The rise and fall of the Tailteann Games

Analysis: The Games were 'the greatest sporting carnival ever organised in Ireland', but the spectacle and glamour turned out to be short lived

In 1924, the ancient Tailteann Games from thousands of years ago were re-established in modern form. Taking place in the shadow of the Irish Civil War, the competitions brought participants from all over the world to converge in Dublin for Ireland's answer to the Olympic Games. On three occasions, hundreds of athletes, artists, writers and musicians participated in this mass celebration of Irish culture and sport. But the spectacle and glamour of the Tailteann Games was short lived. This is the story of 'the greatest sporting carnival ever organised in Ireland'.

The Tailteann Games, also known as Aonach Tailteann, was a festival held at Tara, Co Meath from 632BC until the last record of the event in 1168AD —just before the ‘English invasion’ of 1169. Held in honour of Queen Tailte, the games combined sporting competitions with cultural contests in poetry, music and dancing. The programme of events took place over the course of approximately one week and they pre-dated the ancient Olympic Games by 100 years.

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From British Pathé, coverage from the 1924 Tailteann Games

The modern Tailteann Games took place in the aftermath of a bloody civil war that had resulted in thousands of deaths and the destruction of the Irish infrastructure. While the Free State was not yet a Republic, they wanted to demonstrate that they were culturally