Northern Ireland at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
| Northern Ireland at the 1978 Commonwealth Games | |
|---|---|
| CGF code | NIR |
| CGA | Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council |
| Website | nicgc |
| in Edmonton, Canada | |
| Flag bearers | Opening: Michael Dunlop[1] Closing: |
| Medals Ranked 10th |
|
| Commonwealth Games appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| Ireland (1930) | |
Northern Ireland competed at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978.[2]
Northern Ireland finished 10th in the medal table with two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals.[3]
The Northern Irish team was named on 13 June 1978 and consisted of 57 athletes and 10 officials. The Northern Ireland Sports Council and Recreation Trust helped with the £47,000 costs.[4]
Medalists
Gold
Silver
- Ken Beattie (boxing)
Bronze
- Hugh Russell (boxing)
- Ivan Weir (wrestling)
Team
Officials
- Dick McColgan - General team amanager
- Billy Stewart - Assistant team manager
- Robin Harland - Doctor
- Tom Welsh - Athletics manager
- Winston Wilkinson - Badminton manager
- Bob Thompson - Lawn bowls manager
- Gerry Storey - Boxing manager
- Morris Foster - Cycling manager
- Joan Owens - Shooting manager
- Con O'Callaghan - Swimming manager
Athletics
Men
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clive Beattie | 400m, 400m hurdles | ||
| Mike Bull | pole vault, decathlon | ||
| Martin Girvan | hammer | ||
| Greg Patrick Hannon | marathon | ||
| William Kirkpatrick | long jump | ||
| Paul Lawther | 1500m, 5000m | ||
| James Henry McGuinness | 800m, 1500m | ||
| John McLaughlin | marathon |
Women
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vicky Hancox | 100, 100m hurdles | ||
| Linda McCurry | 100, 200, 400m | ||
| Wendy Grace Phillips | high jump, pentathlon | ||
| Pam Reece | 800m, 1500m | ||
| Adrienne Smyth | 400m, 800m |
Badminton
Men
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frazer Evans | singles, doubles, mixed, team | St. Polycarp BC | |
| John Scott | singles, doubles, mixed, team | Alpha BC, Lisburn | |
| Bill Thompson | singles, doubles, mixed, team | Alpha BC, Lisburn | |
| Winston Wilkinson | doubles | Ballymacarrett BC |
Women
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbara Beckett | singles, doubles, mixed, team | Alpha BC, Lisburn | |
| Dorothy Cunningham | singles, doubles, mixed, team | St. Jude's BC | |
| Diane Underwood | singles, mixed, team | Lea Village BC |
Boxing
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Beattie | 67kg welterweight | ||
| Jim Carson | -48kg light-flyweight | ||
| Gerry Hamill | 60kg lightweight | ||
| Tony McAvoy | 71kg light-middleweight | ||
| Barry McGuigan | 54kg bantamweight | ||
| Hugh Russell | 51kg flyweight | ||
| Kenny Webb | 57kg featherweight |
Cycling
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archie Cunningham | road race | Ards | |
| Tom Greene | scratch, time trial, indiv & team pursuit | Cyprus CC | |
| Billy Kerr | road race, pursuit | Ballymena | |
| Len Kirk | road race, indiv & team pursuit, time trial | Ards | |
| Padraig Shearer | scratch, time trial, sprint, team pursuit | Phoenix CC | |
| Joe Smyth | road race, team pursuit | British Columbia |
Lawn bowls
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Donnelly | fours/rinks | Falls BC | |
| Michael Dunlop | fours/rinks | Ormeau BC | |
| Stan Espie | singles | Falls BC | |
| John Higgins | pairs | York Road Civil Defence BC | |
| Brendan McBrien | pairs | Falls BC | |
| Willie Murray | fours/rinks | Portrush BC | |
| Willie Watson | fours/rinks | Knock BC |
Shooting
| Athlete | Events | Medals |
|---|---|---|
| George Bailie | 50m rifle prone | |
| David Calvert | Full bore rifle Queens prize pair | |
| Martin Farnan | Full bore rifle Queens prize pair | |
| Tom Hewitt | clay pigeon trap | |
| George Mace | 50m rifle prone | |
| Ken Stanford | 50m free pistol, 25m rapid-fire pistol | |
| Trevor West | skeet |
Swimming
Men
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Stanley Corry | 100, 200m breaststroke, 200m medley, relay | ||
| Rob Howard | 100m backstroke, relay | ||
| Simon Henry Magowan | 100, 200m backstroke, relay | ||
| Michael John Meharg | 400, 1500m freestyle, relay |
Women
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Katharine Law | 100, 200m butterfly, 100m freestyle, relay | ||
| Claire Louise Logan | 100, 200m breaststroke, relay | ||
| Julie Parkes | 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle, relay | ||
| Catherine Janet Scott | 100, 200m freestyle, relay |
Weightlifting
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bruce Bamford | 82.5kg light-heavyweight | ||
| Laurence McConnell | 90kg middle-heavyweight |
Wrestling
| Athlete | Events | Club | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivan Weir | 82kg middleweight |
References
- ^ "Michael is our lead". Ireland's Saturday Night. 29 July 1978. p. 12. Retrieved 3 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Edmonton 1978". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Medal Standings Edmonton 1978". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ "Julie (13) for Games". Belfast Telegraph. 13 June 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 19 December 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Seven Up!". Ireland's Saturday Night. 10 June 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 3 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.