What’s that they say about the poacher and the gamekeeper! Or even putting your money where your mouth is! There has been a growing lobby for me to take the ‘interview’, so here it is – warts and all – as promised!

I don’t have to do a long self-intro, because I have never competed in the colours of Donore Harriers. I just blew in! Even after 10 years (almost!) I still consider myself a ‘blow-in’, next to the legends that are Willie Smith, Maurice Ahern, Jim Fanning, Willie Dunne, and others. I am, of course, honoured to be involved in a club that has such a proud record and tradition in the history of Irish athletics

Note that the important ‘specific’ questions in this interview were asked by club member Claire Mulligan

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Maynooth 1955 (I’m a lilywhite, with the green and red of Mayo in my blood)

WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? CBS Kilcock, Liberties Post Primary (for one school year) & much later I did an Occupational Safety & Health course at South Thames College in London

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? Trade Union Health & Safety Representative at Royal Mail London

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? I first arrived at Donore Harriers on the 4^th November 2010

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I got a text message from John Downes asking if I would like to help out at Donore Harriers. I was introduced to John through a mutual friend, Paul Simons of Mornington Chasers, at a Kilmainham pub on the eve of the 2010 Dublin Marathon. Paul is the uncle of Lottie Simons who runs for Skerries AC

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOING DONORE HARRIERS? Yes, North London AC in the winter of 1975/76. The reality that you had to run 50 miles a week to be an ordinary club runner, back then, was daunting, so I retreated! On top of that I was busy doing extra work to afford some foreign travel

I did some charity running in 1977 and 1978, before becoming a member of Queen’s Park Harriers between 1978 and 1985, where I did my best running. Finally, I was the founding member of Mornington Chasers Running Club (life member) in December 1986

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORTS? No. I was not very good at team sports

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? Cross-country. Bill O’Connor, my captain at Queen’s Park Harriers, once told me “Naughton! no mud, no good”

WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE AT THE CLUB? Coach and reporter. I was chair of the Coaching & Development sub-committee between October 2011 and November 2015

WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Athletes Eddy Leddy, Jim McNamara, Mick Molloy, Danny McDaid, John Treacy, Wilma Rudolph, and Kip Keino; cyclists Shay Elliott & Paddy Flanagan; and football centre-half Charlie Hurley – I thus became a Sunderland AFC fan! Drat!!!

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? There But For Fortune by (not the) Michael Schumacher, about the life and death of topical singer-songwriter Phil Ochs

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Don McLean in Vicar Street 2018

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?

1. All Quiet on the Western Front (the original made in 1931)

2. The Miracle of Bern (the story of an 11 years-old German boy’s desire to go to the World Cup final in Bern in 1954)

3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? Mexico for its culture and colour. Eritrea was the most interesting, due to it being a harsh military dictatorship and a throw-back to the 1960s

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Away from sport? It’s hard to get away from Donore Harriers, let alone sport! I have a general interest in topical folk music, psychology, travel and cooking when the mood takes me

IF DESERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? These are the songs that I would love to introduce –

1. Manifesto by Victor Jara (Chile)

2. Sniper by Harry Chapin

3. Either Masters of War by Bob Dylan or From Clare To Here by Ralph McTell

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO WAS YOUR COACH? I was never coached. Bad mistake!

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? I finished 2^nd in the Chiltern Cross Country League (England) after a series of 5 races, I think in the 1982/83 season

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)?

24.29 – 5 miles at Blackheath 1984

36.06 – 10km at Battersea Park 1991

51.31 – 10 miles at Woking 1983

1.10.29 – Half-Marathon at Waltham Forest 1982

1.51.14 – 20 miles at Worthing 1984

2.30.04 – Marathon, London 1983 (hand-timed at 2.29.10-ish). Club elite starters were sub 2.35 back then and I had a best of 2.36.36. Thus, I started quite far back and had to manoeuvre my way thru the field in the early miles

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? In my early days at Queens Park Harriers the group agreed to do a one-hour paarlauf relay (figure of 8, 2 per team) on the cinder track at the Willesden Recreation Grounds. The lads were lashing into it early one and I just hung on and hung on for about 35-40 minutes until my legs felt like they detached from the rest of my body … I couldn’t run for a week after that and I avoided stairs!

WHAT WAS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN? I wasn’t coached and I was not in a formal coached group. So, I was just a high-mileage runner. When I was training for a marathon, I’d do up to 140 miles in a week. It was madness! It was too much of the same type of running and I missed out by not doing regular quality sessions

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? I went with the Donore Harriers juvenile team to the national cross-country at Sligo in November 2011. We checked into our hotel on the afternoon prior to the races. Maurice (Ahern) was in great form. I caught him singing a New Seekers hit to himself “All my ¶ life’s a circle, sunrise and ¶ sundown, moon rolls ¶ through the nighttime…” … “Ah”, I said, “so you’re a good singer” … then Maurice asked “I bet you can’t tell me who wrote that song?” … and I immediately answered “Harry Chapin”. A surprised Maurice then replied, “How did you know that?”. We discovered that we were both big Harry Chapin fans and had attended the same Chapin concert at the National Stadium back in 1977

WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS? More recruitment! The club needs to have better links with local schools and needs to target the inner-city. There also needs to be recruitment from the point of getting more volunteers to help with coaching, competitions, and administration

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. John Treacy

2. Sonia O’Sullivan

=3. Stephen Roche & Sean Kelly (cycling)

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN ATHLETICS STEM FROM? I remember listening to the commentary of the Olympic marathon on Radio Eireann; and there used to be a regular sports report programme on Radio Eireann at 6.40pm on a Sunday evening. Names like Tom O’Riordan, Mick Molloy, Jim Hogan, Jim McNamara, Frank Murphy and Noel Carroll became familiar. As did clubs like Clonliffe, Donore Harriers and Leevale. My father got the Irish Independent every day and I always read the sports pages

TELL US ABOUT MORNINGTON CHASERS RUNNING CLUB? Well, I am immensely proud of the Mornington Chasers and proud to be the founding member. It was/is not just a running club, but a great social experience! The club is nicknamed ‘The Posties’ because most of the original members worked for the Royal Mail in Camden Town

A few of us were very proactive to establish the club. We found a base at the Working Men’s College (close to Mornington Crescent Underground Station), and in the first year we joined 3 leagues, held club championships, went on a trip to the Jersey half-marathon and put together a social programme

We formed a women’s team and a youth section in Year 2. We also established an inter-schools league with the support of sponsorship from the Mornington Building Society (MBS). It ran for 3 years until the Britannia BS took over and they refused to continue the sponsorship. One of the regular competitors in the league was Rachel Yankey (Camden School for Girls), who is the most-capped English footballer and a former captain of her national team

The ‘Chasers’ have been based at the Talacre Sports Centre in Kentish Town since 1999 and hosts a 6-race 10km series during the winter months in the Regents Park. The present membership is about 300. The club maintains its strong Irish links and had 15 members run in the 2019 Dublin Marathon

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE RACE? AND WHY? I went to live and work in London when I was 18 and spent the first two years there trying to become an alcoholic. Then on a hot summer evening and without the price of a pint I wandered into Finsbury Park, where I watched a group of men (North London AC) training on the track. At the end of the session a young man named Kris asked if I would like to join in. He invited me to come back on the following Wednesday…

After a month Kris entered me to the Open Graded Mile on the Highgate track. There were 9 runners in the race, and I was a complete greenhorn in my t-shirt and football togs! I don’t know if it was courage or madness that got me to the start line! I was full of ambivalence, being both naïvely excited about my first race and filled of dread of the impending challenge! Standing on the line, I felt – and probably looked – stupid! I decided to copy the limbering up routine of my rivals, desperately trying not to look too much out of place! BANG!

