Jack Holloway

Jack Holloway was born in Ireland and as a youngster moved to Fethard, Co.Tiperary at the turn of the century to work on his uncle’s farm. He joined the local Fethard Blues Gaelic football team and soon became their captain. While in Ireland he competed in several all-around championships, while specializing in the pole vault. He won two Gaelic Athletic Association All-Ireland pole vault titles, at Tipperary in 1897 and Corkstown, Co. Cork in 1899. He competed in the Irish all-around championship in 1898, but did not finish. He also set the Irish hop-step-and-jump record with 47-5 (14.45) in 1899. Holloway’s brother Jim also won GAA titles in the standing jumps.

In 1904 Jack Holloway emigrated to the United States and joined the Greater New York Irish-American Athletic Association (GNYIAAA). Although an Irish national (and hence formally British at the time), he is considered a US athlete in 1904 because of that affiliation. He came fourth in the all-around competition at the St. Louis Olympics, which was won by fellow Irishman Tom Kiely. After the Olympics, Holloway settled near St. Louis, got a job in the life insurance business and joined the Missouri AC. He lived the rest of his life in the midwestern United States. Holloway joined the US Army in 1918 and served with the Army and Athletic Welfare Service. He left the Army in 1920 and opened a night school for ex-servicemen in Topeka, Kansas. He was director of the school for five years before returning to the life insurance business. A granddaughter of Holloway’s, Kitty Sullivan, was a well-known Irish actress and was the second wife of the distinguished Irish actor Milo O’Shea.