Talk:Matthew Folan

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This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

I am Matthew (“Matt”) Folan, the subject of this biography, and I have a conflict of interest. I am not requesting to edit the article directly; I am requesting that an uninvolved editor consider adding the reliably sourced material below.

I am happy for editors to shorten or rephrase for neutrality; the key point is that each statement below is sourced.

Matthew “Matt” Folan (born 25 May 1942) is an Irish judoka, sports administrator, and businessman. He represented Ireland in the men’s heavyweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and the International Judo Federation lists him as placing fifth at the 1973 World Judo Championships in Lausanne.^[1][2]

 Done Fiske (talk) 21:54, 8 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

A newspaper profile described him as having completed a two-year radio officer course at Atlantic College, Dublin, and as having subsequently spent about a decade at sea as a radio officer in the Greek Merchant Navy, serving on passenger and cargo ships and tankers, before returning to Ireland.^[3]

Folan represented Ireland internationally in the early 1970s. He competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich in the heavyweight division.^[1][4] The International Judo Federation lists him as placing fifth at the 1973 World Judo Championships in Lausanne.^[2]

A 1974 Sunday World profile introduced him as a four-time Irish heavyweight judo champion, and described him (at the time) as the only Irishman to have obtained a black belt at the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan.^[5]

Folan was awarded 3rd dan by the Irish Judo Association in 1973.^[6]

Olympedia records that he later served as President of the Irish Judo Association.^[1]

An Irish printing trade-press profile described him as having subsequently trained the Irish Olympic squad for eight years, and as having served on the executive committee of the Olympic Council of Ireland.^[7]

Outside sport, he worked in the graphic design and printing sector. Olympedia notes that he was the owner of Gemini International Ltd.^[1] Public company information services record the company as incorporated in 1973 and later dissolved in 2018.^[8]

In the Irish printing trade-press profile, Folan is described as Managing Director of Gemini (Dublin), with the business based at Herbert Street, Dublin 2 and later relocating to Damastown, Dublin 15.^[7] Company filings show that he resigned as a director in 2008, about 35 years after incorporation.^[9]

Folan has also been active in Mensa in Ireland; Olympedia notes that he was an active member and later became president of Irish Mensa.^[1] A 1974 Sunday World profile reported that he won a national “Superbrain” competition linked to Mensa and received a trophy presented by the Irish Minister for Education, Richard Burke, at the Gresham Hotel, Dublin.^[5]

• I can provide scans of the newspaper/magazine clippings and CRO filings privately to any reviewing editor if needed.
• If the primary-source certificate references (3rd dan / CRO forms) are not acceptable, please feel free to omit those sentences and retain the parts supported by Olympedia/IJF/EJU/Vision-Net and the newspaper profiles.

Thank you for your time. MatthewFolan (talk) 17:39, 14 January 2026 (UTC)Reply

Note: I replaced each of the second-level headings in your post with a {{fake heading}} template, because using regular headings for showing page content within requests can cause technical issues (e.g. broken notifications). ―Tosca-the-engineer (talk) 01:38, 22 April 2026 (UTC)Reply

For an independent editor to verify the sources, the newspaper articles [3,5] need to be read. I haven't found these online. I advise against email correspondence, since neither you nor the editors should put an email address on this public webpage.

The Judo certificate [6] is not a usable source - Does the Irish Judo association have this listed somewhere?

Irish Printer [7] seems to be held by the National Library of Ireland, but it is not online.

The CRO form [9] also needs to be viewed. Is it contained in public records somewhere?

This passage is too much detail: "...with the business based at Herbert Street, Dublin 2 and later relocating to Damastown, Dublin 15."

The easiest way for us to proceed is to omit the material that cannot be verified. But I wonder whether the Judo Association may have some additional detail online? Fiske (talk) 13:53, 7 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

I have made the requested edit to the lede, including adding another source.

I have not done the other parts because I don't have access to the clippings and other print material. If these were to appear online somewhere, even as scans of the original clippings, I could read them and implement more of this request.

The newspaper coverage is especially important because would provide an independent secondary source to show notability. Fiske (talk) 22:02, 8 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. I understand that the remaining difficulty is access to the print sources rather than objection to the substance.

I have now located scans of the independent print sources referred to in my request, and I am narrowing the request accordingly. I am content to drop the detailed business-location wording and not to rely on the 3rd-dan certificate.

Would the following shorter additions be acceptable if supported by the inspectable scans:

• a short judo paragraph based on the Olympic Federation of Ireland page and existing sports sources;

• a short sentence noting that I won the Sunday World/Mensa “Superbrain” competition in 1974, with prize presented by Minister for Education Richard Burke;

• a short sentence noting that the Evening Press identified me in February 1975 as secretary of Mensa in Ireland;

• a short business sentence based on the Irish Printer article describing me as managing director of Gemini in Dublin and outlining the company’s printing/direct-mail work.

• I also have later Mensa material referring to me as a past president, though I appreciate that independent sources are preferable for a living-person biography.

If helpful, I can post a revised concise wording for just those points. MatthewFolan (talk) 11:47, 11 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

@MatthewFolan: - Yes, those additions, supported by newspaper articles and the current sources, should be fine. Fiske (talk) 13:59, 11 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. In that case, here is a concise revised wording limited to those points.

Proposed addition:

Folan began practising judo in Dublin in 1959 and later trained at the Kodokan in Tokyo, where he was awarded his Shodan black belt in 1967. He represented Ireland in the heavyweight and open events at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and his best international result was fifth place at the 1973 World Judo Championships in Lausanne.

