyweight),{{cite news|title=R. U. C. Boxers with a Punch |author='Cam'|date=24 October 1934|work=The Irish Press|page=12}} T. Byrne (bantamweight), Jack Kennedy (welterweight), and Jimmy Magill (middleweight). Magill, who won bronze,{{cite web |url=http://www.thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?countryid=47&participants=&gamesid=3030&sportid=&teamid=&resultid=&athleteid=44301 |title=Games Results for J. Magill |work=Athlete Performance |publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=21 May 2013}} was in the RUC;{{cite news|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/new-book-charts-rise-of-boxings-magill-brothers-28574674.html|title=New book charts rise of boxing's Magill brothers|date=6 December 2010|work=The Belfast Telegraph|access-date=22 May 2013}} as was William "Billy" Duncan,{{citation needed|date=May 2013}} who won bronze at welterweight.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/countries/results.asp?countryid=47&participants=0&gamesid=3030&sportid=1485 |title=1934 British Empire Games: Boxing – 67kg – Men|work=Results by Games|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=21 May 2013}} Magill and Duncan's medals are credited to Northern Ireland. One (possibly incomplete) list of results of the boxing events does not list Scally, Byrne, or Kennedy.{{cite web|url=http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/CommonwealthGames1934.pdf|title=2.British Empire Games – London, England – August 4 – 11 1934|work=Championships|publisher=amateur-boxing.strefa.pl|access-date=21 May 2013}}

The lawn bowls team was described as "Ireland" in reports of its selection,{{cite news|title=Irish team chosen for Empire Games|date=23 June 1934|work=Irish Independent|page=10}} on the scoreboard,{{cite web |url=http://www.britishpathe.com/video/body-line-barred |title=Body-Line Barred |publisher=British Pathé |date=9 August 1934 |access-date=23 May 2013 }} and in reports of its results.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74097921 |title=Results. |newspaper=The Advertiser |location=Adelaide |date=8 August 1934 |access-date=22 May 2013 |page=18 |via=National Library of Australia}}Liston and Maguire 2024 pp. 29–30 It was selected by the Irish Bowling Association, an all-island governing body,{{#tag:ref |The Irish Free State Bowling League was a subsidiary of the Irish Bowling Association.{{cite web |url=http://www.irishlawnbowls.ie/mhistory.html |title=A Short History of the Bowling League of Ireland |last=Morton |first=B. C. |date=May 2006 |publisher=Bowling League of Ireland |quote=the B.L.I., which in the meantime had affiliated to the Irish Bowling Association |access-date=29 May 2013|location=Dublin}} |group="n" |name="ifsbl"}} but the team members' clubs (Larne, Cavehill, and Shaftesbury) were all in Northern Ireland, the heartland of the sport in Ireland, and its results have retrospectively been credited to Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecgf.com/games/team_results.asp?countryid=&resultsid=&gameid=3030&participants=&resultid=39146&sportid=&teamid=&categoryid=-1&athleteid=|title=Results for the Lawn Bowls – Fours – Men|work=Commonwealth Games – Team Event Results|publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=23 May 2013}}

{{main|Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games}}

When the programme for the 1938 games in Sydney was unveiled in May 1936 by the British Empire Games Federation, the list of teams expected to be present included Northern Ireland but not Ireland (the new name for the Irish Free State under a new 1937 constitution).{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84223993 |title=EMPIRE GAMES PROGRAMME RELEASED. |newspaper=The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1950) |location=Perth |date=6 May 1936 |access-date=22 May 2013 |page=4|edition=FINAL|via=National Library of Australia}} Liston and Maguire state, "CGF and other public records use different nomenclature for the 1938 [Ireland/Northern Ireland] team." In 1937, the Irish Free State Bowling League was invited, and said it would have liked to go but the cost of travel was prohibitive.{{cite news|title=Irishmen for Empire Games|date=19 October 1937|work=The Irish Times|page=13}} The Irish state was not in fact represented at the Games, while Northern Ireland was. The Irish Bowling Association's team is variously described as "Ireland" and "Northern Ireland" in contemporary reports. The 1942 and 1946 games were cancelled, and when the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force in 1949, Ireland was considered by Commonwealth states as having left the Commonwealth and ineligible for the 1950 games in Auckland, New Zealand. Northern Ireland was also absent, though it has participated at all subsequent games.

{{Portal|Ireland|Sports}}

• Ireland at the Olympics
• Sport in Ireland
• Sport in Northern Ireland

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{{refbegin}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Liston |first1=Katie |first2=Joseph |last2=Maguire |year=2016 |title=Sport, Empire, and Diplomacy: “Ireland” at the 1930 British Empire Games |url=http://uir.ulster.ac.uk/34569/1/Sport%20Empire%20and%20Diplomacy%20Ireland%20at%20the%201930%20British%20Empire%20Games.pdf|access-date=19 May 2016 |journal=Diplomacy & Statecraft |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=314–339 |issn=0959-2296 |doi=10.1080/09592296.2016.1169797 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160611103903/http://uir.ulster.ac.uk/34569/1/Sport%20Empire%20and%20Diplomacy%20Ireland%20at%20the%201930%20British%20Empire%20Games.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2016 |ref= {{SfnRef|Liston and Maguire 2016}}

}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Liston |first1=Katie |last2=Maguire |first2=Joseph |title=Making sense of ‘Ireland’, sport and identity: the craft of doing sociology |journal=Sport in Society |date=15 September 2020 |volume=23 |issue=10 |pages=1587–1605 |doi=10.1080/17430437.2020.1814572 |url=https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/85701327/2_liston_and_maguire.pdf }} [first page ref is from DOI PDF; second is from preprint PDF)
• reprinted in {{cite book |editor-last1=Malcolm |editor-first1=Dominic |editor-last2=Waddington |editor-first2=Ivan |title=Eric Dunning and the Sociology of Sport |date=4 September 2023 |pages=75–93 |doi=10.4324/9781003441526-6 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-98718-8 |language=en }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Liston |first1=Katie |last2=Maguire |first2=Joseph |title=State Formation, Diplomacy and Sport — The British Empire Games, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, 1930–1938 |journal=Irish Historical Studies |date=2024 |volume=48 |issue=173 |url=https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/117650553/Revised_Submission.pdf}}

{{refend}}

{{Associations at the Commonwealth Games}}{{National sports teams of Ireland}}

Category:Nations at the 1930 British Empire Games

Category:Nations at the 1934 British Empire Games

Category:Nations at the Commonwealth Games

British Empire Games

Category:Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations

Category:Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games

Category:1930 in Irish sport

Category:1934 in Irish sport