Newbridge hosts lecture on local Olympian

THE legend that is Larry Stanley from Caragh – the first Olympian for the fledgling Republic of Ireland – is to live on once again in Newbridge on Wednesday 15 January when John Lawler gives an illustrated lecture on this most fascinating of men.

“Caragh’s most illustrious son,” laughed John, a geologist and amateur historian who also hails from the village, about the Olympic high jumper and Kildare senior county footballer.

John was also behind the tribute monument erected in the village’s park last June measuring 6’3 1/8th”, Larry’s greatest height achieved at the Tailteann Games in 1924.

He will be speaking in the Parish Hall on Station Road from 8pm, having done two previous lectures on the topic in the Library in Naas recently.

“We haven’t done the homecoming gig in Caragh yet, but I’d hope to do it before the evenings get bright,” said John.

“I’m still trying to get the new stand in St Conleth’s Park named after him, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears,” he shrugged.

“It’s a pity, because Larry doesn’t have anything named after him, he’s sorta fallen between a couple of stools – football and athletics,” said John.

“It’s very rare nowadays to see any bit of a cross-over, that’s whey it was great to hear Ciara Mageean (European 1,500m gold medallist) talking about the camogie,” said John.

“We’re getting near the centenary of ’26-27 which Larry didn’t play because I think he was trying to go to Amsterdam [Olympics] in ’28 to compete in the Decathlon – he was a great long jumper as well, capable of 23ft – but he didn’t qualify, and Pat O’Callaghan’s (hammer gold medallist) brother went instead,” said John.

Larry Stanley was born in Blacktrench in 1896 as one of 11 children, but on 6 July 1924, when he took the field at the 8th Olympiad to compete in the high jump, he was the first athlete to represent the fledgling nation at the Games.

“1924 was a huge year for him, there was a tournament for the official opening of Wembley, and he won that,” said Mr Lawler.

This was quite the understatement, as Larry then captained Dublin to win the 1923 All-Ireland that year also which had been postponed the year previously due to the Civil War.

In June, in recognition of this great all-rounder athlete Caragh Tidy Towns committee erected a steel lectern in Fr Kinsella Park, with the back of the lectern like a stainless steel ruler notched out every foot, all the way up to six feet, three and one eighth inches.