Second Austerity Olympic Games

The people of London host the Summer Olympic Games once again this year.

They previously welcomed the games in 1908 and 1948.

In 1908, the sun never set on the British Empire. By 1948, it was in decline. Parliament introduced the old age pension in 1908. Britain was firmly committed to the ideology of a welfare state by 1948.

Irish people could not represent an independent Ireland in 1908. Ireland competed in the 1948 games, but a bitter split between rival governing bodies in Irish athletics excluded too many good athletes.

The censuses of 1946 and 1956 recorded nett migration totalling 316,331 people. Most of them emigrated to Britain, to rebuild it in the harsh post-war economic climate. They sent home a steady flow of money to feed and clothe their families.

For many years, those remittances were an important component of Ireland’s balance of payments. As the song says, our best exports were our people and we exported the best of them.

The 1948 Olympics earned the title of “the Austerity Games”. We might well call the 2012 Olympics the “Second Austerity Games”.

When times get tough, great sporting occasions lift all our spirits.

The Olympic ideal of strict amateurism may be long gone, but our athletes fully deserve every euro they earn. Let us wish them the best of success in the true spirit of sport.

Michael Mernagh

Raheens

Carrigaline

Co Cork