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Irish Sporting Legends
Some Irish Sporting Legends

Bruen, James (Jimmy) (1920-1972)
Golfer born in Belfast.

Despite his Ulster birth his clubs were Muskerry and Cork. Aged 16 he won the 1936 British Boys title at Royal Birkdale; he then won the Irish Close Championship in 1937 and 1938, when he was also Irish Amateur Open Champion. The same year, at St. Andrews, he became the youngest player to compete in the Walker Cup, aged 18 years and 25 days, when the home team won the trophy for the first time; this record was beaten by Ronan Rafferty in 1981. In 1946 he won the British Amateur Championship for his only time at Royal Birkdale, though he continued to compete in the event until 1960. Other achievements include two Walker Cup places (1949, 1951), three times leading amateur in the Irish open (1937-9), 24 Home International matches in four series for Ireland (1937-1950), winning twelve and halving five. He was an international selector 1959-62 and was captain and president of Cork Golf Club.

Caldwell, Johnny (1938-)
Boxer, born in Belfast on May 7th 1938.

As an amateur he won the Irish National Senior Championship at bantamweight in 1956 and 1957. He won a bronze medal for Ireland at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne at flyweight, turned professional in 1958 and won the british title at the same weight with a third-round KO over Frankie Jones in 1960. This was his last flyweight fight, and when he moved up to bantamweight he relinquished the title. In 1961 he outpointed the Algerian Alphonse Halimi to take the EBU version of the world bantamweight title, subsequently defending it successfully against the same opponent. Attempting to become the undisputed world champion, however, he lost in the tenth round to Eder Jofre of Brazil at São Paulo in January 1962. Later that year he
lost to Freddie Gilroy in a challenge for the British and Commonwealth titles, claimed them when defeating George Bowes, before losing them to Alan Rudkin in 1964. He retired in 1965 with a career record of 35 bouts, 29 wins (one KO), one draw and five defeats (three resulting from cuts).

Campbell, Seamus Oliver (Ollie) (1954-)
International rugby player, born in Dublin on March 3rd 1954.

He won 22 Ireland caps (18 at out-half and four at centre) between 1976 and 1984, and played six Lions Tests (two V South Africa in 1980 and four V New Zeland in 1983). His 217 International points was an Irish record until Michael Kiernan surpassed it in 1988. A brilliant place-kicker, he was a superb all-round player and was the key man in 1982 when Ireland won the Triple Crown after a 33 year gap. He still holds the following Irish scoring records: most points in Five Nation Championships season (52, in four matches, 1982-3); most penalty goals in Five Nations Championship season (14, in four matches, 1982-3); most penalty goals in an international (six, V.Scotland in Dublin, 1982); most points for Ireland on overseas tour (60, in five matches, Australia, 1979). With Tony Ward he is the joint top scorer in an overseas tour match with 19 (australia, 1979), and he shares with Dickie Lloyd the Irish record for most dropped goals in international with seven. His 21 point- six penalty goals, one dropped goal against Scotland in 1982 was a record until Ralph Keyes scored 23 against Zimbabwe in the 1991 World Cup in Dublin. He was top scorer on both his Lions Tours, with 60 in South africa in 1980 and 124 in
New Zealand in 1983.

Carey, John (Jackie) (1919-1996)
International Footballer, born in Dublin on February 23rd 1919.

Won 29 Ireland and 9 Northern Ireland caps, including two Victory internationals, in six different positions. Carey joined Manchester United from St, James?s Gate in 1936, as a 17 year old, and remained with them until 1953, scoring seventeen goals in 306 matches. He was in the team that defeated Blackpool 4-2 to win the 1947 FA Cup, and also featured in the club's winning League Championship side of 1951-2. In 1947 he captained the rest of Europe against Great Britain and he was named Footballer of the Year in 1949. After his retirement in 1953 he managed Blackburn rovers, guiding them back into division one in 1958. He went on to manage Everton, Leyton Orient and Nottingham Forest before returning to Blackburn in 1969; when in 1971 they
were relegated to division three for the first time he was replaced.

 

Brady, Liam ("Chippy") (1956-)
International Footballer. Born in Dublin on February 13th 1956.