We were off and running, and quickly took an order one behind the other. My ambition was to finish 8^th. What more could I hope for after just 4 training sessions? I got around the first lap OK, holding 8^th position. Everyone seemed to be cheering for “Tony”, who was running 9^th. I suppose they didn’t want a bona-fide athlete to get beat by a gawky gobshite in his civvies!

I began to die-a-death on lap 2. The field stretched out in front of me… seven were gone, forgotten! Suddenly, the morning after the night before discomfort of delirium tremens with the spinning ceiling seemed a doddle compared to this new form of self-torture. This was not only a race against Tony for the distinction of being second from last, but it was a conflict of heart, soul and body to either gain self-respect or be left to wallow and swallow (pints) in self-pity. The demons of barley wine and brown ale were still looming large in my sparse number of life choices

Onto lap 3, still only halfway! There remained a shadow breathing heavy on my shoulder, AKA Tony, and my suffering was getting worse; much worse! I had nowhere to hide! I was trapped! Holy shock-a-moley, what had I gotten myself into? It all looked so easy on TV! The common-sense part of my brain was telling me to “stop” – “STOP!!!” The problem was that I was actually too shy to quit the race – and I subconsciously knew that if I dropped out my self-esteem would be shattered, and I’d be back to the bar-stool and the jukebox. So, I forced myself to keep going… DING-A-LING!

The bell! That’s what they have in the Olympics! The bell! Foster, Viren, Puttemans, Coghlan! And now Naughton! It was like an electrical charge of adrenaline that took me around the bottom bend and onto the back strait. The Lido-side strait seemed longer on each lap and now it looked endless! At this stage, every heavy painful stride was an achievement. I was suffering; and it was a lonely suffering! I wanted to quit! My brain was clutching for straws of inspiration… “You can’t stop now” I told myself. The innocence of my rural Irish childhood flashed before me. It was time to become a man! In those do-or-die moments, I was living in the reality of my comic book heroes Alf Tupper and William Wilson (The Wizard), who always conquered adversity. So, I forced myself to keep going… “You can bloody do this!”. After all, Tupper and Wilson never quit a race!

As I rounded the top bend, I glanced towards the oasis that was the finish area. So near, and yet so far! I entered into the home strait where I could hear the scream of “Gait ‘im Tone-Nee”. Defiant, I kept saying to myself “dig, dig, dig, dig, dig…” And then SILENCE!

The end of the race was a blur. I vaguely remember my legs buckling as if I were standing on a soft waterbed! I carefully staggered to the nearby High Jump mat and collapsed in a heap. I don’t know how long I remained on the mat; maybe 2 or maybe 20 minutes. It was getting dark and eventually Kris (remember Kris! He’s the guy that had just tried to kill me!) found me in a barely conscious state. He called for someone to get me a sweet drink and then said: “you ran four minutes; fifty point six seconds and you weren’t last”. Oh, glory be!! I felt a great sense of elation – or maybe it was just a high from the sheer relief of it all! Even that I finished 8^th in a field of 9, I felt as a winner! I later found out that my main rival Tony ran 4.51.4

As I sipped a Lucozade and felt some life returning to my aching bones I looked towards the stars and thought to myself “I could get hooked on this”. It was a defining (less than) 5 minutes in my life … I had conquered myself and athletics had just conquered alcohol. I guess I crossed a fine line on that balmy September evening back in 1975

HOW DID YOU GET INTO COACHING? I did a little bitofcoaching with juveniles at Mornington Chasers and did a British Athletics coaching course, but it was not my forte. When I first came to Donore Harriers I was just helping John Downes by holding a stopwatch and calling out times. It all seemed chaotic and without any structure. If it were not for the enthusiasm of Maurice (Ahern) then I would have just walked away. I didn’t have a place, until some of the other coaches encouraged me to help out Brian Coombes (former club coach) with the younger-age distance athletes (8 to 12 years old)

I progressed in my coaching role along the way. I took the chance to have my ‘own’ squad of juvenile distance runners in the age group 12 to 16 in September 2012 as part of putting together a coaching structure at the club

Last year (August 2019 I established the Academy Squad with athletes who were 16 and older and had a focus on middle-distance and cross country

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ACADEMY SQUAD? There was a growing disparity in the juvenile distance squad, with older stronger lads mixed with younger girls. The other problem was that the club did not have a coached squad for senior middle-distance athletes. Thus, the idea to form a new squad. It’s still in its infancy stage. The focus is on middle-distance and cross-country. Ciaran O’Flaherty is my coaching partner and we work well together. We want to help athletes reach their full potential and to enjoy their sport. We’d like to introduce athlete development supports, such as testing, workshops on nutrition, lifestyle, etc – and to have combined sessions with other groups/clubs from time to time. We also hope that the younger developing runners can benefit from training with more experienced senior and master athletes. Graham Hopkins and Thomas Delaney are now coaching the LTAD juvenile distance squad (ages 12 to 16), so we now have a proper coaching pathway for young middle-distance athletes

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION TO COACH? Kenyan Hills. Its fast up and fast down on an average gradient. It’s a dynamic session, combining strength and speed

YOU HAVE SCOUTED SOME GREAT TALENT FOR THE CLUB AND RECRUITED VALUABLE NEW MEMEBRS; HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SPOTTING POTENTIAL TALENT? I did my scouting apprenticeship with the master Maurice Ahern. We go to school events and try to source out potentially good athletes who are not registered to other athletics clubs. But that’s only part of the process. The follow-up is contacting the schools and parents as part of good practice and child protection; and then we must arrange for the young person to come and do a short trial at the club

I’ve also done presentations at schools and keep a check on local parkrun results in search of new talent

LIST SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS BY ATHLETES WITHIN YOUR GROUP THAT GAVE YOU THE GRETEST SENSE OF SATISFACTION? The first one that springs to mind is when Fathi Aden won the national under 14 cross-country at Dundalk in 2013. I had recruited Fathi from Synge Street school a few months earlier. We didn’t really know how good the young Somalian-born athlete was, so his win was something of a surprise

Here is a link to Fathi’s (AKA Aidan Fahey) win in 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE4g6LQW3Sc

