Oldest Irish Olympian George Carpenter dies at 96

IRELAND'S longest-surviving Olympian, George Carpenter, died at the weekend, aged 96.

Mr Carpenter represented Ireland in fencing in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland and in 1950 in Rome.

He was the oldest competitor in the games, in itself a mark of distinction.

Last year he was honoured as Ireland's longest-living Olympian and in 2003 he and his wife Joan celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Mr Carpenter was a native of Adrigole, west Cork, while Joan, who survives him, is a Limerick woman.

He spent much of his life in Glenbrook, where he was proprietor of the once very well-known Club Hotel. He later moved to Glandore, west Cork, before finishing out his days in Kinsale, Co Cork.

He is survived by his son Bob, one-time owner of the Overdraft bar and restaurant in Tracton in Co Cork, and by his three daughters Yvonne, Avril and Frieda, wife of Fergus Finlay, chief executive of children's charity Barnardos.

Had Mr Carpenter survived, he and Joan would have celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary next month.

Funeral arrangements are to be announced today.