04 June-John Treacy

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John Treacy, who is a native of Co Waterford, is one of Ireland’s most successful athletes. He represented Ireland at four Olympic Games. At the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 he was the winner of the silver medal in the marathon. Treacy was also the gold medal winner at the World Cross-Country Championships in 1978 and 1979. He was inducted into the Athletics Ireland Hall of Fame in 2009. He is the current CEO of the Irish Sports Council.

John Treacy was born in Villierstown, Co Waterford in 1957. He was educated locally and at St. Anne’s Secondary School in Cappoquin, County Waterford. St Anne’s is about 12km from his home and Treacy would run home from school as part of his athletics training. Following national and international success as a junior athlete Treacy decided to attend Providence College in Rhode Island, USA where he completed his third level education.

Together with winning his Olympic medal Treacy has a long list of successes to his credit. These include:

World Cross-Country Champion on two occasions (1978, 1979).
Winner of the Los Angeles Marathon 1992
Winner of the Dublin Marathon 1993

John Treacy was born in the year 1957 On This Day.

Photo by Sean Kelly MEP

With Irish Sport Council Ceo John Treacy, Chair Kieran Mulvey, Tibor Navracsics & Gaa Head of Games Pat Daly

28 March-Jack B Yeats

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Jack B Yeats is one of Ireland’s most famous painters. He was also an Olympic Medal winner and brother of the poet W B Yeats who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923. Paintings by Jack B Yeats can be found in the National Gallery of Ireland and in other galleries in Ireland and abroad.

John Butler Yeats was born in London on August 9^th 1871. His family had moved to England in 1867 so that his father could further his career as an artist. Jack B Yeats grew up in Sligo with his grandparents and what he saw there was the basis of much of his early work. Everyday life in Ireland is reflected in his most famous paintings.

Following independence, Yeats was the winner of Ireland’s first Olympic Medal. In the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924, his painting ‘The Liffey Swim’ won a silver medal in the Arts and Culture section. Today paintings by Yeats are much in demand. His painting ‘The Wild Ones’ was sold for over €1.5 million in 1999. ‘The Boat Builder’ which Yeats painted in 1913 was sold for over €600,000 in late 2015.

Jack B Yeats died at the age of 85 in the year 1957 On This Day.

Photo by Smithsonian Institution

Jack Butler Yeats

11 March-Prize Bonds

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A Prize Bond is a lottery bond issued in Ireland by the Prize Bond Company. The Prize Bond Company is regulated by the National Treasury Management Agency. Prize Bonds are issued on behalf of the Minister for Finance who will buy them back on request for their original price. The Bonds are entered in a weekly prize draw.

Prize Bonds were first introduced under the 1956 Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. The first Prize Bonds were issued one year later. The first draw was held in September 1957. Draws were held in March and September each year for the following 35 years. Following the introduction of new regulations in 1993, draws are now held on a weekly basis.

The Prospectus for Prize Bonds was issued by the Minister for Finance in the year 1957 On This Day.

Photo by infomatique

THE GENERAL POST OFFICE DUBLIN

Photo by National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Howth, Co. Dublin 1959

25 December-Shane MacGowan

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Shane MacGowan is a musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter of the Celtic punk band The Pogues. With Jem Finer, MacGowan co-wrote his best known song, ‘Fairytale of New York’. The song was first released in 1987. Often referred to as the best Christmas song of all time, Fairytale of New York achieved one million sales in 2013.

Shane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan was born in England to Irish parents in 1957. Shortly after his birth his family moved to Puckaun, Co Tipperary. When Shane was about six years old the family moved to London. In 1971 at the age of 13 MacGowan was awarded a literature scholarship and was accepted into Westminster School. A year later he was found in possession of drugs and was expelled from school.

The first band formed by MacGowan was The Nipple Erectors. Formed in 1976 it was a punk rock band, which was later renamed ‘The Nips’. MacGowan became the lead singer with the Pogues when it was formed in 1982. The band achieved international success in the 1980’s and 90’s. MacGowan and The Pogues parted company in 1991. They reformed in 2001 and continued to perform in Europe and the United States.

Shane MacGowan was born in Pembury, Kent, England, in the year 1957 On This Day.

Photo by kingArthur_aus

Shane MacGowan

09 November-Peter O’Connor

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Peter O’Connor was an Irish athlete who won a Gold and a Silver medal at the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens. He also set the first long jump record to be recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The record was set in Dublin in August 1901.

Peter O’Connor was born in England on October 24^th 1872. His family moved to Ireland and O’Connor grew up in Co Wicklow. He joined the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in 1896. In 1899 as a member of the GAA he won All Ireland medals in the long jump, high jump and triple jump.

As a member of the Irish Amateur Athletic Association (IAAA) O’Connor set a world long jump record of 7.61m in Dublin on August 5^th 1901. That world record was to remain unbeaten for 20 years. At the Olympic Games in Athens in 1906 O’Connor won a Silver Medal in the long jump and a Gold Medal in the triple jump event. During the medal awards ceremony he hoisted an ‘Erin go Brágh’ flag on the flagpole in the Olympic Stadium in Athens.

Following his athletic career O’Connor practised as solicitor in a firm Waterford. He took over the firm in 1920. The firm continues to practise at Adelphi Quay in Waterford City. O’Connor was a founding member of Waterford Athletic Club.

Peter O’Connor died at the age of 85 in the year 1957 On This Day.