Monday, August 13, 2012


On a local website the question was asked, "Is Luke Campbell's the first Olympic gold to come to Hull?" Not being a member I couldn't comment on the query, so I'll write something here. You never know, once it's out there some interested person might find it.
It has been mentioned (often) that Luke's is the first medal for Britain at bantamweight since London 1908. Well that same year was the one that saw a Hull resident win Olympic gold.
Con O'Kelly, born in Ireland but serving in the Hull Police Fire Brigade, won gold wrestling at freestyle heavyweight. Natives of Ireland were officially British at that time, so there was no Irish squad, and Con's medal was a British win. 'Big Con' as he was known, was the father of Young Con O'Kelly, an Olympian at the 1924 games in Paris. He boxed at heavyweight but didn't progress. Con turned pro that same year and boxed until 1938, after which he entered the priesthood (now there's a turn-up!).

I'd like to give an honorary mention here to Roger Tighe, not an Olympic champion but a gold medallist at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, boxing at light heavyweight. Roger went to my old school, as, incidentally, did Young Con O'Kelly.

The photograph was lifted from wikipedia, where (I've just learned) Big Con has an entry. Full details of the careers of the O'Kellys, father and son, are recorded along with many photographs, in the book "The Fighting O'Kellys" by Michael E. Ulyatt (Hutton Press, 1991).

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