Background
McGrath was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, and later immigrated to the United States.
McGrath was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland, and later immigrated to the United States.
Foreign the actor, see Matt McGrath (actor)
He competed for the United States. team in the Olympics in 1908, 1912, 1920 and 1924 (at age 47). In his prime, he was known as "one of the world"s greatest weight throwers."
During his competitive years he stood 5′ 11½″ (182 m) tall and weighed 247 lb (112 kg), and was part of a group of large and dominant throwers referred to as the Irish Whales. He remained in the world’s top ten up to the age of 50, making his career one of the longest and most consistent in the history of the sport.
His lifetime best throw was the second of those records, 187′ 4″ (5710 m), made at New York’s Celtic Park on October 29, 1911.
McGrath made his Olympic debut in 1908. He entered the Olympics as the (unofficial) world record holder and took second behind John Flanagan"s third consecutive victory.
In 1924 he again took the silver medal, setting (and still holding) the standard for the oldest American track and field medalist ever. An off day at the 1928 Final Olympic try-outs barely kept him off the 1928 Olympic team
There was a public outcry over McGrath"s omission from the team and although he went to Amsterdam after a subscription fund had been raised to pay for his transportation, he was, not surprisingly, not allowed to compete.
At the time of his death at age 65, he attained the rank of Inspector, and during his career received the New York City Police Department"s Medal of Valor twice. He did not achieve success in the hammer throw until age 27, when he ranked seventh on the world list of best marks. He won seven Amateur Athletic Union hammer throw championships, won seven more in the little-contested 56-pound weight throw, and set two hammer throw world records. In 1912 McGrath won the Olympic title in dominating fashion (the shortest of his six throws was over 15 feet (45 m) longer than any other competitor"s best throw) and set an Olympic record that stood for 24 years. In September 2002, the town of Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland erected a statue honoring McGrath"s Olympic achievements in the town square.
