(Photo: Anthony Goode, noted high jumper.)
Although not-widely remembered today, Ballinasloe was the home of a family of stellar athletes who dominated Irish cycling and athletics in the 1920’s and 30’s. The five boys of the Goode family held over 20 Irish titles and over 100 Connacht titles between them, while their sister was also a champion cyclist. One brother alone, Tom, won over 70 of those Connacht titles, and the family were so prolific that they were actually registered as their own sports club, The Goode Cycling and Athletics Club. The second youngest- boy, Anthony, was a renowned high-jumper.
He was born in 1910 to William Goode and Bridget Reilly of Moher, and first came to national attention when he jumped over 5ft 9” (1.75m) in the 1928 Youth Championships of the Tailteann Cup, despite being only 5ft 7” (1.70m) in height. His remarkable jump also beat the World Champion, Harold Osborne of America, into second place. Harold was so impressed by Tony’s performance that he became Tony’s coach, demonstrating his own jumping techniques.
The additional help paid off, as Tony jumped over 6ft 3” (1.9m) at a subsequent meeting in Co Cork. The feat prompted one journalist to describe him as “possibly Ireland’s greatest high jumper”, on the basis that he must be the only athlete in the country able to jump so far above his own height.
Tony also won the Irish School’s Athletics Championships on 1930. Unfortunately, his high jump career ended prematurely after a riding accident resulted in permanent damage to one of his ankles. Following his retirement from athletics, he took up hockey, golf and rugby, and excelled in all three sports.
Like so many people at that time, the Goodes had a family farm and Tony worked on it. However, the family also had a sandpit, and Tony used to drive one of the lorries. He married Mary Phelan in the late thirties and they had two children, Antoinette and Elizabeth.
He died at only 42 and was buried with his parents in Creagh cemetery. However, the location of his grave was unknown for many years and only found recently. The headstone was illegible, with inscriptions dating back to the 1700’s and the family have now erected a new headstone. They would like to thank Evelyn Donnellan of the Ballinasloe District and Heritage Society for help in locating the grave..
(Photo: Anthony’s daughter, Tone Goode, with her son David, at Anthony’s grave.)