One of the Republic's greatest players, he was unlucky not to participate in any international competition finals, including the World Cup. He joined Arsenal in 1973 and played in three successive FA Cup finals, but was on the winning side only once, in 1979; he was also in the Arsenal team defeated (on penalties) by Valencia in the 1980 European Cup Winners Cup Final. He won a record 72 International caps between 1974 and 1990, scoring nine goals, and also scored 43 goals in his 225 matches for Arsenal. He went to Italy in 1980, spending seven years there with Juventus helping the club to win two League Championships-Sampdoria, Internazionale Milan and Ascoli, before returning to England to play with West Ham. He managed Glasgow Celtic for two years, resigning in 1993, and in December of that year he took over as Manager of Brighton.

 

Brosnan, Paddy Bawn (1917- 1995)
Gaelic Footballer. Born in Dingle on November 16th 1917.

He played for the Dingle Club and won six County Championship Medals. He made his senior inter-county debut with Kerry in 1936 and won three All-Ireland Senior Football medals in 1940 (when he came on as a substitiute in the final), 1941 and 1946. He was also on three losing Kerry teams, in the finals of 1938, 1944 when he was the Captain and in the New york Polo grounds match of 1947, when Cavan won. By his retirement in 1952 he had won 12 Munster Senior Football medals and three Railway Cup medals.

 

Blanchflower, Robert Dennis (Danny) (1926-1993)
International footballer, manager and sports writer,
b.Belfast ,10 february.1926,d.London,9 December.1993.

His career started with Glentoran, and he went on to play for Barnsley and Aston Villa before joining Tottenham Hotspur in 1954,remaining with that club for ten years. He played 337 League matches with Spurs (553 English League appearances in all), captained the club to its famous FA Cup and League double in 1961 and to retention of the Cup in 1962, and was in the Spurs team which won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. He played 56 times for Northern Ireland, and captained the team which reached the 1958 World Cup quarter-finals, as well as playing for the Irish League, and the Football League. He was manager of the Northern Ireland
squad from 1976 to 1979, and also he had a career as a sports writer, chiefly with
the Sunday Express. His younger brother Jackie (b.1933), of Manchester United, who was injured in the 1958 Munich air disaster, played 12 times for Northern Ireland.
Boucher, James Chrysostom (Jimmy) (1910-1995), International Cricketer,
b. Dublin 22nd December 1910, ed. Belvedere, died in Spain on December 25th 1995.

Among the finest bowlers produced in this Country-off break- his long standing record of 307 wickets in a total of 60 matches for Ireland between 1929 and 1954 was surpassed only by Dermot Monteith. Played scrum-half for Old Belvedere and cricket for Phoenix. An off break bowler of real quality, he headed the British first- class averages in 1937 and 1948 (the then Gentlemen of Ireland enjoyed first class status at the time). Among his many exceptional performances were his six for 30 against India in 1936 and seven for 13 against against New Zealand in 1937. He was honorary secretary of the Irish Cricket Union 1954-73.

 

Best, George (Georgie) (1946)
International Footballer, born in Belfast, 22nd May 1946.

After joining Manchester United as a junior in 1961, he enjoyed a magnificent decade in the club's first team from 1964 onward. He won two English Championship medals in seasons 1964-5, and 1966-7, a Fairs cup medal in 1965 and a European cup medal in 1968. In 361 games for United he scored 137 league goals, and he was Division 1 joint top scorer in 1968; other scoring feats include six goals in an FA Cup tie against Northampton Town in 1970 (a joint record). He played 37 times for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1977, and scored nine international goals, as well as eleven in European competitions.

Among his awards when at his peak was his nomination as European player of the Year in 1968. His well publicised raffish lifestyle brought his career to a premature end, and he later played for a variety of lesser clubs in England and the USA, as well as appearing for Cork Hibernians. His biography, The Bad and the Bubbly, was published in 1991. Best's innate genius has ensured him his place among soccer's true greats.

 

Bingham, William L. (Billy) (1931),
International Footballer and Manager, born Belfast, 5th August 1931.

