An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir November & December Issue 2021

An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.

Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/1439028

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24 SEAN EGAN The 1980 Olympic symbol for the games in Moscow SEAN EGAN Growing up in Ireland during the early 1970s, Sean Egan dreamed of being a rock star. He joined the Army instead. However, the brawny redhead would eventually perform in front of large crowds worldwide, competing as an elite hammer thrower. John ('Sean') Egan was born on 18 October 1956 in Dublin to James Egan and Claire (nee Burke). His father, a native of County Kilkenny, served in the Irish Army for 21 years 271 days before retiring in 1973 as a Company Quartermaster- Sergeant. Sean attended Curragh Boys National School, and also Templetuohy National School when CQMS Egan was stationed in Cyprus with the United Nations. After returning to the Curragh for secondary school, Egan formed a three-piece band with classmates Jim Sullivan and Niall Powers (a drummer who later went on to play By Christopher Warner Photos provided by Christopher Warner with Bob Geldof). With Egan on bass and Sullivan on guitar, the trio called themselves «Broken Cobweb» and hoped to follow in the footsteps of other burgeoning Irish acts at the time like Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy. But one afternoon in McDermott Quarters, Egan's chance encounter with an odd- looking stranger would change everything. «This fella used to walk past every so often with a Mohican- style haircut,» Egan recently told An Cosantoir. «I was curious who he was, so I followed him one day into the gymnasium and saw that he was dragging these things around. I didn't know it at the time, but they were hammers.» The athlete turned out to be Terry Gent, the 1972 national champion, who Sean is photographed here practicing his technique in the hammer throw event A picture of Sean Egan in a newspaper, at a competition separate to the Olympics

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