INFLUENCE

In the museum a powerful collage depicts famous members of the Irish diaspora –sportspeople, politicians, diplomats, stars of stage and screen, musicians, dancers and writers.

Irish people have excelled in sport worldwide, and a love of sport is perceived to be a quintessentially Irish attribute. Little is more powerful than sport in building community and helping newcomers feel at home.

Participating enthusiastically in a local sport, supporting a team, playing for a team – these are all tried and tested paths to integrating in a new community. Sport has acted as a means of assimilation and integration for Irish emigrants, as well as a way of achieving fame and success.

Irish talent is evident in a wide range of sports. Did you know that baseball in America had an ‘Emerald Era’? Or that the history of pugilism is interlinked with the Irish diaspora? One key sporting ‘game changer’ was Sarah ‘Fanny’ Durack.

SARAH ‘FANNY’ DURACK (1889–1956)

Sarah ‘Fanny’ Durack, daughter of Irish emigrants, was Australia’s first female Olympic gold medallist. Fanny came to prominence when the sport of swimming in Australia was segregated by gender, and her successes led to the repeal of some of the more restrictive rules previously in place. In

1906, she won her first state title, and was noted to be particularly excellent at the breast stroke, trudgen stroke and, later, the Australian crawl. She set a new world record for the 100-metre freestyle at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, the first of 12 she would break over the next six years.