The national junior track and field championships last year (2019) in another happy memory. Louis O’Loughlin won a dramatic 800m, and less than an hour later Jack Raftery came from 7^th with 150m to go to take the 400m title. Jack had just left my squad to join the sprints group, but I was delighted that his dedication and hard work were rewarded

Here is a link to Louis’ win in the National Junior 800m 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh-0glwXFbw

Of course, Louis is any coaches dream. I wrote to the Principal of his school after he won the West Leinster Schools cross-country in January 2015 inviting him to trial at Donore Harriers. He’s a huge talent and has won something like 18 national titles. I particularly enjoyed his semi-final win in the European Youth Olympics (EYOF) at Gyor in Hungary. But my heartrate monitor was probably highest when he front-ran an 800m in the Dublin Open Graded at Tallaght Track. The race incorporated the Dublin senior 800m championship, which he won, aged just 15, and his time of 1.55.72 qualified him to compete in the EYOF

Louis and Fathi achieved a unique 1^st and 2^nd in the national under 15 cross-country at Dungarvan in December 2015. That was a special day! Here is a link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uIdHSUC8jY

And Abdel Laadjel! I recruited Abdel from the West Leinster schools XC when he placed 4^th, so his All-Ireland schools Intermediate grade victory just prior to the Covid-19 lockdown was special. He’s a super young athlete and this victory was reward for his talent and hard work in training

I was delighted when Suzanne Masterson, whom I recruited from the East Leinster Schools, won a well-deserved silver in the national Under 19 girls’ steeplechase in 2017. And Emma Stacey, one of the girls recruited from the Dublin camogie group, had me leaping with joy when she won silver in the Dublin Under 15 Juvenile Indoors 800m in 2018. It was the manner of her race that impressed. She qualified from her semi and had to wait several hours for the final. She held 4^th position in the early stages, and I feared that she had gone too quick too early. But she held form, gained to 3^rd and then to 2^nd against all expectation. One to watch!

Finally, I am a big supporter of the national track and field league, especially that it pulls athletes from all the coached groups within the club. So, it’s great when developing athletes like Gavin Curtin, Ruby Kelly and Sean Kinsella are gaining experience and scoring valuable points for the team

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RUNNING RELATED BOOK OR QUOTE?“It’s gotta be the going, not the getting’ there that’s good” is the last line in the song ‘Greyhound’ by Harry Chapin. In my opinion, running should be focused on the journey and not just the destination that is championships and medals

Training can be intense, particularly for young athletes, so it’s important to protect their psychological well-being. I like to plan sessions that are varied, inter-active and interesting. I think that young runners develop better with less pressure and a good variation in their training routine. It helps to build both the psychological and physical athlete without overload. It’s also important that they have social time in training and enjoy a good camaraderie within the group

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE RACE REPORT YOU HAVE WRITTEN, AND WHY?The first thing I want to say is that I believe the regular athletics reports to be a key to creating a ‘connected’ club. And it’s great to highlight all the achievements of club members! The reports would not be so comprehensive without the contribution of club captain Florence Curley, who always seems to be in the know of who does what and where. Big shout out also to Leonie (Newman), Iain (Morrison) and Marloes (Jackson) and others for their regular contributions

In terms of quantity the biggest report was that of weekend 16.02.2020 when we mentioned no less than 160 competition actions by club members from 12 different events (counting Parkruns as one)

However, my most memorable race report is that of the 2015 Inter-Clubs cross-country championships at Kilbroney Park in Co. Down. I took a short video clip as the race passed each of the 6 laps. Thus, in the report I was able to track the team score as the race developed. The Donore Harriers men’s team came 3^rd, despite not having John Travers available.Here is the link –https://www.donoreharriers.com/2015/03/national-senior-cross-country-championships-weekend-round/

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE SOMEBODY ON RACE DAY? Run your own race, don’t get pulled too fast too early by being over competitive targeting other athletes

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES OF A SUCCESSFUL ATHLETE? A mindset to train regularly and to be patient. Improvement must be gradual. I believe that athletics requires a big psychological focus, so it’s essential to have a lot of self-discipline, good time management, and positive emotional energies. Yes, physical talent is important, but athletes must learn how to mentally prepare for training and races  

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTING REGRETS?Yes, I should have DNFed in the Cork Marathon on Easter Monday 1984. I was hoping to run 2.24/25 and began heavy training from the previous September. It was a disaster! Cork was the hottest place in Europe that day. My feet blistered badly, and I got sunburn and stomach cramps. Moreover, I had overcooked my training and was feeling deadbeat after 7 or 8 miles. I had raced 1.51.14 for 20 miles 6 weeks earlier after a 90 miles week and continued to put in 120 plus miles per week. I ran 2.43.17 in Cork that day. It was a “bad experience” after so much sacrifice. I was physically and emotionally shattered after that

Other than that, there are no regrets. Athletics has been a gift to my life. It gave me a self-profile. And there has been so many great people, great friendships, great memories along the way! I particularly love the universal element of the sport. It’s a sport for everybody. I always think that society could learn from athletics in terms of civic respect and integration

Thomas Delaney and his wife Celine are members of Palmerstown based Waterstown Warriors. Their youngest daughter Katie joined Donore Harriers in 2018

Katie has competed in track, road and cross-country in the black and white of Donore Harriers, whilst her parents don the blue of the Warriors in distances from 5km to the marathon. Katie (U/15) has completed 63 parkruns, 59 at Waterstown – being the first woman home on 11 occasions

Thomas is a registered coach at Donore Harriers, assisting Graham Hopkins with the Long Term Athlete Development juvenile distance squad of athletes in the age range 12 to 16. Thomas provides guidance and support to the young beginners and the slower runners within the squad. And he’s great with riddles and quizzes to add some fun on the run…

Here’s what Graham has to say about Thomas the coach: ֍֍֍Thomas is the glue that keeps the LTAD squad together.  He never misses a session and has seldom even been seen without a smile on his face.  It is never too wet, too cold, or too hot when Thomas is around – all weather is great training weather “and sure doesn’t the rain stop when it hits the ground”?  His boundless enthusiasm transmits itself throughout the squad and his patience, his gentle nature and his genuine warmth for the young people we work with really sets the tone for who our squad are and the values we are built on.  To see Thomas coax a young athlete who is new to the squad complete a distance they never thought possible is to watch a master at work.  Thomas is a one off and we are blessed to have him ֍֍֍

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH?

THOMAS?Dublin, (Holles Street) 1963

KATIE? Dublin, (The Coombe) 2006

WHERE DID/DO YOU ATTEND COLLEGE/SCHOOL?

THOMAS? Ballyfermot Technical School (Kylemore College)

KATIE? St Joseph’s Lucan – Going into 2^nd year

THOMAS, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH?I have always been in the transport industry (over 40 years’ experience)

KATIE, IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU BOTH JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? We both joined in 2018

THOMAS, WHEN DID YOU JOIN THE WATERSTOWN WARRIORS? I joined in 2015. I joined after completing Couch to 5k.

