IRISH SUFFRAGETTE
THE FIRST IRISH WOMAN ATHLETE EVER TO GO TO THE OLYMPICS TELLS HER GREAT STORY TO STUART WEIR
MARK SHEARMAN
MAEVE KYLE
IRISHWOMAN Maeve Kyle OBE had to wait until she was 28 for the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. Prior to Melbourne in 1956, Ireland had only selected male athletes. Then she had to wait until 1964 and Tokyo before her best event, the 400m, was an Olympic event for women. At 37 she won her first major medal, a bronze in the 400m at the 1966 European Indoor Athletics Championships. It was a different world back in 1956 and quite fascinating to hear her story.
“I have always reckoned that I was the Irish suffragette of athletics,” said Maeve, now aged 87. “In 1956 I was the first Irishwoman in athletics ever to go the Olympics. I competed again in 1960 and 1964 and also had the privilege of going to the 2000 Olympics as a coach, so I went to four Olympics.