Here is another stalwart and gentleman of Donore Harriers. Ciaran O’Flaherty proudly holds the distinction of being on the last club team to win the National Senior XC title (1993) and the National Junior XC title (1982). He was also central to Ballyfermot VS becoming the first vocational school to win a National Schools XC title in 1982.
Ciaran was an integral member of the Donore Harriers team that won three National Road Relay titles in 1987, 1989 and 1992 – and he represented Ireland in the International XC at Mallusk in 1990 and in the World Marathon Cup in London in 1992. In 1996 he won the International Transport race in Antwerp, leading the Irish team to victory.
In a very fine athletics career Ciaran won a total of sixteen national gold medals. He was also a regular competitor in open cross-country and road races, usually competing for podium places. Here’s a clip of Ciaran competing in the Aer Lingus 5-mile XC in 1993 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojjNeihyI7M&t=1205s. The race was won by Jerry Kiernan with O’Flaherty (No. 5) the runner-up. These two leaders can be viewed @4.40 @6.40 @11.50 @16.32 and @18.30-19.40.
In more recent times Ciaran was manager of the Senior Men’s Team that came 3rd (twice) in the National Senior XC in 2014. He is presently on the coaching team with the Senior & Academy Squad.
Ciaran has served as a member on the club’s general committee for several years and volunteers in arranging the upgrade and maintenance of club facilities. Indeed, much of the tedious aesthetics work is quietly undertaken by Ciaran himself.
Thank God that fate and a “lack of direction” saw Ciaran and his mate Gerry Reid walk into Hospital Lane rather than the intended Sarah Place in 1977.
Here is a list of Ciaran’s main achievement in athletics: –
1978 – National U17 XC championships 1st team.
1979 – Dublin U16 XC championships 1st individual
1980 – National Schools XC 1st team.
1982 – National Intermediate XC championships 1st team. 1st junior home in 20th place; Leinster Schools XC 1st individual; National Junior XC 1st team (17th ind); Dublin U19 Track 3,000m 1st (8.46); National Schools XC 1st team, 8th ind.
1986 – 400m in 53 seconds; 800m in 1.56.3; 1,500m in 3.56.2
1987 – 3,000m in 8.29.5, 5km (road) in 14.06; National Road Relays (Sligo) 1st team.
1988 – 5,000m in 14.30; 8-miles (road) in 39.15; 6 x 10km road races in sub 31 minutes; 5-miles (road) 23.53.
1989 – 10km in 29.47; National Road Relays (Kilkenny) 1st team. Belfast Half-Marathon 5th in 1.05.24; Dublin XC 2nd ind; National Inter-Counties XC 6th ind; Waterhouse BB Shield in 52.30 2nd in handicap race.
1990 – Mallusk International XC 20th ind. representing Ireland; Celtic International XC (Scotland) 19th ind. representing Ireland; National Senior XC 11th ind; Belfast Marathon 5th in 2.26.4; Belfast Half-Marathon 9th in 1.06.10; Aer Rianta 15km 6th in 46.23; Paris to Versailles top 20.
1991 – World Marathon Cup in London 2.22.25; Dublin Marathon 16th in 2.26.10
1992 – National Road Relays (Wexford) 1st team. National Track Championships (Belfield) 10,000m 3rd in 30.37; National Half-Marathon (Leitrim) 5th in 1.06.30.
1993 – National Senior XC (Phoenix Park) 1st team, 15th ind. BHAA XC Grade A Championships (Baldonnel) 1st team.
1994 – European Clubs XC Championships (Bilboa) 9th team.
1996 – International Transport Race (Antwerp) 1st ind.
2000 – National 10km Road 1st team; Dublin 10-mile Championship 1st team.
STANDARD QUESTIONS
PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Dublin 1963.
WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? Ballyfermot Vocational School, Ballyfermot Senior College.
IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 1977.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? By accident! Funny story – I travelled down to Islandbridge with my best mate Gerry Reid to join Metro Harriers, as Gerry’s brother had recently joined, and my brother Brendan was a member for a few years. But due to a lack of direction and not knowing that there were 3 running clubs in a 100 metres radius we found Donore Harriers in Hospital Lane – and as they say the rest is history!
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No, not before joining Donore Harriers.
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? No.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? 1,500m on the track and 4 miles on the road.
WHAT ARE/WERE YOUR MAIN ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? I have been a regular committee member for several years. I was also Team Manager when John Downes was the Head Coach as part of the Long-Term Development Plan. I am currently a coach with Gerry Naughton with the Academy Squad. I also coached with Tristan Druet for several years.
WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Eamonn Coghlan, Ray Flynn, John Treacy, Jerry Kiernan, Bertie Messitt, John Walker, Seb Coe, Steve Ovett, Brendan Foster, David Moorcroft.
SOCIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Collision Course, the Olympic Tragedy of Mary Decker and Zola Budd by Jason Henderson.
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? E.L.O
WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?
1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Falling Down
3. Gran Torino
FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? AND WHY? France. Beautiful scenery. The wine, the food, the way of life… plus numerous great memories of family holidays.
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Gardening, reading, classic cars, DIY.
IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
1. Rainy Night In Soho – The Pogues
2. The Contender – Paul McGrath
3. Summer in Dublin – Bagatelle
ATHLETICS QUESTIONS
WHO WERE YOUR COACH(ES)? Christy Geoghegan, Eddie Hogan, Brendan O’Shea. Jim McNamara and Willie Smith also helped me later in my career with their invaluable knowledge.
CHRISTY GEOGHEGAN IS A NEW NAME TO ME. TELL ME MORE ABOUT CHRISTY? Christy was the BLOE Club Coach when I joined. The thing that I most remember is that he was a chair smoker. He as an old-school coach in his approach and his manner. There were no scientific methods in those days, just the hard miles and the hard graft.
Christy treated everyone the same. When Gerry (Reid) and myself first joined he asked us what distance we wanted to run. We both replied: “The 100 metres”. So, Christy entered us to a 100 metres race at Belfield. As we were new to athletics, we didn’t have any tracksuits and spikes and we warmed up in jumpers. We witnessed everyone else limber up in shorts and singlets – the works! We came 7th and 8th; in other words, last and second-last. Christy came over to us and said: “I have news for you lads: “Ye’re not sprinters”.
I remember that Christy gave me a white vest and it had a black band sewn onto it. There were no club crests in those days. You had to win a national title to get a badge that had to be stitched onto the singlet.
Sadly, Christy disappeared from the scene due to ill health and then passed away in June 1987.
Sometime later Brendan O’Shea approached me after I finished 3rd in the Liberties Road Race. He asked if I would be interested in being coached by him and I said: “yes”. So, Brendan was my coach for a number of years.
WHAT ABOUT EDDIE HOGAN AS YOUR COACH? First and foremost, Eddie was the senior men’s coach, and he also coached the older juniors while Christy coached the younger juniors. We all wanted to be part of Eddie’s group someday. When he gave advice, you listened!
Eddie was always in the background. He had a big group of athletes to manage. I remember that he would get up onto the table in the Hospital Lane clubhouse and issue out instructions. He was there every Tuesday and Thursday. We’d go out for long runs, mostly in the park and I’d be holding on at the back not wanting to be left behind. All of a sudden Eddie would appear somewhere along the route checking on everyone’s progress.
I remember one time when he came over to me. He told me how well I was progressing and gave me lots of words of encouragement. He emphasized that there was no reason why I should not get to the top. He was held in such high esteem that I had a pep in my step after that.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? 1. Bronze in the National Senior Track & Field Championships 1992 in the 10,000m. My time was 30.37.
2. Making the Irish team for the World Cup Marathon 1991 in London.
3. My first international vest in Mallusk International XC in Belfast 1990 – 20th place.
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)? 400m – 0.53; 800m 1.56; 1,500m 3.56; One Mile – 4.13 (track) & 4.10 (road); 2-Miles – 8.52; 3km – 8.29; 5,000m (track) – 14.30; 5km – 14.06 (road), 4-Miles – 18.23; 5-miles – 23.52; 10km – 29.47; 8-Miles – 39.15; 15km – 46.23; 10-Miles – 49.40; Half-Marathon 1.05.24 (Belfast); Marathon – 2.22.25 (World Cup Marathon in London 1991).
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? Look, the first thing to say is that all the sessions hurt! But I liked doing 800m and mile intervals. And I particularly enjoyed training on the Polo Grounds.
DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU DID? 90 minutes continuous fartlek on the Magazine Fort lap. Another difficult session was 6 x 1 miles @ 4.50 pace with 3 minutes recovery.
WHAT WAS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN IN YOUR HEYDAY? My typical week would involve a long run of 15 miles @ 1.30 and a session of 8 x 800m @ 2.20 pace or 4 x 1 miles @ 4.50 or an 8-mile run with 4 miles @ 21/22 minutes in the middle. Most of my running was done at 6/6.30ppace. My weekly total was usually around 70 miles which included a rest day. I knew I need to do more to improve to the next level, but because I worked up to six days weekly and regularly 12-hour days it wasn’t feasible.
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY OR UNUSUAL STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? During the 1989 SportsWorld Classic 5-mile I had a bit of a battle with Jerry Kiernan – and I thought I had the better of him, but Jerry came out best over the final half-mile. He finished 2 seconds in front of me for 6th place. During the prize giving Jerry goes up for the 6th place prize and received a superser (mobile gas heater). I’m next up and come back with an envelope. Jerry is quick to ask: “what’s in the envelope” before I had the chance to open it. I open the envelope and find £50 (fifty pounds). It was not the norm back then to get a cash prize. Well Jerry lets rip! “Well f@*k that” he rants out “I have to find a buyer for this thing, and I’ll be luck to get fifty pounds for it. If I’d known what the prizes were I’d have let you beat me”. And he was serious! Needless-to-say the group of us were in stitches laughing.
WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME?
1. Eamonn Coghlan
2. John Treacy
3. Sonia O’Sullivan
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN ATHLETICS STEM FROM? While I had a lot of success over cross-country and track at Ballyfermot Vocational School, the school had its biggest success when we the national schools and colleges cross-country title in 1980. This was huge for a vocational school in a working-class area. We best all the big colleges who had and still have a great tradition in cross-country running. We won the Intermediate Boys team by 26 points! The man responsible for this success was Michael Hunt. Mr. Hunt was a teacher at the school, and he was the International Secretary of the Irish Schools Athletic Association at the time. He organised the cross-country teams and was our coach, manager, and mentor. All our success was down to him.
After the win the Lord Mayor presented the team with tracksuits at a packed school gym.
In 1982 I won another team gold, this time with the Senior College Ballyfermot and finished 8th. The race was in Claremorris, Co. Mayo. I was one of the favourites for the win, having won my 2nd Leinster title. But heavy overnight rain turned the course into a swamp, and I never liked heavy courses.
<<NOTE: From AI FB page 2019 – Michael Hunt A figure who has been synonymous with Irish Schools Athletics for more than 40 years.
A teacher originally himself at Ballyfermot Vocational School and then at Rathmines College of Further Education, he was elected as International Secretary of the Irish Schools Athletic Association in 1978 and would remain in the position for almost 20 years.
And he was then President of the Association for the next 20 years. In that time, he was elected Chairman of the Schools International Board in 1993 and 2010…the only person in the Board’s history to be elected on 2 separate occasions…>>.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ON THE LAST DONORE HARRIERS TEAM THAT WON THE NATIONAL JUNIOR XC (1982) AND THE NATIONAL SENIOR XC (1993). WHAT DO YOU RECALL ABOUT THOSE CHAMPIONSHIPS? It’s a blur now. Almost 40 years ago. We also won the National Junior cross-country in 1981. However, I was the 5th man and did not make the scoring team. I came 32nd that day. So, I was very happy when we won again in 1982. I was 17th and the 3rd scorer on the team. We had some great junior athletes back then, like Brian O’Keeffe, Vivian Devine, David Lynch, Ray Gaffney and Brian Hayes.
1993 was our centenary year and we were determined to land the big one that year, especially as Donore Harriers were hosting the race in the Phoenix Park. The previous year we finished 3rd team, so we were never too far off the win. In 1992 we were missing another top ten man in the team to challenge for top spot. So, when we managed to get Noel Richardson on board for the 1993 race we knew we were one of the favourites to win. The whole team performed well that day – and Gerry Curtis led the team home to our first success in 18 years. He came 2nd in 37.16 behind Noel Cullen (37.02) of Clonliffe. Noel Richardson came 3rd in 37.17, with Senan O’Reilly in 11th, whilst I was 15th. The team scored 31 with Clonliffe on 44. We all had great runs to mark a memorable day.
YOU ARE A LONG-TERM MEMBER OF THE CLUB, INCLUDING THE LATTER YEARS AT THE HOSPITAL LANE CLUBHOUSE. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THE TRANSITION PERIOD TO THE NEW CLUB BASE AT CHAPELIZOD? Some people were sceptical to the change. But the Hospital Lane clubhouse was too small. There was only one toilet that didn’t have ventilation and the showers were most non-functional. It was depressing. We got a portacabin when the women’s section was formed. It was something, but it was not the long-term solution.
Some of us were exciting about moving to a new clubhouse, although the project/building wasn’t finished. Membership numbers began to dwindle, and many people felt that the club had left its best years behind in Hospital Lane. I was mostly training from home in that period. Then, we had a good year in 1993 thanks to the success of Gerry Curtis and that allowed for some feelings of optimism. The club pulled out all the stops to win the Nationals in our centenary year on home ground. The addition of Noel Richardson to the team made a difference and we all ran very well on the day.
THERE’S A PHOTO OF YOU DOING BATTLE WITH EAMONN MARTIN IN THE SPORTSWORLD 5-MILE ROAD RACE IN 1991. WHAT ARE YOUR MEMORIES OF THAT EVENT? I went over to Mick Dowling’s shop to buy new runners and he asked if I was running his race. I hadn’t intended to run as I had missed time out through injury.
So, he then made a proposition to me. If I took out the race for the first mile he’d give me £25 and as every mile was a ‘hotspot’ worth £25 each if I got to the first mile I’d have £50 – not bad for a mile! So, I agreed to do it and he gave me the sponsors vest – MIZUNO – and £25.
