Limerick sporting legend Denis Cussen celebrated in new book ‘Studs and Spikes’

Studs and Spikes: Denis Cussen – Ireland’s Fastest Man set for February 2026 launch, celebrating a forgotten sporting legend

In an era when Irish sports heroes like Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley or Rhasidat Adeleke dominate our headlines, the story of Denis John Cussen, a Limerick-born doctor who blazed trails in rugby, athletics, and sports medicine – remains one of the nation’s best-kept secrets.

Author Des Ryan is thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Studs and Spikes: Denis Cussen – Ireland’s Fastest Man, a comprehensive study of Cussen’s career, written with the support of Cussen’s nephew John Cussen and featuring many never seen photos and archival material.

The book resurrects the life of this extraordinary athlete, Olympian, and medical pioneer who achieved outstanding success on the sports field against the backdrop of World War 1, the War of Independence and the Civil War.

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The book launches on February 14, 2026, which marks the centenary of one of the many highlights of Cussen’s career – he scored two tries at Lansdowne Road against England in the 1926 Five Nations. Featuring a foreword written by Bernard Jackman, the book offers fans, historians and sports enthusiasts a chance to discover and honour Cussen’s legacy.

Bernard Jackman said, “This brilliant book, painstakingly brought to life using the family records kept by his mother, honours a man who was an outstanding international rugby player, Ireland’s fastest man, an Olympian, and a medical pioneer.

“Denis Cussen’s story is a profound reminder of the breadth of athletic and professional achievement possible in one lifetime, connecting the golden age of Irish amateur sport with the dawn of modern scientific sports medicine.

“I commend this book entirely, it is a great addition to the library of Irish sporting history, and it restores Denis Cussen to the prominence his, almost forgotten, career deserves.”

Born in 1901 in Newcastle West, County Limerick, Cussen was a force of nature. At Blackrock College, he captained the team to three Leinster Schools Senior Cup victories, and he led Leinster Schools to interprovincial glory.

Transitioning to Trinity College Dublin for where he studied medicine, Cussen starred for DUFC, securing two Leinster Senior Cups and the Bateman Cup in 1926.

Internationally, Cussen earned 15 caps for Ireland from 1921–1927, scoring five tries and contributing to two Irish Five Nations triumphs. In 1923, as one of just six Irish players, he turned out for the combined Ireland and Scotland team that played a combined England and Wales team in the Rugby School centenary match.

He also donned the famous Barbarians’ hoops three times in 1926 and 1927. But Cussen’s prowess extended far beyond the rugby pitch. A track and field sensation, he claimed four Irish 100-yard sprint titles, plus national championships in long jump, shot put, and discus. At the 1924 Tailteann Games, he dazzled crowds; in 1928, he became the first Irishman to break 10 seconds for 100 yards with a record-shattering 9.8 seconds – a mark that equalled the then world record on grass and which endured as the Irish record for nearly 60 years.

That same year, he represented Ireland at the Amsterdam Olympics and shortly after, he competed again at the Tailteann Games.

On both the rugby field and the track he competed against the men made famous by the movie Chariots of Fire. Eric Liddell, Harold Abrahams and Arthur Porritt were both friends and competitors.

After qualifying as a doctor in 1925, Cussen relocated to London, playing first for Blackheath RFC with whom he played in the very first game of Rugby 7s to be played at Twickenham, and then with St. Mary’s Hospital RFC where he worked. Cussen retired from competition in 1931.

His impact endured: A founding member of the British Association of Sport and Medicine (BASM, now BASEM) and the British Institute of Sport, he served as Chief Medical Officer for the British Olympic teams in 1956 and 1960, and the English Commonwealth Games team in 1958.

“This book isn’t just a biography – it’s a reclamation of Irish sporting heritage,” says Des Ryan, author and rugby historian.

“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”.

Published by TTT Press, Studs and Spikes blends meticulous research, rare photographs, and some astounding rugby and athletic relics. Preorders are available now via Amazon and other online retailers.