KATIE, WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS?I wanted to run with people my own age and to get away from running with my parents

DID/DO EITHER OF YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORTS?

THOMAS: Football in the school years

KATIE: I used to do swimming

THOMAS, WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Roy Keane, Mohammed Ali, Bobbly Charlton

AND THE SAME QUESTION FOR YOU KATIE? I don’t follow sports, but my parents are an inspiration to me

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

THOMAS, WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy

KATIE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COMPUTER GAME?Animal crossing

THOMAS, WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Madness in the Point Theatre Dublin

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS TO WATCH AS A FAMILY?

1. Toy Story

2. Harry Potter

3. Hocus Pocus

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION THAT YOU VISITED AS A FAMILY? Disneyland or anything to do with Disney

THOMAS (& CELINE) FAVOURITE KIND OF RESTAURANT TO GO FOR A DINNER OUT?We like to go to Cape Greko in Malahide. This our favourite restaurant – beautiful Greek food and the chef is fantastic

THOMAS, WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/ SPORT?Gardening, socializing, and catching up with friends

THOMAS, IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. Help by The Beatles

2. Our House by Madness

3. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (Live version)

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

THOMAS, WHO IS YOUR COACH(ES)? I have never had a coach, only good running friends for support and advice

KATIE, WHO IS YOUR COACH(ES)?Graham (Hopkins), Gerry (Naughton), Donal (Iremonger) and my dad

THOMAS, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Finishing the 2018 Dublin City Marathon, just getting under the 4 hours

WHAT ARE BEST TIMES (PBs)?

THOMAS?

5km – 22.59

10km – 48.39

Half-marathon – 1.50.13

Marathon – 3.57.34

KATIE?

1 mile – 5.42

5km – 22.50

KATIE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? Paarlauf in the Park

THOMAS, DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? Hill training on the Knockmaroon hill

KATIE, WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE RACE/RUN/CLUB OUTING THAT YOU HAVE DONE? The Howth Cliff Run with all my running club friends. It was very windy, but it was great fun

THOMAS, WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN (pre-covid)? Monday 5 miles, Wednesday 10 miles, Saturday 5k Park Run, Sunday long-slow run (between 10 to 14 miles)

KATIE, DO YOU PREFER TO RACE ON TRACK, ROAD OR CROSS-COUNTRY? I prefer to run on the track as it is an easier surface to run on

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

THOMAS, HOW DID YOU GET INTO COACHING AT DONORE HARRIERS? When Katie joined the club, I used to sit on the sidelines or in the car depending on what session she was doing. I noticed Gerry (Naughton) and Donal (Iremonger) had large numbers at the training session and one evening I asked Gerry if I could tag along. I would get involved every week by running at the back of the group who were training. Every week, I would help with little tasks to aid Dónal and Gerry (making sure everyone was motivated to do their best)

<NOTE: The LTAD juvenile distance squad was previously coached by Gerry Naughton and Donal Iremonger – until July 2019>

KATIE? YOU REACHED THE MILESTONE OF 50 PARKRUNS COMPLETED; TELL US ABOUT THAT ACHIEVEMENT? It takes longer than you would imagine to complete 50 park-runs. I never thought I would ever complete that many as my first few park runs were very tough. I had to stick with it, and I am glad I did. On the day, I was happy to see my friends from the club who joined me to complete my 50^th park-run. I was very happy to see that I got a lovely 50^th parkrun cake

THOMAS, THE WATERSTOWN WARRIORS IS A RELATIVELY NEW COMMUNITY CLUB IN PALMERSTOWN, WHAT HAS BEEN THE KEY TO THE CLUB’S DEVELOPMENT? The key to the club is the vast majority of the club members live local. Due to this, it is easier to organize groups to run with. We are very lucky to have such a great park on our doorstep. They are a very supportive and friendly group of people. There are people of every age and different running abilities. You will always find someone to run with

KATIE, IF YOU HAD TO CONVINCE A FRIEND TO JOIN DONORE HARRIERS WHAT POSITIVE THINGS WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE CLUB? The people in the club are very friendly and very supportive. To me, the club social gatherings are very important. They are also great fun and a way of mixing. I have made great friends

THOMAS, YOU ARE A POPULAR COACH IN THE JUVENILE DISTANCE SQUAD, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR COACHING ROLE? That’s so funny! When it comes to coaching all, I have to do is turn up and Graham (Hopkins) has everything sorted. He has every little and big detail planned to a t. I am lucky to coach alongside Graham as he has so much experience and knowledge. I always learn something from him. It is a joy to be involved with the juvenile distance squad. They are a lovely bunch of athletes who will have so much success in their futures

AND FINALLY, A QUESTION FOR CELINE! HOW MUCH HAS RUNNING/ ATHLETICS BECOME A FOCUS WITHIN THE DELANEY HOUSEHOLD? Running is a very big part of our lives. If we are not running, we are training or cycling or out walking. From starting couch to 5k and to all the marathons, to the park runs, to the Waterstown Warriors and to meeting the Donore Harriers’ team (Gerry, Donal and Graham), it has been an adventure.

Never would I have imagined that we would end up doing runs in different countries. If you would have told me a few years ago that the Delaney family would be in Florida doing a park-run, I would not have believed you – but here we are!

AND THOMAS, TELL US ABOUT YOUR RUNNING ADVENTURE? From couch to 5k in 2015, to doing my first half marathon in the same year and from then I completed 3 Dublin City Marathons in a row. Two I ran with my wife Celine. In between park-runs and races on home soil, myself and Celine have also been doing runs when we on holidays abroad. In 2017, we completed the Disney Florida Half Marathon. Also, in 2017, I ran the marathon in Liverpool and did the half-marathon there in the following year. We have completed the Portugal half-marathon and the Budapest half-marathon. Unfortunately, I had to pull out of the Budapest half-marathon at just over 5 miles with a calf injury. I will get to complete it eventually! Last June, a week before my daughter’s wedding, my friends were taking part in the Energia24 in Belfast. This was a 24-hour team relay. One of the team was forced to drop out and I competed as a late replacement. If I was to recommend any run, I would recommend this one. It was the most enjoyable weekend of running. Also last year, while injured and unable to run, I completed the Great Dublin Bike Ride

Karla Doran has been a key scoring member on Donore Harriers medal winning teams in Dublin, Leinster and National cross-country and road championships. She represented Ireland at the World Masters in 2018 and hopes to make a return to the Irish team for the 2022 championships due to be held in Gothenburg

Karla, who is now the proud mother of two young children, has had to juggle parenting and her career with her training and race programme. Her love of running and her commitment to the club are very evident in this engrossing interview

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Dublin in December 1979 – I like that I was around for the last 10 days of the 70s

WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? St Mary’s Convent, Lucan (primary); St Joseph’s College, Lucan (secondary) – favourite time; DCU for 3^rd level where I got to do a year in New York for one of the 4 years. I also recently completed a post-grad in professional legal studies

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? I did Business and Legal Studies in DCU, so from there I went on to a be a legal secretary for several years before leaving that to work in the charity sector for a few years. I then returned to the legal sector a few years ago and now work as a Legal Executive for Mason Hayes & Curran, a large law firm of 500 people. It’s a lovely place to work!

