WICKLOW MAN WHO COMPETED IN 1906 OLYMPICS RECALLED
WICKLOW Olympic athlete Peter O’Connor was honoured in his home town when a plaque in his memory was unveiled on Tuesday on Ashtown Lane.
Peter was an Olympic champion, a World Record holder and an Irish nationalist. His world long jump record of 24ft 9 achieved at the Royal Dublin Society’s grounds in 1901 stood for 20 years while his Irish record of 24ft 11 ins stood for 90 years.
He won a Gold Medal for the Hop Step and Jump competition in the Olympics of 1906 held in Athens and a Silver for the Long Jump.
The O’Connor family lived at the gate lodge off Ashtown Lane where Peter’s father, Edward, was caretaker of the newly completed reservoir.
Cllr John Snell was instrumental in honouring Peter’s achievements and first raised the matter at a meeting of Wicklow Municipal District back in 2016.
Speaking at the unveiling of the plaque, Mr Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, said: ‘This is a wonderful story of a man who was reared in Wicklow and who won two Olympic medals in the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens and who not only held the Irish Long Jump record for 90 years but also held the world record for 20 years’.
He added that it was only right and fitting that we pay tribute to him in Wicklow, particularly as he perfected his hop, step and jump from the doorstep of his family home in Ashtown Lane.
Peter was an accomplished athlete and in 1906 took part in the Intercalated Games in Athens. Ireland did not have an Olympic Committee at the time and the Greeks ignored the Irishmen’s independent entries and included them on the British team.
He was placed second in the long jump and the three Irishmen mounted an international protest when Peter scaled the 20ft pole and unfurled a large green flag. His fellow athletes, Con Leahy and John Daly, stood guard at the base as the organisers had wanted a Union Jack to fly if any of the three won a medal.
Some days later, Peter took part in the Hop Step and Jump competition and came first, winning a Gold Medal.
The plaque was unveiled by Peter’s great grandson, Mark King, who is author of the book, ‘The King of Spring’. Mark himself is an International Chess Master and has represented Ireland at seven Chess Olympiads.