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Thomas F. Kiely

    " I wonder why this man is so famous.  Let's find out why!"

Thomas F. Kiely was born in Ballyneale on August 25th 1869, the eldest son and third child of a large family.  His father William had married Mary Downey and farmed seventy acres under tenancy at Curraghdobbin, Ballyneale.  Little is known of his early life.  He attended the local national school, where he received a good basic education.  He learned to play both the fiddle and the fife, and grew up helping his father on the farm.

Tom Kiely's early career

Tom Kiely first entered competition at Clonmel in August 1888, just before his nineteenth birthday.

From the beginning, he competed at almost everything -sprints, jumps, weights and hurdles.  Entering mostly local meetings for the first four years, he began to establish a modest reputation for himself.  

At Carrick-on-Suir in 1890 he won seven first prizes, and in the following year collected thirty- three prizes from eight meetings.

Prizes at this time could range from a gold medal to a clock, biscuit tin, or even a pipe!  At Cahir in 1890, for example, he won a dressing case, a set of salad servers and bowl, a tweed suit and a photograph album.  To a young farmer's son these were valuable items that he could otherwise never afford and of far more practical use than medals.

The 1904 OLMYPICS

The 1904 Olmypics were held in the United States, in St. Louis.  Tom Kiely was thirty-four years old at this time.   The British team had approached him with promises of his fare and expenses, and American sponsorship was also offered but, as a comitted nationalist, he decided to go on his own, representing his native country.  He raised the fare partly by selling many of the prizes he had won over the years and sailed for the States at the end of May.

In America he had several more offers to join the American or British teams.  But again he declined and made it clear in statements carried in all the American papers of the time that he would represent only Ireland in the Olmypic Games.

On 4th July, he took part in the World All Round Championship olmypic event.  He was up against Ellery Grey Clarkethe reigning champion.  The conditions were apalling, the whole event taking place in a driving rainstorm.  The events Kiely and the other competitors had to take part in were 100 yard sprint, shot putt, high jump, half-mile walk, hammerpole vault, hurdles,weight throwing, long jump and a mile run.  Kiely emerged the overall winnerand received the gold medal.

Click on the pictures to see them in full size

Did you know?

Tom Kiely won over 3 000 prizes in his athletic career. He created over 40 new records, including several world records in a variety of events. Tom Kiely was still competing at athletics at 37 years of age. In 1906, Tom Kiely married and gave his wife a girdle stitched around with a double row of gold medals, as a wedding present. On arrival home after winning a gold medal in St. Louis, a welcoming party was arranged with a barrel of beer to be placed in every street along the way.  Kiely, however, left the train quietly and slipped away to walk the four miles back to Ballyneale. Thomas Kiely died on 6th November 1951, aged 82.

This is the memorial erected to Tom Kiely opposite Ballyneale Church.  It was sculpted by Jan Goulet and funded by public subscription.  It was erected in 1978.  The inscription reads:  Thomas F. Kiely, World All Round Champion, St. Louis, 1904