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? January 2013. My first session was intervals along Conyngham Road, but I still came back. It took me around a year to progress

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I had moved to Chapelizod a year previously and had been jogging around the park quite slowly. Donore Harriers was just up the road and I knew it was a very reputable and competitive club as I’d heard of it over the years

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? I was in Lucan Harriers from 12 to 14 years of age. I had a great coach called Dave who trained us hard and to be competitive. Then one day I dropped running and pretty much forgot about it for 15 years, besides dabbling in it now and again accompanied by resolutions to become a serious runner. However, I believe doing athletics as a child really stays with you for life. I had a need to go back to it and that training really stands to me in my running now. I think it really benefits your running if you did it as a youth

DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I’ve always cycled as a means of commuting. I also do a bit of swimming. So, the more solitary sports. I’ve done a lot of snowboarding including a season working in Whistler, Canada. It’s my other favourite sport but I don’t get to do it often

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? Not really sure. I like road and cross country. I compete in 5km and occasionally 10km on the road, 1500m on track

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete

WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Sonia (O’Sullivan) of course! I also liked Derval O’Rourke’s attitude to training and racing. I was inspired and encouraged by Jim McNamara to push myself and tap into my potential.

Also, from day 1 at the club, I’ve admired and been inspired and encouraged by the brilliant group of women who train rain or shine. There’s a great team spirit and everyone is so enthusiastic about running, while enjoying the sessions together. You get a lot more out of the group session than training alone

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Mark Knopfler last year. He was the lead singer of Dire Straits and is a great dad-rock solo artist.

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?

1. American Gangster

2. The Prestige

3. Uncut Gems

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? AND WHY? Argentina – the people, the food, the language, the constant festival atmosphere in Buenos Aires where I stayed for a few months, the natural beauty of the landscape in the rest of the country including the Iguazu Falls. And not far from there the Bolivian salt flats which are stunning.

I also love Spain and it’s easier to get to

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Food is a big one! Being with my little ones. Sun – in the garden will do. It’s the simple things really. Music – Spotify is great for discovering good music.

I used to enjoy nights out, but I don’t get to do that anymore

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. A Horse with No Name by America

2. D’You Know What I Mean? by Oasis

3. Let It Happen by Tame Impala

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO WERE/ARE YOUR COACH(ES)? The late Jim McNamara, and now Willie Smith

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Hard to choose. I’m proud of all of my AAI medals, many of them team. I’m proud of my road race wins too.

I felt a sense of achievement when I came 7^th in the National Novice XC after coming 81^st the previous year

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES/MARKS (PBs)?

10km – 38.20

5km – 18.23

1500m – 4.45

800m – 2.20

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? I always preferred racing to training, but I did enjoy the 400s on the polo grounds – nice and fast and a big open space. A motivating and enjoyable session

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU DID? The group did a few sessions in the Wicklow Mountains led by Willie Smith. I attended one of them. It was very tough, and I didn’t run well but would like to do it again as it’s beneficial as well as something different. Also, I would like to give it a better go

WHAT IS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN? I was never one for long mileage. I think good efficient training suits me and I don’t get tired out. My week was made up of Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday sessions with the club, my own long run on Sunday, some yoga myself every morning, cycling to work (hour round trip) and strength class on Monday morning in Dublin Sports Clinic

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY OR UNUSUAL STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? In my early days of training at Donore, I used to show up in big cotton tracksuit bottoms and cotton t-shirts. One Tuesday evening session on the Donore Harriers track it started lashing rain on the warm-up and I ended up trudging around the track in water-laden tracksuit bottoms. I had to quit the session but Jim found it hilarious!

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. Sean Kelly – cycling

2. Ronnie Delany – I saw him at the Le Chéile track once

3. Jason Smyth – 100m Paralympian

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

DID YOU COMPETE AS A JUVENILE OR JUNIOR ATHLETE? Yes, I ran for my school in Santry and Belfield several times doing sprint, long jump and relay. I also competed in XC, road, track and indoors for my club (Lucan Harriers) during my time there (2+ years)

WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN ATHLETICS STEM FROM? I didn’t have any particular connections to running, just knew that I enjoyed it – sprinting then. My first taste of competing was at school, where I used to love sports days, PE and inter-school competitions. From there, myself and 2 friends jointed the local AC and this is where my love for running grew initially. I did give it up but was bound to return one day!

When I joined Donore Harriers, my interest in running was reinvigorated and grew again. Donore introduced me to the world of running and this gave me a new lease of life!

DO YOU REGRET NOT COMING TO THE SPORT AT AN EARLIER AGE? Absolutely not. Everyone is different, but in my case, I left it and came back to it at the right time. I suppose a couple of years earlier couldn’t have hurt, but I was very happy and really surprised that after spending my 20s enjoying other enjoyable aspects of life that did not tally with running, I was able to return to the sport at an older age and achieve a lot in it. I feel I got to do both!

In any event, the long-term commitment and tunnel vision it takes for serious athletics just would not have suited me personally. Also, I feel that as I have fewer miles on the clock, I will still be fresh as an older/masters athlete and have a lot to give going into the future

HAVE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH ANY LONG-TERM INJURIES? I haven’t had many injuries but did have a shin splint (possibly stress fracture) for 5 months. I cross-trained throughout this time

I was unfortunate to pick up a glute injury a few months prior to my only international race abroad – the World Masters 2018 in Malaga – XC and track events. I was delighted to be able to go over and compete there, but underperformed as my fitness and confidence were down

HAVE YOU EVER RUN A MARATHON? IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE? The longest I have run is 10 miles once. I probably won’t do a marathon as I simply don’t have anywhere near that kind of endurance. I could try walking one when I’m 70!

YOU MADE A COMEBACK AFTER BECOMING A MOTHER, HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU? I came back from my 5-month injury gung-ho to the training sessions, but a few weeks in and I found out I was expecting. I did fit in the Great Ireland Run 2017 and was the fourth member of the Gold M35 team that day! So, I promptly gave up running as I wasn’t comfortable with doing it. I was also quite fatigued in the early months of pregnancy. I kept up yoga and brisk walking. Straight away I missed it and craved to be running, which lasted until I returned to running. It was actually just the act of running or even jogging that I missed, not the racing. This made me realise that I ran because I enjoyed it more than for other reasons

So, soon after giving birth I did pilates at home and began training again with great enthusiasm and enjoyment. I also did mummy bootcamp, continued with my yoga routine – when I had a chance – and kept training and racing. This resulted in podium places in most of my races (not Malaga though!)

