Strong Longford interest in Paris Olympics

The past week has been a memorable one for the Irish at the Olympics and there was strong Longford involvement in the biggest show on earth.

Longford swimmer Darragh Greene was part of a high performing Irish swimming team at the Paris games.

Darragh was part of the Irish 4 x100m Medley Relay team, which broke an Irish record at the games. They finished 11th overall.

Darragh (28) was competing in his second Olympics. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, he competed in the 100m Breaststroke (finishing 29th) and in the 200m Breaststroke (finishing 23rd).

This is the first time that Ireland sent a team to compete in the 4 x 100m Medley Relay at the Olympics.

Speaking to RTE sport afterwards, the Newtownforbes native said, “It is unbelievable that we have broken the Irish record, given the week that we had in swimming, with the success of Dan (Wiffen) and Mona (McSharry)..”

Darragh went on to describe the atmosphere in the arena. “It was surreal swimming in this atmosphere. We had a large Irish support behind us, we could see the flags,” he explained.

Darragh is one of a very select group of Longford people who have competed in the Olympics. To do so twice is truly the stuff of dreams.

Previous Longford Olympians included Eddie Macken (showjumping), Derek Burnett (shooting) and Ray Flynn (athletics). Greene holds three Irish records for individual breaststroke events.  

Going into the Men's medley relay at the Olympics ranked 15th in the world, it was a brave bid by the Irish team to qualify for the final with the Top 8 in the heats.

The other members of the Irish medley relay team were Shane Ryan (Freestyle), Conor Ferguson (Backstroke) and Max McCusker (Butterfly).

There was also strong Longford interest in the Irish equestrian team at the games. James Kaan Cruz was ridden by Cork native Shane Sweetnam, who is now based in the US.

The horse was reared in his earlier years by the Gannon sisters, Mary and Ann, from Whiterock, just outside Longford town.

In the team event, Ireland finished in seventh place. Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Kruz incurred five faults. Team anchor Cian O’Connor and his horse Maurice incurred nine faults. The other member of the Irish team, Austin O’Connor, turned in a faultless performance.

Sweetnam and the Longford bred horse competed in the final of the individual event on Tuesday, but failed to medal.

Speaking to the Leader, Mary explained the Gannon’s history with this superstar horse.

“We bought him as a foal of just a few months old. We bought him from Patrick Connolly in Tuam,” Mary stated.

“From the age of 5 until 8, he was trained by Francis Connors in Waterford. Francis is a former international rider and he did a lot of work with him. He is now about 11,” she added.

The Gannon sisters sold James Kann Cruz a few years ago and the rest, as they say, is history, or at least a memorable Paris Olympics.

Mary admits that “we could have sold him a million times” given the star quality he always possessed.

“He is a pure freak. He has brothers and sisters and they are good horses. However, he is a superstar,” she explained.

One of his sisters is currently with the Gannons, who have 40 horses at present.

Mary has naturally been following the progress of her former charge and she is proud to have played a part in this 100% Irish success story.

“It is fantastic for Ireland. James Kann Cruz was totally bred and produced in Ireland,” she stated.

Last winter, Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz won the Four Star Grand Prix in Lexington.

There is a strong connection to the best known of the Irish team, Cian O’Connor. O’Connor runs the Karlswood high performance centre. Working alongside O’Connor is Carrickedmond native Michael Kelly.

Kelly won a Leinster Minor medal with Longford in 2002. He joined the Army Equitation School and competed for many years.