James Parke was one of Ireland’s best allround sportsmen. He was first selected for the Irish national rugby team while still a student at Trinity College. Eventually he won 20 caps as a centre between 1903 and 1909, scoring 36 points including 2 tries, with a record 5 penalties in one of them. Parke then quit rugby and switched his attention to tennis. At that point, he had already won an Olympic silver medal (in the doubles) as well as a few Irish Championships. He developed into one of the best players in the world - ranked 4th in the 1920 ranking by The Daily Telegraph. He won the Australian Open singles and doubles titles in 1912, and the doubles at Wimbledon two years later. He played 20 times for the British Davis Cup team, winning the Cup against Australasia after a crucial win by Parkes over top player Norman Brookes. Parke, who always pinned a shamrock to his shirt when playing again stood in the Davis Cup final the following year, winning both his singles matches while his team lost the tie. Besides his activities in rugby and tennis, Parke also excelled in cricket and golf (representing Ireland), and was a decent sprinter on the track.
Great Britain
Ireland