Faster, Higher, Stronger – A History of Ireland's Olympians

‘Sport can open up a door, as it were, between men. The world is full of closed doors and drawn curtains, and this Olympic door must therefore never be closed. And those symbolic rings emblazoned above it must be kept bright and shining to bring that peace and goodwill for which the world is craving.’

Bob Tisdall, gold medal winner 400m hurdles 1932.

For a small population, Ireland has a substantial history of Olympic achievement, going right back to 1896 when tennis player, John Pius Boland, won Ireland’s first Olympic gold medal. Since then, many Irish heroes have stepped onto the winner’s podium in several sports, from athletics to boxing.

Faster, Higher, Stronger is based on over one hundred years of facts and figures, anecdotes and interviews and the highs and lows of sports men and women throughout the 32 counties. No one has been forgotten. For the first time, every Irish Olympian since 1900 is listed in a scrupulously researched reference section. An indispensable handbook for all sports enthusiasts.

LINDIE NAUGHTON writes weekly columns on athletics and minority sports for the Evening Herald newspaper. She has also written a number of books, most recently How to Mow the Lawn, A Beginner's Guide to Gardening (New Island 2003), Lady Icarus: the Story of Irish Aviator Lady Mary Heath (Ashfield 2004) and Let’s Run, A Handbook for Irish Runners (Ashfield 2007). She was one of the journalists behind the enormously successful Dublin Women's Mini Marathon, the largest race of its kind in the world. Lindie is also a long-time coach with Crusaders Athletic Club in Dublin, the Irish Mountain Running Association and Three Rock Orienteering Club.

JOHNNY WATTERSON is a formr Irish International hockey player. He is a sports journalist with the Irish Times specialising, at the moment, in rugby.