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PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has called for a “fearless response” to the controversies that have engulfed Irish sport since the Olympics.
The President and his wife Sabina hosted Team Ireland athletes at a reception in Áras an Uachtaráin this morning and took the opportunity to call for steps to be taken to ensure that public confidence in Irish sporting organisations is maintained.
“These Olympic games have also exposed some serious issues for us, both here in Ireland and amongst the entire Olympic family,” Higgins said.
Issues of doping, alas never far from the Olympic story in recent years, questionable decision-making by referees and judges during the games, and the controversy around the administration of our sports all deserve serious analysis and fearless responses here at home and internationally.Each of these issues, if not adequately addressed, has the potential to undermine public confidence in our athletes, in our sporting administration and in the fairness of international sporting competition itself.
President Higgins, who himself was previously President of Galway Utd football club, told the assembled athletes that “sport is historically part of our culture”.
The President noted that Ireland had achieved 14 top 10 finishes in Rio 2016 compared to 8 in London 2012. He namechecked a number of athletes including diver Oliver Dingley, gymnast Ellis O’Reilly and the Irish men’s hockey team.
He also paid a special tribute to Ireland’s medalists, Annalise Murphy in sailing and Paul and Gary O’Donovan in rowing.
The President said that medals act as a great source of encouragement for young people to get involved in sport and are therefore particularly worth highlighting.
“The O’Donovan brothers have brought Irish rowing to the world’s attention, and seeing them on the podium collecting their medals was an enormously proud moment for the country, and the authenticity of their commitment to, and pleasure in, competitive rowing was something that lifted hearts all over the world on water and on land,” he said.
The success of Annalise Murphy was another special moment for Irish sport. We all shared in Annalise’s joy, following her bitter-sweet experience at the London Olympics, and that silver medal was long-awaited and extremely well deserved. I watched her reception to her own club, and young sailor after young sailor spoke of how she was their exemplar.
Moving on from the medallists, President Higgins said each member of the Irish team should be proud.
“You have also all demonstrated an impressive team spirit as you generously celebrate each other’s achievements, and console each other in your disappointments,” he said.
The President also spoke about the wider message of the Olympic Games saying that it “needs protecting”:
In an age where there is so much division, fear and suspicion between peoples, I believe that the Olympic message of friendship and support, of our common humanity as expressed through sporting endeavour, is more important than ever.
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So Pat Hickey doesn’t like prison. I’m delighted that a different jurisdiction threw the book at him.
Jeez Annalise is a tall lady
Look at Shane Ross owing it like a boss.
Someone needs to put Shane Ross back in his box!
Ironically enough, Shane Ross is about the only player in this debacle who has not been put in a box.
Someone needs to give him a box
Shane Ross seems to be enjoying all that gravy.
Watch out for the censorship lads….. This place is becoming very sterile…. Craic left the building…. You would swear Murdoch owns this site now.
Shane just received news that he won a plastic medal for hubris.
What a plank.
Yes and so he should they are fantastic.but let down by a bunch of cowardly croocks who would never win anything with out cheating and liying.
It was our worst Olympic is decades, 2 medals from 77 Athletes! It not the Athletes fault but the Administrators.
Worst performance in decades??? You having a laugh, we got a solitary silver in Sydney and nothing in Athens. It was worse than London but at Beijing we got 1 silver and 2 bronze so that’s even up for debate I’d it’s better than two silvers!
And in fairness, we probably would have got a couple more if it weren’t for those corrupt boxing judges
Martin, not much of a follower of Ireland at the Olympics are you.
Ireland won no medal in 1924, had no team at the 1936 Olympics, also no medals in 1948, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1988 and 2004
One bronze in 1964
One silver in 1952, 1984 and 2000
One gold in 1928
One silver one bronze 1980
One gold one silver 1992
Two gold 1932
One silver two bronze 2008
Three gold one bronze 1996
One gold one silver three bronze 1956
One gold one silver four bronze 2012
And 2016 with two silver would rank as a middling to good Olympics by Irish standards.
@Donal O’Brien,
I don’t think 1996 counts.
1996 has to count, no medals were taken back!
1996 michelle smith took back 3 gold and one bronze and still has the medals. Just like mr. hickey who innocent until proven guilty.
Where are the boxers they’re not in the photo
Down in Paddy Powers
Are any of the Northern Irish athletes there?
We need to get our 7s squads up to scratch. It is an area that we could medal in. We have loads of talent that are falling by the wayside in terms of only having 4 professional teams.
With the youth we have in the LOI and those playing abroad we should be looking at soccer for Tokyo also. We will not win it but we will provide a platform for the senior team
Poor Annalise tried to make herself small next to our midget of a president in the group shot.
You’d swear Michael D was squeaky clean. I’m sure he’s got some skeletons in his closet that would rock what he trys to present himself as an upstanding citizen, coming from the shameless, shady, “whats in it for me?” old school politics of FF, FG and Labour!
I love Michael D. The Best President we ever had
Yes he has.
Shane ross for presedent of the noody club
Once Shane Ross got his hand on the gravy he was happy, no substance whatsoever
Plenty of smiles when in the Áras
Kudos to our athletes for their endeavours in Rio despite the corruption of the higher echelons.
It appears from the photo, that poor Shane Ross was made to hitch all the way to Micky D’s house.
2 lousy silver and four arrests. A dope boxer . Hundreds of spongers from sporting organisations and RTE having a freebie and we celebrate. What a country.
We know someone who’ll have a pain in the aras…
https://m.facebook.com/1715674511990528/photos/a.1715741815317131.1073741826.1715674511990528/2107600216131287/?type=3&source=54
Not the time or the place Mr President. Cork knows how to welcome heroes home!
This particular Olympics is better consigned to memory because of all the problems with Team Ireland and it’s organising body.When the verdicts on all of this come down the Medal winning athletes will sans personal fault be always be tainted with “Oh you won your medal at that games in 2016 ?” Those that are still young enough, train for Tokyo 2020 and hope that Ireland has expunged it’s shame by then. Never ever again !!!!!
John Delaney failed to turn up at a clubhouse opening in galway , disgraceful
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