In 1924 the Irish Free State government staged the Tailteann Games in Dublin. It was the biggest sporting event in the world that year – bigger even than the Paris Olympics. The games were organised by the Free State to celebrate national independence and to herald the dawn of a new era in Irish history. The Free State government, inspired by the vision of the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, JJ Walsh, used the event to paint a positive image of an Ireland that was now in control of its own destiny.
More than 5,000 competitors competed in the 1924 games – most were Irish or from Irish emigrant communities – but some, like Johnny Weismuller, (Tarzen of the Jungle) were foreign stars drawn in to add glamour and prestige. They competed in a remarkable range of sporting events. The city was lit up with nightly fireworks displays, and there were plays in the Abbey and concerts at the Theatre Royale, including one by Count John McCormack. The entire festival ended with a monster céili in Ballsbridge.
Paul Rouse is a professor in the School of History at University College Dublin. He has written extensively on the history of Irish sport. His books include Sport and Ireland: a history (Oxford University Press, 2015) and The Hurlers: the first All-Ireland Championship and the making of modern hurling (Penguin, 2018). His research also extends to popular culture, the history of the media, and the history of agriculture. Paul has worked on various TV programmes and documentaries for both TG4 and RTE including Lost Generation, which tells the history of elderly Irish citizens who live in Britain, (RTE Prime Time Investigates). He writes a weekly column for the Irish Examiner newspaper and presents the Examiner Sport podcast on Gaelic football.
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