I continued to breastfeed for over a year and found this didn’t really affect my running, except that I had to ensure I fed the baby before a session or race. When I returned to work, I got my exercise by cycling there and running around the Docklands most lunchtimes, frequently bumping into Florrie (Curley) as we crossed the toll bridge before the sea from either side

It was about time management and fitting training into the daily routine as I didn’t want to do it in the evening. I did continue with the Saturday session and Sunday run. As with many runners, my husband had to be very accommodating for this to work. I also squeezed a lot of road races into last Spring

As I have just had another baby, I have been off running for exactly a year now. But this time I didn’t miss running at all and welcomed the guilt-free break from it. For base fitness, I kept up yoga, cycling, walking and taking the stairs rather than the lifts in work. But really, it’s mild exercise in comparison with the fitness achieved when you are running. Recently I’ve been feeling more ready to go back, but not quite yet!

WHAT ARE YOUR RACE TARGETS OVER THE NEXT YEAR? Well I have a newborn right now so haven’t really had a chance to think about that. I look forward to getting back to doing races in Dublin and I would love to compete in the World Masters 2022 in Gothenburg

I’m not sure exactly when I will return to running, but hopefully in the not too distant future!

John Phelan was one of the Hogan’s heroes! He was a key member of Donore Harriers teams that regularly won Dublin and National titles in the 1960s/70s

In this intriguing interview John gives us an exploration into the club’s golden era under the expert coaching of the legendary Eddie Hogan. John also tells us how athletics and Donore Harriers helped his career path

The Co. Tipperary native, a successful athlete in his own right, also competed for St. Mary’s College and Belgrave Harriers (both London), and for the Aer Lingus team in the early days of Business Houses races. He represented Ireland in the International cross-country in 1972

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? 1948 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? CBS Clonmel, St. Joseph’s College Cahir, and St. Mary’s College in Twickenham

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? I worked for Aer Lingus between 1967 and 1971. In September 1971 I was awarded a Department of Education scholarship to study Physical Education in St. Mary’s College in Twickenham. In January 1973 we were brought back to the National College of Physical Education in Limerick (now UL). I completed the course the degree course in 1975. I became a PE Teacher at Crumlin CBS in 1975/76 and then transferred to teach at St. Joseph’s School in Clonmel. I later became the Principal and retired in 2009

Incidentally, one of my teammates on the St. Mary’s College team was David Bedford. He used to run 200 miles a-week and once held the World record for the 10,000 metres.

<NOTE: Dave Bedford set a World Record 27.30.8 for the 10,000m in 1973. He won the South of England junior (6 miles) and senior (9 miles) cross-country championships on the same day in 1970. He didn’t have a good finishing kick, a factor that denied him medals in major track championships. Bedford was Director of the London Marathon between 2000 and 2012>

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? In September or October of 1967

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I ran in an Aer Lingus one-mile handicap race in the summer of 1967. The race was won by Eddie Spillane and I came 3^rd running off a 100 yards handicap. I asked Eddie about joining a club and he suggested Donore Harriers

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? Of course, I played hurling and Gaelic football as a kid in Tipperary. I later played GAA for Aer Lingus teams and we got regular trips to the USA, where I played in Chicago, Boston and Springfield. We also played in Rome in a game versus the Rome Irish College

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? I have to say cross-country. Of course, Donore Harriers was 90% a cross-country club at that time

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete

WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? Jim McNamara. He was a blood and guts runner. He was a very nice guy, who gave me lots of encouragement. And I also admired Tom O’Riordan. Tom was a top runner who was ahead of his time in how he trained and prepared for races

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? No Borders by Tom English

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? I have a daughter living in Sydney and have been to Australia several times. That’s one favourite. I also liked Finland. I ran there with the Aer Lingus team in 1971 and was impressed that it was a beautiful country and the people were nice. It was different!

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? More sport! I’m an addict! I also follow GAA, rugby, soccer and I play golf on a regular basis

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. Nancy Spain by Christy Moore (my wife is named Nancy)
2. If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks
3. Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO WAS YOUR COACH? Eddie Hogan

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? When I came 2^nd in the National Inter-Counties cross-country in 1972 at Belfield. John Buckley (St. Finbarr’s Cork) won that day and Mick McNamara of Donore Harriers was 3^rd

I came 4^th in the inter-counties at Mallow in 1974

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES/MARKS (PBs)?

10km – 30.28 in the Intervarsities in 1974

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? Interval 800m runs at the St. Mary’s triangle

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? 10 interval miles on the road that surrounds the Polo Grounds.

Basically, every run with Donore Harriers. Once you left the clubhouse (Hospital Lane) everybody chatted for a bit until we reached St. Mary’s (Chapelizod) Gate, then somebody put the foot down and it was every man for himself. It was tough, especially having to go up Knockmaroon Hill

WHAT WAS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN IN YOUR HEYDAY? When I went over to St. Mary’s College in Twickenham, I began running 100 or 110 miles in a week. It was all about miles. There was no coach at Twickenham at that time and we had no structure. Looking back, we also lacked in not getting sufficient rest and recovery. Belgrave Harriers was my London based club.

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? We used to have good craic at Donore Harriers. Occasionally after training we’d go to Dillons for a few pints. I remember that after races the team would go to the Black and Amber for a session, then it was back out on Monday to sweat it all out

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. Eamonn Coghlan

2. John Treacy

3. Sonia O’Sullivan

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN ATHLETICS STEM FROM? I was always interested in sport and we had a teacher in school who had us out running. Then I came 4^th in the Tipperary Under 18 cross-country in 1966

DID YOU PREFER CROSS-COUNTRY OR ROAD RACING? I liked both. The camaraderie in team races on the road was great also. When I first arrived on the scene, I had great difficulty making the scoring 4. Then when I was the 4^th man in a race the wily Willie Dunne would pass me in the last lap

ARE YOU PRESENTLY INVOVLED WITH ATHLETICS/SPORT? Well I follow my local athletics club Clonmel AC. Sean Tobin and Kevin Maunsell are their leading athletes. I am also involved with helping out coaching a couple of local GAA teams. I find that my athletics background is very useful when it comes to helping the lads improve their general fitness

YOU WERE THE 3^rd SCORER (8^th PLACE) ON THE DONORE HARRIERS TEAM THAT WON THE INTER-CLUBS CROSS-COUNTRY IN 1972; WHAT DO YOU REMEMEBER ABOUT THAT DAY? The race was held in Clonmel and it was a very miserable day. I was in the leading group early on with John Buckley (St. Finbarr’s AC, Cork – winner) and Tom O’Riordan (Donore Harriers – 3^rd). I fell back and had to settle for 8^th. I remember that Paddy Coyle (Lourdes AC) passed me at the end of the first lap.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO COMPETE ON THE SAME TEAM WITH THE LIKES OF TOM O’RIORDAN, EAMONN COGHLAN, JIM McNAMARA, EDDIE SPILLANE AND OTHERS? AND HOW IMPORATANT WAS THE INFLUENCE OF COACH EDDIE HOGAN? When I first came to Donore Harriers there were 6 or 7 internationals in the dressing room. I came to the conclusion ‘do what they are doing, or just walk out the door’. They had a very high standard of training. My only criticism is that they ran too hard sometimes. Some of the lads were there 4 or 5 evenings in a week. Tom and Eamonn usually came twice a week and both were smart at training. Eddie (Hogan) was there for sessions every Tuesday and Thursday. He brought the standard up. For instance, I was a novice athlete in 1967, 68, 69 and I improved to the point that I represented Ireland in the 1972 international cross-country. Eddie had us doing sessions like long fartlek runs and 800m intervals on the St. Mary’s Triangle. He was a coaching guru, who was ahead of his time in Ireland. He was probably influenced by the likes of Zatopek and the New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard. I think he began coaching in 1955 and he quickly brought talented runners like Bertie Messitt and Tommy Dunne to the fore in Irish athletics.

