Irish American Athletic Club

The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century. Established on January 30, 1898, originally as the "Greater New York Irish Athletic Association", they shortened the name to the Irish American Athletic Club a few years later. They purchased a plot of land in what was then called Laurel Hill, Long Island, near Calvary Cemetery, Queens, and in 1898, they built a state-of-the-art athletic facility on what was farmland. ["A New Athletic Club: Greater New York Irish A. A. has already Secured Quarters." New York Times 31 Jan. 1898: p. 4.] The stadium, called Celtic Park, formally reopened after renovations on May 9, 1901, and until the facility was sold for housing in 1930, some of the greatest American athletes trained or competed on Celtic Park's track and field, drawing crowds over 20,000 strong. ["Athletic Field Remodeled. Celtic Park in New Garb to be Re-opened Monday." New York Times 10 May, 1901: p. 10]

In addition to winning countless local and regional Amateur Athletic Union competitions, Irish American Athletic Club members competed for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece, the1908 Olympics in London and the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.

The Irish American Athletic Club was predominantly composed of Irish born and first generation Irish American athletes, but many of the athletes who competed for the Winged Fist organization were neither. Non-Irish members of the Irish American Athletic Club included; Joseph Bromilow, Alvin Kraenzlein, Myer Prinstein, Abel Kiviat, Alvah Meyer, Lawson Robertson, Harold Wilson and Emilio Lunghi. Myer Prinstein, competing as a the member of the Irish American Athletic Club in St. Louis 1904, won both the long jump and the hop, step and jump on the same day, the only athlete ever to win both events in the same games. He also came 5th in both the 60 m dash and 400 m. In Athens 1906 he again won the long jump competition, beating the world record holder, Irishman, Peter O'Connor.

In the 1908 Olympic Games, in London, England, members of the Irish American Athletic Club won 9 of the U.S. Olympic teams total 23 gold medals. The members of the Irish American Athletic Club who were medalists in the 1908 Olympic Games were; Charles Bacon, 400 meter hurdles, Gold; George Bonhag, 3 mile team race, Silver; Robert Cloughen, 200 metres race, Silver; John Jesus Flanagan, Hammer Throw, Gold; Johnny Hayes, Marathon, Gold; Marquis Horr, Discus-Free Style, Bronze, Discus-Greek Style, Silver; Matt McGrath, Hammer Throw, Silver; Harry Porter, High Jump, Gold; Mel Sheppard, 800 metres race, Gold, 1,500 metres race, Gold, 1,600 metres medley relay, Gold; and Martin Sheridan, Discus-Free Style, Gold, Discus-Greek Style, Gold, and Standing Long Jump, Bronze. Other Irish American Athletic Club members of the 1908 U.S. Olympic team included; Joseph Bromilow, Harvey Cohn, Lawson Robertson, Frank Riley, William Robbins and James P. Sullivan.

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