Dr Pat O’Callaghan was a native of Co. Cork, Ireland. He became the first Irish person to win an Olympic Gold Medal following Irish independence. He won his first Gold Medal at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Four year later at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, O’Callaghan won a Gold medal for the second time. In doing so he became the only Irish person in history to date who has won gold medals at successive Olympic Games.
Pat O’Callaghan was born near Kanturk, Co Cork on September 15th 1905.He grew up on the family farm, was educated locally and at the Patrician Academy in Mallow. He went on to study Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Having qualified as a doctor at the age of 21, O’Callaghan joined the Royal Air Force Medical Service in England. He served at the RAF Hospital, Halton, Buckinghamshire and later in the Middle East. O’Callaghan returned to Ireland in 1928. He worked for a time at a hospital in Clonmel Co Tipperary before setting up his own medical practice in Clonmel.
The O’Callaghan family had a big interest in sporting activities including athletics, Gaelic Football and Hurling. When pat O’Callaghan moved to Dublin to attend university he played rugby and developed an interest in throwing the hammer. He trained in Dublin and on the family farm during the summer. He became Munster champion in the hammer throw in 1926, all-Ireland champion in 1927 and again in 1928.
O’Callaghan’s victory in 1928 with a throw of 50.87m qualified him for the Olympic Games of that year in Amsterdam. His brother Con qualified for the decathlon. The O’Callaghan brothers travelled to Amsterdam at their own expense. Pat O’Callaghan won the Olympic Gold medal in the hammer event with a record throw of 51.38m. He was presented with his medal on Jul 30th 1928. It was the first occasion in the history of the Olympic Games that the Irish flag was raised and the Irish National anthem played.
Pat O’Callaghan qualified for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles where he was the flag bearer for the Irish team. At the games on August 1st he successfully defended his title with a throw of 53.92m. An hour earlier on the same day Bob Tisdall from Nenagh, Co Tipperary won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 400m hurdles. Ireland did not send a team to the Olympic Games in 1936 in Berlin due to a dispute between athletic organisations in Ireland. As a result O’Callaghan could not compete in the 1936 Olympics.
Though he retired from competition O’Callaghan remained interested in sport in general and in athletics in particular. He attended the Berlin Olympics in 1936 and every Olympic Games up until Seoul in 1988. Dr O’Callaghan practised as a general practitioner in Clonmel up until his retirement in 1984.
Dr Pat O’Callaghan, died at the age of 86 in the year 1991 On This Day.
Los Angeles Coliseum 1932 Olympic plaques by Mr. Littlehand on 2011-07-08 14:40:04