Eddie Spillane was a phenomenal athlete. He was on every Donore Harriers scoring team that won the national inter-clubs between 1968 and 1975. I believe that his 8-in-a-row is a national record.

My first medal won with Donore Harriers was in 1968 in the Dublin Novice XC. I was a scoring member of the team. An interesting scorer on that team was Eddie Treacy. He competed for Ireland in the 1968 Olympic Games as a boxing featherweight. He won his first-round fight against a Jamaican but lost his next match against a local Mexican boxer. He was a good friend and neighbour of Jim and Mick McNamara

<NOTE: the following is an extract from Frank Greally’s essay series ‘Heroes and Friends’ about being ‘Homesick in Sherriff Street’> ֍ What kept me going during that first month in Sheriff Street were my evening visits to the Donore Harriers clubhouse in Islandbridge. Eddie Spillane or John Phelan would pick me up at Capel Street and drive me to Hospital Lane, and it was there that I met some of my heroes who were already legends of distance running- the likes of Tom O’Riordan, Jim McNamara, Mick Connolly, Tommy Redican and Willie Dunne.
The first evening I shared a dressing room with Tom O’Riordan and his hardy comrades always remained special. Tom was king of cross- country at the time, an Olympian and one of the sweetest movers ever to grace a track. He was a little aloof, but in a shy and not an arrogant way. It was a few years before I discovered he was a most engaging conversationalist and we became firm and lifelong friends.
On Tuesday nights as we Harriers wended our way out of Hospital Lane, Tom and Jim McNamara would set a scorching pace up steep Knockmaroon Hill and beyond. The Donore sessions were the stuff of legend, and when I was part of those sessions, I felt I had reached the promised land.֎

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY NATIONAL TITLES YOU WON WITH DONORE HARRIERS? I was on the scoring cross country team that won in 1972, 73 and 74. I was 5^th man in 1975 and 5^th man in 1978. I was on the Donore Harriers team that won the first two national road relays in 1973 and 1974. I was the last leg runner in 73 and we were 19 seconds down, so that was a special day for me. Donore Harriers also won the 3,000m track team championships in 1973, so I had the distinction as being the only club runner to win the cross-country, road and track team championships in that year.

I was also on the team that won the National 15-mile road race in 1971.

FAST-FORWARD TO BALLYFIN 1978 WHEN DONORE HARRIERS REGAINED THE TITLE; THE DONORE HARRIERS SCORING 4 WERE IN THE TOP 10 AND YOU PLACED 11^th, THAT MUST BE A BITTER-SWEET MEMORY? I was delighted that the club won the team event. I was running well at the time and had finished 2^nd in the Munster championships. I was hoping to make the Irish cross-country team, so I started out in the lead group. It was a savage, tough course with a huge hill. I ran as hard as I could, and there was no sign of Mick Flood and Pat Cassidy in the early laps, who both ran a more calculated race than me and made the scoring 4. We had 6 athletes in the top 15 that day with Jim McGlynn in 15^th place. It seems quite extraordinary that Donore Harriers did not win the title again for another 15 years

DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OTHER RACES WHERE YOU ACHIEVED GOOD RESULTS? In 1972 I was the London Colleges cross-country champion. It was series of 5 or 6 races, and I remember that I won four. I ran in the Middlesex County 10,000m track championship race and picked up the bronze medal.

1972 was a busy year! I was the leading Donore Harriers athlete to finish in the European Clubs championships at Arlon in Belgium; I came 5^th in the European Catholic Universities cross-country in Paris, and I was the Belgrave Harriers 7-mil cross-country champion.

In 1973 I was 3^rd in the Dublin senior cross-country behind Danny McDaid, who was then running for Clonliffe Harriers and runner-up Dessie McGann of Civil Services. That meant a Donegal man, a Meath man and a Tipp man in the top 3 that day. I was also 3^rd in the very first All-Ireland Unity cross-country championships at Ballyclare in Co. Antrim. Donie Walsh of Leevale AC won that day.

Then I came 2^nd in the Dublin 3,000m steeplechase in 1974 and I was Donore Harriers 6-mile cross-country club champion in 1976. That’s for the Faugh-A-Ballagh Challenge Cup.

I also won several Tipperary County titles in cross-country, road and track.

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU SOMETIMES HAD A HECTIC RACING SCHEDULE COMBINING CLUB AND AER LINGUS RACES? Yes, on one occasion myself and Eddie Spillane competed for Donore Harriers in a half-marathon race in the Phoenix Park and then flew to Belgium to compete in a race on the next day. Another time I ran the first 5 and-a-quarter mile leg for Donore Harriers in the 40 miles relay that went to Leixlip and back. I remember that it was the 1^st of May 1971 and the race started at 12 noon. My handover point was the Hermitage Golf Club. I was then brought to the airport where I took a 747 plane to Shannon. Then it was a car journey to Killarney where I finished 2^nd to Pat O’Riordan in the All Ireland 4-mile Business House championship

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING RONNIE CARROLL TO DONORE HARRIERS? HE WAS A SUPER ATHLETE! I SEE THAT HE CAME 5^th IN THE WORLD JUNIOR XC AT GLASGOW IN 1978 AND WON THE NATIONAL INTER-CLUBS IN 1985. TELL US ABOUT RONNIE? I was a teacher at Crumlin CBS and Ronnie was a pupil. He did a little bit of training and then finished 4^th or 5^th in the West Leinster cross country. What I noticed is that he had lots of guts; he ran himself to the bone. He had a great attitude to training and racing. Ronnie joined some other strong junior athletes at the time, including Brian O’Keeffe, Vivian Devine and David Lynch. They were coached by Eddie Hogan

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU COMPETED FOR AER LINGUS IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE BUSINESS HOUSES RACES? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? Yes, myself and Tommy Redican worked with Aer Lingus, and together with Eddie Spillane and another lad we won the BHAA team series in 1968 and 1969

HOW DO YOU COMPARE ATHLETICS FROM 1970s/80s TO THE PRESENT DAY? MAYBE GIVE A POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE? I think that more thought goes into the training plans these days. As example, there is a good focus on rest and recovery runs. There are also greater numbers in races. However, the quality doesn’t seem to be as good. The times of today don’t compare to the 70s and 80s. Athletes like Tom O’Riordan, Eamonn Coghlan, John Treacy, Ray Flynn, Marcus O’Sullivan were running times that are not matched today.

