Analysis: Blueshirts' leader Eoin O'Duffy believed Dublin could be entrusted with the Olympics, but his plans were vague, unrealistic and unworkable
After Ireland enjoyed success at the 1932 Olympic Games, politician Eoin O'Duffy promoted the idea of Ireland being a suitable place to hold the Olympic Games. Was Ireland a serious contender for hosting the Olympic Games in 1940?
Who was Eoin O’Duffy?
O'Duffy (1890–1944) was a soldier, policeman and a politician. He was the first leader of Fine Gael and veered towards fascism with the Blueshirts after being exposed to propaganda during visits to Italy in the 1930s. O’Duffy was heavily involved in sport in Ireland and served in various capacities with the Irish Handball Association, Ulster GAA, Irish Native Breeds Society and the National Athletic and Cycling Association. It was his time as president of the National Athletic and Cycling Association that led to his ambitious idea for Ireland to host the Olympic Games in 1940.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Sean O'Rourke in 2019, Prof Diarmuid Ferriter profiles Eoin O'Duffy
Where did the idea come from?
The 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles permitted people to leave the Great Depression behind for a short time and instead marvel at the feats of many talented athletes. Irish athletes excelled and in the space of one hour on August 1st, Team Ireland had won two gold medals: Bob Tisdall in the 400m hurdles and Pat O'Callaghan in the hammer throw. O’Duffy basked in their glory and wrote "I was never happier in my life than on that day when Bob Tisdall of Tipperary won the hurdles event and broke the world record and Dr. O’Callaghan of Cork won the hammer title"
This was the start of O’Duffy piggybacking on their success and using it as a means to further his own political agenda. The idea of Ireland becoming a host nation came to him when he was in Los Angeles attending the Games and fhe was determined that the Olympic Games would be held in the Irish Free State. He was "fairly sure this request will be granted". Having hosted the Eucharistic Congress in June 1932, O’Duffy believed that this showed that Dublin was "a city which was capable of accommodating a million people" and "could be entrusted with the Olympic Games".
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From RTÉ Archives, Jackie Hayden reports for RTÉ News on a 1979 civic reception in Nenagh, Co Tipperary to honour 1932 Olympic gold medalist Bob Tisdall
Why the Olympic Games?
Hosting the Olympic Games was at the time, considered a crowning achievement for a host nation. O’Duffy had hoped that staging the Games would establish Ireland’s status as a modern power and would generate goodwill from other nations.
Given O’Duffy’s leniency towards fascism, the public spectacle of the Olympic Games would be an ideal setting for propaganda efforts. When Berlin hosted the Olympic Games in 1936, the Nazi government used sports as part of its drive to strengthen the "Germanic race," to exercise political control over its citizens, and to prepare German youth for war.
While not as drastic as Hitler’s ideals, O’Duffy did share similar sentiments in using sport "be able to keep pace with other countries". He suggested that funds from the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes - a lottery that contributed millions to building hospitals - should be redirected towards restoring the health of the unfit. O’Duffy’s "Health before Hospital" motto proposed that instead of "concentrating resources on mending those who are broken, we should see that all are kept whole".
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From RTÉ Archives, Kieron Wood reports for RTÉ News on the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes in 1986
What were the details of the bid?
In 1932, O’Duffy began his campaign for Ireland’s bid to host the Olympic Games. If £500,000 could be raised from leading Free State citizens, he was "certain that they will be held here". O’Duffy had raised over £3,000 in 1931 for the revival of Irish athletics by calling on civil servants, members of the Catholic Church and politicians to donate money. It would have been quite the leap from that to half a million pounds.
Nonetheless, O’Duffy persisted with newspaper interviews and plans. "Two things will be necessary if we are to hold the Olympic Games here", he noted at one stage, "the conversion of Phoenix Park into a vast Olympic village and the erection of a large imposing stadium near the city". The vagueness of the location of the stadium suggests that O’Duffy had not spent much time thinking through the logistics, practicalities and implications of Ireland hosting the Olympic Games.
He did go as far as "sounding many sportsmen from all countries" while at the 1932 Olympics and described their reaction as enthusiastic. He later spoke about Ireland’s bid with President of the International Olympic Council (IOC) Count de Baillet-Latour, which was "well-received".
Highlights from the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
What happened next?
Aside from speaking with the IOC boss and some unidentified sportsmen, it is unclear just how far O’Duffy got with the bid for Ireland to host the 1940 Olympic Games. O’Duffy’s career took several bad turns shortly after he publicised Ireland’s Olympic bid. In 1933, he was removed as Commissioner of the Civic Guard (An Garda Síochána), forced to resign as Fine Gael leader and lost most of his remaining prestige in an abortive effort to aid Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
In the end, Tokyo were announced as hosts of the 1940 Olympics. During their bid, Japanese diplomats lobbied foreign governments to persuade their Olympic committees to withdraw the candidacies of their cities from the race. There is evidence that representatives from Italy and Great Britain were approached but no mention of Ireland, possibly because they were never really considered a serious contender for hosting this mega event.
As it transpired, the 1940 Olympic Games were a non-event and were suspended indefinitely following the outbreak of World War II. They did not resume until the London Games of 1948.
O’Duffy enjoyed the limelight and the visibility that his public positions gave him. His idea of Ireland’s bid to host the 1940 Olympics was another means of garnering attention in his direction, while using the success of Irish athletes to support his ideals. O’Duffy’s Olympic aspirations were entirely unrealistic, unworkable and are a historical example of how sports and politics intertwine.
All quotes in this article are from the Eoin O’Duffy papers in the National Library of Ireland
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
