Bringing it all back home

Tom O’Riordan was a footballer from Ardfert who dreamed of playing for Kerry. Inspired by Ronnie Delaney’s gold in 1956 he switched to running and became an Olympian in 1964 in Tokyo while also starting a journalism career that would see him become a revered GAA writer. His son, fellow athlete and sports journalist in the Irish Times, Ian O’Riordan relives his dad’s epic career and also salutes the current great Gaelic games and Olympic link in European champion and camogie all-star Ciara Magean.

 

Ciara Magean’s camogie career was credited for helping her land the 2024 European gold medal at 1500m. Can she be the latest member of the Gaelic games family to add Olympic medals to her glittering career?

 

Tom O’Riordan dreamed of being a Kerry footballer and became a US scholarship student and an Irish Olympian in Tokyo 1964. He also started his journalism career while he was competing, often writing reports on races he was in and won before later being a celebrated GAA journalist and athletics correspondent in the Irish Independent.

 

Lords of the Rings: The GAA’s Olympics Story is a podcast available today from gaa.ie, Spotify and usual platforms, produced by Andrew Foley and GAA Digital Manager Niamh Boyle.

The views, opinions, and historical interpretations presented in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the GAA or any other organisation mentioned.