Studs and Spikes: Denis Cussen – Ireland’s Fastest Man, written by Limerick man Des Ryan with the support of the subject’s nephew John, chronicles the sporting career of Denis Cussen of Newcastle West.
Fittingly, the publication was launched in his home town on the eve of the Six Nations Championship clash between Ireland and England, the corresponding fixture in which Cussen scored two tries a century ago (1926).
Dr Cussen blazed trails in athletics, rugby, and sports medicine.
Born in 1901, Denis was a force of nature.
Internationally, Cussen earned 15 caps for Ireland in rugby from 1921 to ‘27, contributing to two Irish Five Nations triumphs.
He also donned the famous Barbarians’ hoops three times in 1926 and 1927.
But his prowess extended far beyond the rugby pitch.
At the 1924 Tailteann (Athletics) Games, Cussen dazzled crowds.
In 1928, he became the first Irishman to break 10 seconds for 100 yards with a record-shattering 9.8 seconds, a record that stood for almost 60 years.
That same year, he represented Ireland at the Amsterdam Olympics.
After qualifying as a doctor in 1925, he relocated to London, and retired from sport a few years later.
His impact endured: A founding member of the British Association of Sport and Medicine and the British Institute of Sport, he served as chief medical officer for the British Olympic teams in 1956 and ‘60, and the English Commonwealth Games team in 1958.
“Denis Cussen embodied the grit and versatility of early 20th-century Ireland. In a time of partition and civil war, Cussen united communities through sport. Readers will sprint through his triumphs and reflect on how one man’s speed reshaped medicine and athletics,” said Des.
The book is available from O’Mahony’s Booksellers on O’Connell Street in Limerick City.