Orphaned at a young age, Irene MacDonald took up diving at the Hamilton Aquatics Club and, in 1951, earned her first Canadian national title in the 3 metre springboard, having dropped competitive swimming only a year before. She would win that crown nine more times between then and 1961, missing it only once in 1953. Along the way she was selected for numerous international tournaments, beginning with the 1952 Summer Olympics, although she was unable to attend due to a lack of funding. She did make an appearance at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, however, where she took the bronze medal in the 3 m, behind Ann Long of England and Barbara MacAulay of Australia. After coming in fourth at the 1955 Pan American Games, she went on to compete at the 1956 Summer Olympics, where she captured bronze in the same event, preventing American Barbara Gilders from helping her nation make a clean sweep on the podium with Pat McCormick and Jeanne Stunyo. It was Canada’s first Olympic diving medal and its last for 28 years; the country would have to wait for Sylvie Bernier in 1984 to get another.
MacDonald’s last major international medal came at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where she won silver in the 3 m behind England’s Charmain Welsh. After a fourth-place finish in both the springboard and platform competitions at the 1959 Pan American Games, she placed sixth and ninth in those events respectively at the 1960 Summer Olympics. A detached retina caused her to retire after the 1961 Canadian Championships, but she remained active in the sport as a coach, administrator, and color commentator. For her contributions to diving, she was made a member of the Order of British Columbia in 1991 and has been inducted into the British Columba Sports (1972), Canadian Olympic (1976), and Canada’s Sports (1981) Halls of Fame.
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