New Castlebar pool could be named after Bohola Olympian

Motion to name sports complex after Martin Sheridan

Edwin McGreal

A Bohola native who won five Olympic gold medals could have a new sports complex in Castlebar named in his honour.
Martin Sheridan won a total of nine Olympic medals in an extraordinary career in field athletics, after moving to the USA in 1899.
He won five Olympic gold medals in the 1904, 1906 and 1908 Olympic Games, winning them in discus throw (3), shot putt and Greek discus. He is Ireland’s most successful Olympian and a statue of him is located in his native Bohola.
Now there are moves to have the new swimming pool complex in Castlebar named The Martin Sheridan Sports Complex.
Cllr Frank Durcan (Renua) tabled a motion to that effect at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of Castlebar Municipal District. He also proposed that a full-size sculpture of Sheridan be located at the entrance to the €12 million facility, which is currently under construction.
“There are very few people of international fame born in Mayo but Martin Sheridan is one of them. This is one of the greatest athletes in the world. If any other county had such a sportsman, there would be monuments all over to him,” said Cllr Durcan.
There was no objections to it but some councillors argued for more time and consultation on the matter.
“We should take our time, let the complex be built first and take everything into consideration before naming it after Martin Sheridan,” said Cllr Cyril Burke (FG).
Other councillors argued that the people of Bohola should be consulted to assess if they have any issue with such a proposal in the town of Castlebar.
Martin Sheridan was born in the village of Bohola in 1881 and emigrated to the USA with two of his brothers in 1899. He died, one day shy of his 37th birthday, in 1918, a victim of a flu pandemic in New York, where he worked as a policeman.
His obituary in the famed New York Times described Sheridan as ‘one of the greatest figures that ever represented this country in international sport, as well as being one of the most popular who ever attained the championship honour’.