In 1974, Folan won the Sunday World/Mensa “Superbrain” competition, and the prize was presented by Minister for Education Richard Burke at a reception in the Gresham Hotel, Dublin.

By February 1975, the Evening Press identified him as secretary of Mensa in Ireland.

An article in Irish Printer described him as managing director of Gemini in Dublin and outlined the company’s printing, direct-mail and secretarial-service activities.

Sources:

Olympic Federation of Ireland athlete page: https://olympics.ie/athlete/matthew-folan/

Judith Elmes, “Meet our Superbrain! ... and he’s a judo champ”, Sunday World, 24 February 1974 (scan in my possession and available to editors)

“Heady Stuff!”, Evening Press, 12 February 1975 (scan in my possession and available to editors)

“Enterprising printers go offset”, Irish Printer (scan in my possession and available to editors)

I appreciate that independent sources are preferable for the Mensa presidency material, so I am content to leave that out unless and until a stronger source is located. MatthewFolan (talk) 16:21, 11 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

As I mentioned before, I have to see the newspaper articles. If you can put the scans online someplace, I can review them. But I can't make these changes without seeing them.

Judith Elmes, “Meet our Superbrain! ... and he’s a judo champ”, Sunday World, 24 February 1974 (scan in my possession and available to editors)

“Heady Stuff!”, Evening Press, 12 February 1975 (scan in my possession and available to editors)

“Enterprising printers go offset”, Irish Printer (scan in my possession and available to editors) Fiske (talk) 19:03, 11 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. Understood regarding the need to inspect the newspaper and Irish Printer scans before any changes based on those sources can be made. I will arrange to make those scans viewable online.

Separately, I have noticed that Olympedia, which is already cited on the article, also states that Folan was later involved in coaching, was President of the Irish Judo Association, and was president of Irish Mensa. If useful, that may support a small amendment independent of the newspaper scans.

Possible wording:

He was later involved in coaching and was President of the Irish Judo Association. Olympedia also describes him as a businessman, owner of Gemini International Ltd, and president of Irish Mensa. MatthewFolan (talk) 08:17, 12 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

@MatthewFolan: I've made that addition. Please note that Olympedia is not as a very strong source. The news articles, if available to editors, would greatly support notability and likely enable fuller content. Fiske (talk) 17:54, 16 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. I appreciate the addition, and I understand the point regarding Olympedia.

I will now look into a way of making the newspaper and Irish Printer scans viewable for verification, and will revert if I can arrange that. If a limited-access, view-only online link would be acceptable for that purpose, please let me know. MatthewFolan (talk) 16:24, 17 May 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. I would like to request three small further amendments, supported by the current Team Ireland athlete page, with Olympedia also corroborating the Munich open event.

Proposed changes:

1. In the first paragraph, change:

“He represented Ireland in the men's heavyweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich”

to:

“He represented Ireland in the men's heavyweight and open events at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.”

2. Add:

“Before returning to Ireland in 1969, Folan worked as a radio officer with the Greek Merchant Navy from 1959 to 1969.”

3. In the second paragraph, change:

“After the Olympics, Folan was involved in coaching and served as president of the Irish Judo Association”

to:

“After the Olympics, Folan was involved in coaching, served as president of the Irish Judo Association, and became the first Irish international judo referee.”

Sources:

• Team Ireland athlete page: https://olympics.ie/athlete/matthew-folan/
• Olympedia athlete page: https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/33738

~2026-38705-20 (talk) 07:35, 8 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

I've made these additions. I do think that you should find someone, perhaps in Ireland, who can access the newspaper articles and provide those sources. From Wikipedia's perspective, the newspapers are more reliable than a website that does not describe an editorial process or name and author.

If you have additional requests, please start a new {{edit coi}} request, so that editors will see it. Fiske (talk) 17:47, 8 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you, Fiske. I may be misunderstanding, but it looks as though two of the three amendments in my 8 July request were made, while one remains outstanding.

If it was omitted intentionally, please ignore this note; but if not, could you also add the remaining sentence, which is supported by the current Team Ireland athlete page:

“Before returning to Ireland in 1969, Folan worked as a radio officer with the Greek Merchant Navy from 1959 to 1969.”

Source:

• Team Ireland athlete page: https://olympics.ie/athlete/matthew-folan/

I appreciate your note that any additional requests should be made through a new {{edit coi}} request; I mention this only because it formed part of the same three-point request already under discussion. MatthewFolan (talk) 19:49, 10 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered.

Thank you, Fiske. I may be misunderstanding, but it looks as though two of the three amendments in my 8 July request were made, while one remains outstanding.

If it was omitted intentionally, please ignore this note; but if not, could you also add the remaining sentence, which is supported by the current Team Ireland athlete page:

“Before returning to Ireland in 1969, Folan worked as a radio officer with the Greek Merchant Navy from 1959 to 1969.”

Source: Team Ireland athlete page, https://olympics.ie/athlete/matthew-folan/

I appreciate your note that any additional requests should be made through a new {{edit coi}} request; I mention this only because it formed part of the same three-point request already under discussion. MatthewFolan (talk) 16:05, 9 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

Yes, my mistake. Will look at this addition later. Fiske (talk) 19:45, 9 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

Done With edits to make chronology more apparent. Fiske (talk) 20:56, 10 July 2026 (UTC)Reply

Thank you. MatthewFolan (talk) 15:09, 20 July 2026 (UTC)Reply