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27/04/2016

Olympic medal presented to GAA Museum

Relatives of the late J. J. Keane have presented his Olympic medal to the GAA Museum.  

The medal was awarded to J.J. Keane at the Berlin Olympics in 1930 in recognition of his contribution to the Olympic movement. It was accepted by Uachtarán CLG Aogán Ó Fearghail on behalf of the GAA Museum.

John James (J.J.) Keane was an outstanding sportsman and sports administrator from Limerick. After he moved to Dublin for work, he won two All-Ireland senior football medals in 1898 and 1899 with the Geraldines club, of which he was a founder member. His first love was athletics and he won many titles, including an All-Ireland 120 yards hurdle in 1900. As an administrator he had a highly successful career. He was chairman of the Athletic Council of the GAA from 1901 until 1922. He founded the Olympic Council of Ireland and became its first President, and was Ireland’s first member of the International Olympic committee. He also founded the National Athletic and Cycling Council of Ireland (NACAI), and was appointed to the board of International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). 

He was involved in all of the Tailteann Games held in Croke Park in 1924, 1928 and 1932 as Director and Director of Athletics.

J.J. Keane’s medal will be on display in The GAA Museum from May 16th as part of the new temporary exhibition ‘Ireland’s Olympians’.
 

Ireland's Olympians Exhibition

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