From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, MBE (30 July 1914 – 25 April 1999) was an Irish journalist, author,^[1], ^[2],^[3] sports official, the sixth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He succeeded his uncle Martin Henry FitzPatrick Morris, 2nd Baron Killanin as Baron Killanin in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1927.

Lord Killanin was born in London, son of Lieut-Col. the Hon. George Morris and Dora Wesley Hall. His father was killed in action near Villers-Cotterêts, France, on 1 September 1914 whilst commanding the Irish Guards. He was a member of one of the fourteen families making up the Tribes of Galway. He was educated at Eton College, the Sorbonne in Paris and then Magdalene College, Cambridge where he was President of renowned Footlights dramatic club. In the mid 1930s, he began his career as a journalist, working for the Daily Express the Daily Sketch and subsequently the Daily Mail. In 1937-1938, he was war correspondent during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

He served in World War II as a volunteer with the 12th (Queen's Westminsters) Battalion a territorial unit of the British Army where he was responsible for recruiting fellow journalists, and friends who were musicians and actors. He reached the rank of Major and took part in the planning of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in 1944, acting as Brigade Major for the 30th Armoured Brigade, part of the 79th Armoured Division, receiving by the course of operations the Order of the British Empire. After being demobilized, he returned to Ireland.

In 1950, he became the head of the Olympic Council of Ireland, and became his country's representative in the IOC in 1952. He climbed up to senior vice-president in 1968, and succedded Avery Brundage to the presidency of the IOC following the Munich Olympics of 1972, which were overshadowed by the Munich Massacre.

During his presidency, the Olympic movement experienced a difficult period, dealing with the financial flop of the 1976 Montréal Olympics and the boycotts of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Seen from IOC's point of interest, worse decisions were taken. The cities of Lake Placid, New York and Los Angeles were 'chosen' for 1980 winter and 1984 summer games without any competing cities, resulting in a demanding position of the IOC - instead of a claiming one. He resigned after the Moscow Olympics in 1980, and his position was taken over by Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Lord Killanin was also a director of many companies and dabbled in the film industry, collaborating with his lifelong friend, John Ford, on "The Quiet Man". He also produced films, including The Playboy of the Western World and The Rising of the Moon.

He served as Honorary Consul-General of Monaco in Ireland from 1961 to 1984.

He died at his home in Dublin aged 84 and, following a bilingual funeral Mass at St Enda's Spiddal, County Galway, he was buried in the family vault in the New Cemetery, Galway.

1. ^ Killanin, Lord (1983). My Olympic Years, autobiography. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-688-02209-X. 
2. ^ Killanin, Lord (1988). Olympic Games 1988. Penguin Group. ISBN 0-7181-2391-3. 
3. ^ Killanin, Lord; Duignan, Michael V (1989). Shell Guide to Ireland. Gill & Macmillan. ISBN 0-7171-1595-X.