The Rome correspondent of the ["]Daily Mail,["] telegraphing on Wednesday, says: - The great athletic meeting at the Vatican opened to-day. There are about 2,500 competitors in all, representing England, Ireland, France, Italy, Belgium, and other countries. The sports took place in the great Belvedere Courtyard. The Pope, who cause the meeting to be organised in order to demonstrate his interest in the Roman Catholic youth of the world, will distribute the prizes on Saturday. The competitions to-day were the long and high jumps, rope climbing, and an obstacle race. The day was a triumph for Irish athletes. Patrick Burke, of Dublin, was first in the high jump, with 5 feet 10 1/2 inches. Brennan, another Irishman, won the long jump, with 17 feet 10 1/2 inches, and William Carroll, again an Irishman, was victorious in the rope climbing, ascending the rope in eleven seconds. The obstacle race was awarded to Patrick Burke.
The Irish Times,
September 24th, 1908.