In a Spin: Bill Britton ‘Champion Hammer Thrower’

STANDING at six feet one inches, Bill Britton, the Irish hammer throw champion, was in 1928 appointed manager of the Cavan town branch of the Munster and Leinster Bank (AIB). During his tenure in Cavan, Bill represented Cavan Athletics Club, displaying his far-reaching skills at events across the county and abroad, his prowess winning national and international acclaim. I would like to say thank you to John McDermott, County Cavan Athletics, who provided me with the following information.

Versatile

William ‘Bill’ Britton was born in Mullinhone, Co Tipperary, around 1888. Having finished school Bill joined the staff of the Munster and Leinster Bank, at first working in Waterford. Britton’s sporting career had begun by competing in two cycle races in 1910 at Tallow, Co Waterford, coming fourth, conceding to a handicap of five minutes against thirteen competitors. The second, over a twelve-mile distance involved the same competitors from the previous race. But as John McDermott pointed out, Britton ‘brought home the bacon’.

Two years later, versatility came into play, Britton trying out for the long jump, first at Midleton, ‘a novice who jumped 19 feet 7 inches’ from a grass take off. Over three evenings, Britton won the long jump at Cork City Sports, bettering his Midleton performance by an inch.

In 1914, he won the high jump and long jump at Enniscorthy; jumping a height of five feet six inches, and in the long jump, 21 feet four and a half inches. In 1916, at the championships in Mallow, Britton competing for Cahirciveen came sixth in the high jump and seventh in the long jump.

The venue for the games in 1919 was Limerick. Britton now living in Kilmallock, Co Limerick, was working in the local branch of the bank, when a customer one day suggested that Britton should try the hammer throw. He arrived to the customers farm where he began to practise his throw. That year at the championships, Britton took second in the long jump, third in the shot putt and won the sixteen pound hammer at a throw of 138 feet and eight inches.

Britton then transferred to the bank in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, competing during the year on the Ballinamore team.

The 1923 GAA All Ireland athletics held in Croke Park, saw him with a hammer throw of 150 feet 7 inches, coming in second place, with an equally strong show in the shot putt and long jump. From 1925, the hammer became Britton’s only category in major competitions. The following year he represented Ireland in an ‘athletics match with England and Scotland’.

Cavan Athletics

Bill moved to the Cavan branch of the Munster and Leinster Bank in 1928, becoming the town’s local bank manager.

A newspaper account called Britton a ‘strapping banker’ at ‘six feet one inches in height, broad shouldered and muscular, this beautifully developed specimen of manhood is usually the centre of eyes wherever he appears in all black costume that suits him so well. He has a striking good-looking face too -his clean chiselled features are crowned by a mass of dark curly hair.’

Bill got straight into the local sports scene in Cavan, joining the Cavan Athletics Club, and taking part in Ballyconnell Sports in August 1928 with a hammer throw of 161 feet four inches, returning to the high jump, at six feet three inches in second place. At Virginia Sports day, Britton’s hammer throw was 160 feet four inches, coming second in the 16-pound shot covering a length of 36 feet one inches and winning 56 pounds over the bar with 12 feet and eight inches.

In September 1929, Monaghan Garda Division had a capacity crowd at their meeting held in Breffni Park, Cavan. Many were surprised by the ‘one-hundred-yard sprint’ win by Bill Britton in a competition confined to Cavan and Monaghan. John McDermott noted that he got away with the pistol and sprinting in fine style won by about four yards.

Listed as a member of Cavan AC in 1930, Bill Britton represented Ireland at the first British Empire Games (forerunner of the Commonwealth games) held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In the hammer throw, he mustered all his strength, throwing the hammer 153 feet, 10 inches to land himself a silver medal, the only medal won by the Irish team at the games. Added to that, this was the only time that an Irish team took part in the Empire games leaving Bill Britton to have been the only ever Irish medal winner. Britton returned to Ireland and Cavan with international recognition for his sporting ability.

Other than taking part in internationals, he also competed and became the Ulster Champion hammer thrower from 1928 after moving to Cavan. At the Ulster Athletic Championships in the Oval Grounds, Belfast, Britton took first place with a throw of 162 feet 9.5 inches, as John McDermott pointed out, only lay five foot 4.5 inches behind the world-famous Matt McGrath, adding that, ‘he competed at a top level for a total of thirty years, setting the Ulster hammer record when he was over forty years of age.’ It is also believed that Bill Britton was either chairman or president of Cavan County Athletics, but the minute books for the period can not be found.

Mr Pratt’s fat sheep

TheTimes noted on August 17, 1790, that Mr Pratt, of Kingscourt, Co Cavan, (a distant relative of Lord Camden), is well-known for keeping the best breed of sheep in Ireland, has had an unfortunate visit by some sheep thieves one night. The next morning he found the following poetic lines upon the gate into the sheep-walk:

Mr. Pratt,

Your sheep are fat,

You may thank your own good grass for that,

Out of three score and eleven,

We have left you seven,

And you may thank us for that!