He left Glentoran for Sunderland when aged 19, scoring 45 League goals for the English club between 1950 and 1957. In two seasons with Luton town he scored a further 27 League goals, and won an FA runners up medal in 1959, before moving to Everton for two seasons, winning a League Championship medal in 1962-63. He later played for Port Vale. In 419 English League matches he scored 102 goals. He played 56 times for Northern Ireland between 1951 and 1964, scored ten International goals, and played in the team which reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 1958. Subsequently, he managed Southport, Pltmouth, Linfield, Everton, and Mansfield, as well as Greece from 1971 to 1973. He managed Northern Ireland in 118 matches up to 1993, guiding them to the World Cup finals in 1982 and 1986. He was awarded the MBE in 1981.

 

Reg Armstrong (1926-1979)
Motorcycle racer, born in Liverpool.

In a career spanning 13 years (starting when he was17) he rode AJS, Norton,
Gilera, and NSU machines. He was runner- up five times in the World Racing Championships, twice in 500cc class (1953 and 1955,and never out of the top six 1951-6),twice in 350cc class (1949,1952) and once in 250cc class (1953). He won seven World Championship Grand Prix races between 1952 and 1956, and the Isle Of Man Senior 500cc TT in 1952; other TT results include two seconds and two thirds, and fourth and fifth in the Manx Grand Prix.

His other 500cc victories were in West Germany (1952,1956) and the English
(1953) Grand Prix. His 126.88 m.p.h., set in Berlin in his final racing year in 1956, stands as one of the fastest ever 500cc averages. Taking up car racing, he became the first Irish driver to finish (fourth at an average of 102.40 m.p.h.) in the International Formula Junior Scratch event in the Phoenix Park. He also represented Ireland in Clay Pigeon Shooting at the 1978 World Championship in Korea. Armstrong who ran a motor assembly business at Ringsend in Dublin, died in a car accident near Avoca, Co. Wicklow, on November 24th 1979.

 

Jonah Barrington, (1941)
International Squash player, born in Stratton, Cornwall, on April 29th 1941

Educated at Cheltenham College and TCD, where he studied law for two years. He was capped 18 times for Ireland between 1966 and 1981, and his success and near-obsessive dedication to fitness had a huge influence on the game. He won the Irish Open in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1979, and was runner-up (to his great rival, Geoff Hunt) in 1972, and 1976. He won the British Open (then the unofficial world title) in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, and 1973, having previously won the British amateur title three times in succession, between 1966 and 1968.

Other major victories included the Egyptian Open, the Australian and South African Amateurs in 1968, and the Australian and Pakistani opens in 1970. He won the British Close in 1980 and 1981, and later won the 1984 British open over-35 title. In 1994 he was president of the Squash Rackets Association. His brother Nick also played twice for Ireland.

 

John Joseph Barry (The Ballincurry Hare) 1924
Athlete; born in Joliet, Illinois, U.S.A. on October 5th 1924.

His family moved to Ballincurry, Co. Tipperary when he was aged two. He was the first Irish Athlete to earn a U.S. sport?s scholarship, when he attended Villanova University. He set new Irish records at three miles, two miles, and one mile, and his time of 4:16:2 for the last distance in 1949 bettered the previous best by more than 2 seconds.

In 1949 he won the British AAA three-mile title , as well as the U.S. One Mile Championship. He broke the world two-mile record, and represented Ireland in the 1,500m and 5000m events in the 1948 London Olympic Games. He published an autobiography, "The Ballincurry Hare".

 

Jimmy Barry-Murphy (1954)
Hurler and Gaelic footballer, born in Cork, on August 22nd 1954.

He ranks among Gaelic sport?s greatest all-rounders. With St.Finbarr's he won All-Ireland hurling club, and football club medals, in 1975 and 1978, and 1980 and 1981, respectively, as well as five County football and six County hurling medals between 1974 and 1985.With Cork he won All-Ireland minor medals at hurling in 1971, at football in 1972, followed by an All-Ireland under-21 hurling medal the following year.
In all, he helped Cork to win one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1973) and five All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships (1976, 1977, 1978, 1984,and 1986), and he captained the losing All-Ireland hurling final teams in 1982, and 1983.

He won two National Hutling League medals (1980, 1981) and one National Football League medal (1980), as well as four Railway Cup medals. He won two All-Star awards at football (1973,1974) and five All-Star awards at hurling (1976,1977, 1978, 1983, and 1986), being nominated in four different positions.