Olympic Council of Ireland logo |
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| National Olympic Committee | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Code | IRL |
| Created | 1922 |
| Recognized | 1922 |
| Continental Association |
EOC |
| Headquarters | Howth, Dublin, Ireland |
| President | Pat Hickey |
| Website | www.olympicsport.ie |
The Olympic Council of Ireland or OCI (Irish: Comhairle Oilimpeach na hÉireann) is the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Ireland. Its mission is "to develop and protect the Olympic Movement in Ireland, in accordance with the International Olympic Committee’s guiding document — the Olympic Charter."
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After the First World War, John J. Keane attempted to unite various sports associations under an Irish Olympic Committee.[1] Many sports had rival bodies, one Unionist and affiliated to a United Kingdom parent, the other Republican and opposed to any link with Great Britain. Keane proposed that a separate Irish delegation, marching under the Union Flag, should participate at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.[1] At the time the Irish War of Independence was under way, and the International Olympic Committee rejected Keane's proposal pending the settlement of the underlying political situation.[1]
The Irish Olympic Council was affiliated to the IOC on 3 June 1922,[1] during the provisional administration that prepared for the formal establishment of the Irish Free State in December 1922. The name was changed to "Olympic Council of Ireland" in the 1950s by its fourth President, Lord Killanin,[2] who was also its second IOC delegate after Keane.[3]
The OCI team has competed at all but one of the Summer Olympic Games since 1924. The 1936 Games were boycotted; this was the first Games after the IAAF's 1934 ruling on borders which restricted the OCI's jurisdiction to what was then the Irish Free State.[4] The OCI has sent teams to most Winter Olympic Games since 1992.
The Irish Olympic Council was party to a protracted dispute with the British Olympic Council during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s concerning how its team should be designated. The Irish Olympic Council had been informed by the IOC in 1939 that in light of the wording of the Irish Constitution, the official designation at future Olympics would be 'Éire' (despite the fact that the English form of the name 'Ireland' is also used in the same document). This provided yet another bone of contention. Irish officials made an official protest but eventually accepted the ruling.[5] Nevertheless at the 1948 London Olympic Games the Irish team formed ranks behind that of Iraq, only to be informed by the British officials that their place lay behind Egypt, despite the instruction to participants to assemble in alphabetical order according to the English version of their country's name.[5] Lord Killanin (the Olympics Council of Ireland chief) subsequently persuaded Avery Bundage, the IOC president, to accept 'Ireland' as the country's designation for the 1956 Melbourne Games, and the IOC followed suit, in spite of the opposition of Burghey, head of the British Olympics Association. Killanin was later forced to protest over the continued use of 'Éire' by the International Amateur Athletics Federation, presided over by Burghley, the only association which did not quickly accept the IOC's decision.[5]
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While the Olympic Charter defines that the area of jurisdiction must coincide with the limits of the country in which it is established and has its headquarters,[6] many athletes from Northern Ireland also compete for the team, since sports organised on an all-Ireland basis are affiliated to the OCI.
The following organisations are affiliated, some of which are very small and share an address at the OCI headquarters:[7]
| Organisation | Sport(s) or discipline(s) | Founded | Affiliated | First competed at Olympics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Amateur Archery Association | archery | >1973[8] | 1976[9] | |
| Athletics Association of Ireland | athletics (track and field) | 1969[8][t 1] | 1924[10] | |
| Badminton Union of Ireland | badminton | 2000[9] | ||
| Baseball Ireland | baseball | 1989[t 2][11] | ||
| Basketball Ireland | basketball | 1947[8] | 1948[10] | |
| Irish Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association | bobsleigh, skeleton | 1992 (bobsleigh[12]); 2002 (skeleton[12]) |
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| Irish Amateur Boxing Association | boxing (amateur) | 1924[8] | 1924[10] | |
| Irish Canoe Union | canoeing (kayaking, Canadian canoe) |
1964[8] | 1972[10] (kayak[9]); 1992 (Canadian[13]) |
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| Irish Clay Pigeon Shooting Association | shooting (shotgun) |
1966[8] | 1968[10] | |
| Irish Curling Association | curling | |||
| Cycling Ireland | cycle racing (road, track, MTB) |
1966[8][t 3] | 1928[10] (road,[14] track[14]); 1996 (MTB[14]) |
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| Horse Sport Ireland | equestrianism (showjumping, dressage, eventing) |
1950[8] | 1948[10] (show jumping[15]); 1952 (eventing[15]); 1988 (dressage[15]) |
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| Irish Amateur Fencing Federation | fencing | 1946[8] | 1948[10] | |
| Football Association of Ireland | football (soccer) | 1970[8] | 1924[10] | |
| Irish Gymnastics Ltd. | gymnastics | >1973[8] | 1996[9] | |
| Olympic Handball Association | team handball | >1973[8] | ||
| Irish Hockey Association | field hockey | 1949[8] | ||
| Irish Ice Hockey Association | ice hockey | |||
| Irish Judo Association | judo | 1963[8] | 1964[10] | |
| Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland | modern pentathlon | 1980[9] | ||
| Paralympics Ireland | Paralympic Games | 1987[16] | 1988[t 4][16] | |
| Irish Amateur Rowing Union | rowing | 1948[8] | 1948[10] | |
| Irish Sailing Association | sailing | 1947[8] | 1948[10] | |
| Snowsports Association of Ireland | snowboarding, skiing (alpine skiing, nordic skiing) |
1998 (alpine[12]); 2002 (nordic[12]) |
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| National Target Shooting Association of Ireland | shooting (rifle, pistol) |
1980 (pistol[17]); 1996 (rifle[17]) |
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| Swim Ireland | aquatics (swimming, water polo, diving) |
1924[8] | 1924[10] (water polo[9]); 1928 (swimming[9]) |
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| Irish Table-Tennis Association | table tennis | |||
| Irish Taekwondo Union | taekwondo | |||
| Tennis Ireland | tennis | 1924[9] | ||
| Irish Triathlon Association | triathlon | 2000[9] | ||
| Volleyball Association of Ireland | volleyball | >1973[8] | ||
| Irish Amateur Weightlifting Association | weightlifting | 1960[8] | 1960[10] | |
| Irish Amateur Wrestling Association | wrestling (freestyle) | 1948[8] | 1952[9] |
Notes:
The OCI has a small staff and is based at Olympic House in the village of Howth in County Dublin.
In 2007, The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) officially appointed the THG Sports Tours[18], as its official ticketing agency for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.[19]
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