So, I arrive for the race and see Eamonn Martin and the usual contingent of English runners who liked to race the ‘classics’.
The race starts and I hit the front – and to be honest I’m feeling so good. I go for it and I’m absolutely flying and in better shape than I thought I was. I can see the mile marker up ahead by the balloons on the lamp and I’m confident I’ll get there first. But Martin had other ideas! I hear spectators encouraging him as he’s closing on me. He passes me with about 15 metres to the mile, but I hang on to get my mile time as I knew it was fast. The timekeeper shouts 4.08 for Martin and I went through in 4.10! I then pulled up – job done!
Eamonn Martin was absolutely flying that day and he went on the beat Alberto Salazar’s record by one second to win in 22.07.
Although I missed out on £25 by two-seconds I was very happy with my mile time. Of course, Brendan wasn’t happy that all I got for pacing Eamonn Martin to a new world best time was £25 and so he had words with Mick (Dowling), but Mick was budging ‘a deal is a deal’. Brendan’s view was that Eamonn wouldn’t have broken the record – for which there was a large bonus prize of £1,000 – if I hadn’t done such a good job especially as it was such a fast opening mile. My view it that they were both right.
Anyway, in order to the record to be ratified as a world best the course was measured again – and it turned out to be about 10 metres short at the finish in order for the race to finish at the church car park.
So, it was a world record that never was. Years later John Downes told me he was in the chasing pack which went through in about 4.15 when Dave Lewes turned to him and said: “f@*k me, I thought you said this was a handy 5-miler”.
Here’s a link to the race – see @ 2.30 to 3.33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRv2me9BNYo&t=4s – see @2.30-3.33
YOU ONCE TOLD ME A STORY ABOUT EAMONN COGHLAN BRINGING JOHN WALKER TO THE HOSPITAL LANE COTTAGE? Yeah! Someone told me that. Walker was apparently in Dublin for international meeting and Eamonn brought him to Hospital Lane to go on a training run. Walker couldn’t understand how so many great athletes had come from such a small run-down clubhouse. As the saying goes, from humble beginnings came great success!
DID YOU SUFFER MUCH WITH INJURIES? Nothing serious. I did have some achilles tendon problems, but usually it was sore throats and sinus problems.
I ended up on crutches once when I strained my angle doing a session on the Polo Grounds. I also ended up in A&E from being spiked. Overall, I never had any serious injuries until the late nineties when I slipped two discs in my back and that brought all sorts of problems which curtailed my running and races.
YOU NOW COACH WITH THE CLUB’S SENIOR & ACADEMY SQUAD, HOW ARE YOU FINDING THAT EXPERIENCE? It’s enjoyable! And it’s always nice to give something back to the sport. When you see how the squad has taken off and being successful, I find that extremely rewarding. Juniors are easier to coach than adults. They listen and want to learn.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR COACHING PHILOSOPHIES? It’s not a rocket science. Ultimately it is about the basics of hard work and dedication. Too many runners think they know it all and don’t heed advice. Too many athletes are also slaves to the watch and get caught up on pace. It’s a beautiful, simple sport, don’t need to over complicate it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION TO COACH? I like 800m and 400m. Nice distances to coach.
YOU MADE A COMEBACK TO COMPETITION IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WHAT IS THE INCENTIVE TO COMPETE AT THE MASTERS CATEGORY? I had my arm twisted to make a comeback. I really did not enjoy it! The National Road Relay was fine, but the Dublin Masters cross-country was just too hard. I just had my body telling me that I wasn’t able for the rigours of racing anymore.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTING REGRETS? I would like to have done better at the marathon. I really should have run a quicker marathon, but it’s a classic race of putting in the miles and unfortunately because of work, etc I couldn’t put in the serious mileage. My biggest week was 87 miles and that wasn’t regular. I remember sitting down with Brendan (O’Shea) after my last marathon and we decided because I couldn’t do the big mileage that we should park the marathon for a while and go back to the shorter races.
Unfortunately, one thing led to another, and I didn’t get the chance to get back to marathon racing. So, in effect I gave up marathons at age 28!
I have made great friends through running and have raced in several countries and earned Irish vests along the way, so I don’t have any big regrets.
I was very lucky to be part of an historic club with so many great athletes – Jim McNamara, Tony Murphy, Eamonn Coghlan, Pat Cassidy and Dermot Byrne were huge influences at the time. I remember the day vividly when I beat Pat Cassidy for the first time… and I knew I was on my way.
DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES YOU COMPETED IN THE WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD AND WHAT WAS YOUR BEST RESULT? I ran it three times and each time I recorded the fastest actual time. My best time as 52.30 in 1989, when I finished as the handicap runner-up. I was in good shape at that time, having placed 6th in the National Inter-Counties cross country that winter and 2nd in the Dublin Seniors.
