Posted by In the early part of the 20th Century, Irish athletes were amongst the most successful in the world writes The Extra Miler.
Individuals like Galway’s Tom Hynes and J.J.Daly, Mayo’s Martin Sheridan and Waterford’s Peter O’Connor blazed a trail at home and abroad breaking records and making history.
Many of these Irish athletes, including the first two men named above, made their way to New York and became members of the Irish-American Athletics Club, one of the foremost clubs in America at the time. The IAAC logo comprised a clenched fist surrounded flanked by a pair of wings adorned with shamrocks and the American flag.
New York based historian and archivist Ian McGowan established the Winged Fist Organisation (www.wingedfist.com) in 2008 in order to preserve the legacy of the Irish-American Athletic Club and to encourage research into their activities. If you had any material relating to Irish athletes who may have been involved in any way with this august club, I’m sure Ian McGowan would love to hear from you.
