|
Formed in New York City in 1897, the Irish American Athletic Club
promoted track and field events, bicycle and handball tournaments,
and Irish football and hurling games. It trained at Celtic Park,
a nine acre athletic field on the Long Island City/Woodside border
in Queens. The Club was active until the First World War when Celtic
Park was sold to a developer for apartments.
Many IAAC members were champions or record-holders of the period.
Martin Sheridan (b. Bohola, Co. Mayo, 1881-d. New York City, 1918),
for example, won five Olympic, twelve national and more than thirty
Canadian and Metropolitan championships, setting sixteen world records
in a variety of field sports, including free and Greek style discus
throw, pole vault, standing broad and high jumps, and javelin throw.
Perhaps the peak national visibility for the IAAC came at the
1908 Olympic Games in London, where eight of the thirteen American
victories in track and field events were won by members of the IAAC
.
|
 |
Melvin Sheppard
postcard, 1908
Archives of Irish America, NYU
Acc. No. 2000-0003
Purchased through the generosity of James T. Higgins, in memory
of John P. Higgins (1915-1997)
The message on this postcard refers to the New York City parade
to welcome home the members of the 1908 American Olympic Team, including
Mel Sheppard of the Irish American Athletic Club.
|
|
Irish American Athletic Club Monster Athletic
Carnival
Madison Square Garden, New York City
program, 5 February 1910
Archives of Irish America, NYU
Acc. No. 2000-0007
Purchased through the generosity of James T. Higgins, in memory
of John P. Higgins (1915-1997)
The Irish American Athletic Club uniform bore the emblem of a winged
fist and a motto in Gaelic ("Strong Hands Forever!"). Here it is
embellished with shamrocks and the stars and stripes on the program
of their 1910 track-and-field event at Madison Square Garden.
|
 |
 |
James P. Sullivan ("4.22 Jim")
cigarette card, circa 1910
Archives of Irish America, NYU
Acc. No. 2000-0002
Purchased through the generosity of James T. Higgins, in memory
of John P. Higgins (1915-1997)
Jim Sullivan's card appeared as part of the Champion Athlete &
Prizefighter Series #2 produced by the Hassan cigarette company.
|
IRISH
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CLUB
Listen to the Interview: 
