Tailteann Games

The Oxford Companion to Irish History | 2007 | 700+ words | Copyright

Tailteann Games, involving athletic and artistic competition, were said to have been held in pre‐Christian Ireland (see óenach Tailten), though they had been curtailed by 1169. From the 1880s their revival became an element of nationalist rhetoric. The issue was raised in the Dáil in 1920. Official planning for the ‘Irish Olympic’ began in 1922. Finally held in 1924, under the control of the Irish Free State government assisted by the Gaelic Athletic Association, the games were a qualified success. Events as diverse as shooting and motorbike riding were included, along with Gaelic sports. Further contests in 1928 and 1932 attracted more foreign competitors. Due to financial restrictions and the waning interest of the GAA, however, the expected series did not continue.

Neal Garnham

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