Remembering the legendary Bansha man who came fourth in the 1904 Olympic Games

Born in 1878 in Cappauniac, Bansha, county Tipperary, Jack Holloway was the eldest son of Maurice Holloway and Grace (O’Neill). His father was a native of Cappauniac, and his mother was a native of Dromomarka, near Rossadrehid, Glen of Aherlow. They got married in Bansha Church on 6th of March, 1878.

He attended Tankerstown National School. An all-round performer he competed mainly in the jumps, hurdles and his speciality event the pole vault, in which he won two GAA All Ireland championship titles; in the pole vault in 1897 at Tipperary town and in 1899 at Midleton, County Cork. He also came second in the high jump at the 1897 athletics championships to County Limerick athlete Paddy Leahy.

In GAA Munster championship events he won the triple jump title in 1899 at Clogheen, and the pole vault title in 1902 at Dungarvan. The other sport Jack Holloway played was Gaelic football and he was a member of the Arravale Rovers team that won the county championship in 1899. Among others on that team were Willie Ryan, Davy Quane, and Mike and Jack Ryan, the international rugby players from Cashel. At around this time Jack Holloway's uncle bought a farm in Madamsland, Fethard, and he went to live with him and help him on the farm. Jack quickly got on the local Fethard Blues Gaelic football team and became their captain. On 22 May 1904 he departed Queenstown (Cobh) on the RMS Lucania for America.

There he joined the Greater New York Irish Athletic Association and competed in the 1904 Olympic Games held in St Louis, Missouri. He participated in the all-round championship event, now known as the decathlon. All ten events were held on the one day and Jack finished in fourth place. After the Olympics, Jack Holloway decided to remain in St Louis, where he got a job in the life insurance business, and joined up with the local Missouri Athletic Club.

In 1918 he joined the US Army and when he left in 1920 he returned to life insurance in Topeka, Kansas. Jack Holloway died on 15th of October 1950 in Topeka, aged seventy-one, and is interred in Mount Calvary Cemetery, Topeka. Jack Holloway along with Tom Kiely and James Mitchel, all had the distinction of competing in the 1904 Olympic Games, and were the first Tipperary born athletes to compete in the Olympics.

Jack's brother Bob, was also a noted athlete as was his brother Jim, who won two Irish titles in the three standing jumps in 1911/1912. Jim was also a former President of the Tipperary Association in Dublin and was very involved in Muintir na Tíre projects in Bansha, including being Managing Director of the Bansha Jam Factory.

The Holloway family connection continued in the parish when Fr Jim Holloway who appointed as curate to Bansha/Kilmoyler in 1980, and remained there until 1988. He passed away on Christmas Eve 2012. Jack Holloway, Irish Athlete and Olympian, is featured in my book Tipperary People of Great Note.