Dublin marathon medals inscribed with incorrect Yeats 'quote'
The medal design plays tribute to William Butler Yeats on the 100th anniversary of Yeats receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature. A quote from the Dubliner, "There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met," is engraved on the front. Picture Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
A medal which is to be presented to those competing in the Dublin Marathon next month has been inscribed with a quote attributed to the poet William Butler Yeats — despite there being no record of him saying it.
“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t met yet” has been engraved on the bottom of the silver medals which will be handed out to the 22,500 runners who hit the streets of the capital on October 29.
Above it as a picture of the Sligo poet — with race organisers opting to pay tribute to him a century on from his Nobel Prize for Literature.
The quote, they said, “embodies the values” of the marathon.
However, it has now emerged that the quote does not belong to Yeats.
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There is “no evidence of any kind” that Yeats wrote those words “either in his numerous articles, essays or book reviews, or in his almost 400 poems and 23 plays”, Yeats Society Sligo director Susan O’Keeffe told .
According to leading fact-checker Quote Investigator, the Irish Tourist Office published an ad in the in 1961 which included the saying, though they did not attribute it to anyone at that time.
Ms O'Keeffe said she understood why the attribution was made to the poet.
"It’s been made by so many people before this, along with several other quotes.
"Some records have, of course, been lost, during his lifetime or afterwards.
"But, as we are here in 2023, there is no evidence for what indeed is the perfect quote for a marathon where strangers do indeed make friends.”
Yeats is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in history, with his works such as and all being studied to this day.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation
Known as the ‘friendly marathon,’ the Dublin Marathon is heralded as one of the best in Europe, given the incredible support from the thousands of volunteers who make the event possible and the spectators who line the streets of Dublin City in support.
Olympic silver medalist John Treacy will be the official race starter for the 2023 edition — 30 years on from him winning the race in 1993.
