George Dockrell (swimmer)

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George Dockrell
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born(1886-10-22)22 October 1886
Rathdown, County Dublin
Died23 December 1924(1924-12-23) (aged 38)
Richmond, London, England
Sport
SportSwimming

George Dockrell (22 October 1886 – 23 December 1924) was an Olympic swimmer, best known for competing at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 metre freestyle event for Great Britain.[1] He had a lengthy swimming, and military career, until his death in 1924.[2][3]

Early and family life[]

Trinity College Dublin

He was born William Robert to Maurice Edward Dockrell and Margaret Dockrell on 22 October 1886 in Dublin, Ireland but he was later baptised George Shannon Dockrell.[1][4] He came from a prominent political family in Dublin. Sir Maurice Edward Dockrell was a Unionist Politician and was one of the few members who took his seat in the British House of Commons after the 1918 Irish General Election.[5][6] His mother, Lady Margaret Dockrell (née Shannon) was a suffragette, who actively campaigned for women's rights, and was a member of Dublin City Council.[7][8] They were married in 1875 and eventually both his parents worked in the family business of Thomas Dockrell, Sons and Co. Ltd.[9][7][6]

Growing up he lived Blackrock, Co. Dublin with six siblings, a sister named Anna and five brothers Thomas, Kenneth, Maurice, Henry and James.[10][11][12] His family was raised Protestant, within the Church of Ireland.[12][9] His family was also heavily involved in the Dublin Swimming Club, where George won 21 out of the 38 titles won by the Dockrell family.[13][14] Dockrell spent his school years, from 1899 to 1903 in Trent College, Nottingham where he excelled at swimming.[2][15] In 1904 he sailed from Liverpool to New York aboard the ship Celtic under the name Geo. S Dockrell.[16][17] He lived in America for two years where he was inspired by the technique of American Olympic swimmer, C.M. Daniels.[2][18] Upon his return to Ireland he received his education at Trinity College Dublin.[2][19]

Several of Dockrell's siblings went to work alongside their parents at Thomas Dockrell, Sons and Co. Ltd.[7][6] While his brother Henry became a Fine Gael T.D.[20][21] Meanwhile, Dockrell became more actively involved in his own swimming career. His niece, Marguerite Dockrell, and nephew, Hayes Dockrell, also went on to compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.[19][22][23] Like Dockrell, his niece competed in swimming, while his nephew took part in the water polo section.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "George Dockrell Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "A NOTABLE SWIMMER: MAJOR GEORGE S. DOCKRELL". The Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. 27 December 1927. ProQuest 520712390.
  3. ^ "George Dockrell". Olympedia. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Civil Records" (PDF). Irish Genealogy. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Sir Maurice Dockrell". HANSARD. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "DEATH OF SIR MAURICE DOCKRELL". Weekly Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. ProQuest 522203331.
  7. ^ a b c "DEATH OF LADY DOCKRELL". Weekly Irish Times. Dublin, Ireland. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  8. ^ Yeates, Padraig. "The war against the War". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Church Records". Irish Genealogy. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Civil Records: Births 1884" (PDF). Irish Genealogy. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Civil Records: Births 1878" (PDF). Irish Genealogy. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Belgrave Rd., Blackrock". Census 1901. National archives. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Dublin Sport Exhibition". Census. National archives. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  14. ^ "The Liffey Swim 1980s" (PDF). Leinster Open Sea. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Swimming". The Trident. Trent College Nottingham. July 1903.
  16. ^ "Passenger Lists". Liberty Ellis Foundation. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  17. ^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists: Ellis Island". Family Search. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Dockrell, George Shannon". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Trinity Olympians Profiles". Trinity College Dublin. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Henry Dockrell". electionsireland.org. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Henry Morgan Dockrell". www.oireachtas.ie. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Marguerite Dockrell". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Hayes Dockrell". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
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