YOU CLOSELY FOLLOW THE ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS OF DONORE HARRIERS; ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR ATHLETES THAT YOU TIP FOR THE TOP? Yes, I follow the club updates on the website and on Facebook. I don’t follow any particular athlete, but I hope that Donore Harriers will pick-up the national inter-clubs soon

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTING REGRETS? I don’t really have any regrets. Obviously, I was disappointed not the make the Irish team and the scoring 4 on the club team. However, if it were not for athletics, I would not have got my P.E. scholarship and the career path that followed. Deep down I owe a big gratitude to athletics and Donore Harriers

WHAT KEY ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING YOUNG ATHLETES? 1. Train hard; 2. Maintain a good lifestyle; and 3. Have a mentor (coach) to keep you confident and motivated.

You also need to learn you how to train and race properly. Sometimes rest and recovery is very important than training; and you need to learn how to taper down and how to do pace judgement.

Regular training is very important. I remember in 1970 placing 9^th in the Dublin Intermediate cross-country and then placing 4^th in Leinster and 12^th in the National all within the space of a few weeks. My improvement was due to training consistently

HAVE YOU WON ANY IRISH SINGLETS? Yes, I got to represent Ireland twice in 1972. I ran in the International cross-country championships at Cambridge and in the Findus International cross-country race at Parliament Hill Fields in London. I was on the Irish A team that also included Dessie McGann (Civil Service), Pat Gilsenan (Metro AC), and Pat O’Riordan (Leevale AC).

<NOTE: Here is a link to a short clip of the senior international cross-country championships at Cambridge 1972 with the Irish team to the fore early on – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAoBTO5wQ2g >

<And here is a clip of the Findus cross-country race at Parliament Hills Fields, London in 1972 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zM9SdEiKqM >

Barry Potts joined Donore Harriers in 2000, aged 50. Since then he has become an inspiration for runners of all ages. “You are never too old to run” is his motto. He’s the present Irish, Leinster and Dublin M70 marathon champion. Thus far, he’s won 54 championship medals, including 4 when representing Ireland in the British & Irish Masters cross-country championships.

Barry is also one of the club’s longest serving coaches, having mentored the Fit-4-Life squad since 2008. He has been responsible for supporting scores of newbie runners to achieve their target goals that range from 5km to the marathon. The warm respect that exists between Barry and the Fit-4-Life members is evident in this interview.

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Buckingham street tenements, Dublin 1949. Checked it with archives.

WHERE ARE YOU BEING EDUCATED? De La Salle Primary School

WHAT IS YOUR PLANNED CAREER PATH? Joined the Army at 17 and 4 months. Retired in 2008

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 2000. I was aged 50 when I joined

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? Nearest club, no car

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No. I ran in Business Houses AA races. Also, I participated in Defence Forces championships especially cross country where I won individual and team

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I played 7 a-side hockey and participated in tug-of-war events

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? I don’t really have any, but if I had to pick probably 10 miles

WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete and Coach for the Fit-4-life group

WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? The runners ahead me in a race. I like getting to the finish line ahead of them and afterwards enjoy a nice bottle of red wine

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? The film Mozart with live music at the National Concert Hall

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?

1. White Christmas

2. Student Prince

3. African Queen

Can’t beat the oldies!

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? I have very fond memories of Germany where I spent some years

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Music, I taught myself to play the mandolin and tenor banjo. And I sang and played with a ballad group in the sixties and in various groups up to the seventies

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. I’ll Walk with God – Mario Lanza from the movie musical Student Prince

2. Drink Drink Drink – Mario Lanza from the Student Prince

3. 1812 Overture

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO IS YOUR COACH? Willie Smith and ironically, he was the Men’s Coach when I joined the club

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Putting on the Irish vest in the British and Irish International master’s cross country championships

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES/MARKS (PBs)? All my PBs were achieved after the age of 50.

5km – 17.20 which I ran 6 days prior to my 55^th birthday

4-mile – 22.40

5-mile – 28.20 when aged 53

10km – I have the course record in the M55 (36.59) and M60 class (38.59) in the Dunshaughlin 10km road race. The previous Over 60 record was held by the great late Jim McNamara which made it special

10 mile – sub 60 at age 54 years

Half marathon – 79 mins at age 54 years

Marathon – 2.57.36 at Dublin 1992

I won the Frank Duffy 10 miles in all age categories from 0/50 to O/70. To date I have 54 championship medals which includes 4 international gongs from the British & Irish Masters

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? At my age, any session I can start and finish

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? I always enjoy training sessions. Difficulty sometimes can be in the head

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN (pre-covid)? I train 6 days per week with an extra session Mondays and Wednesdays prior to coaching the Fit 4 life. I also swim 4/5 mornings a week.

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

Any three from the Fit 4 life

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST DISTANCE? The ones I win

YOU WERE PLAGUED WITH INJURY A FEW YEARS BACK AND ADVISED TO QUIT RUNNING. HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THAT DIFFICULT SITUATION? I got a slipped disc in 1987 which prevented me running for over 2 years. That experience helped me in accepting and using the injuries as a benefit rather than a hindrance. Prior to my slip disc I ran the Dublin Marathon in 3.39. When I recovered and got back training, I ran 3 marathons in 1992, Belfast in 3.04, Finglas in 3.01 and Dublin in 2.57.

All my injuries since then I have used as rest and recuperation periods. If you’re not using the energy, you’re storing it. The last serious injury was worn tissue on the medial meniscus. My surgeon suggested an injection which had to be gotten from the UK as it wasn’t registered here. It wasn’t guaranteed to work but I had nothing to lose. Unfortunately, the injections weren’t successful. I hadn’t trained for about 4 months. My surgeon told me that I couldn’t do any more damage on the knee. The pain went so I resumed training and with the long rest and the extra swimming, I was doing 1500 metres 5 days a week, it wasn’t too difficult getting back to my training routine

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN COACHING? I was injured for 7 weeks plus and Charlie O’Neill approached me and asked if I would be interested in coaching the Fit-4-life

DO YOU HAVE ANY COACHING PHILOSOPHIES? Mind over matter – I DON’T MIND AND YOU DON’T MATTER.

WHEN DID YOU START UP THE FIT-4-LIFE SQUAD? In 2008

HOW HAS THE WHOLE FIT-4-LIFE BEEN FOR YOU? MAYBE GIVE A NEGATIVE AND A POSITIVE? I would find in impossible to be negative in relation to Fit 4 Life. I have the greatest respect for the group. A person arrives at the club 30, 40, 50 years of age with no running experience and I see the tremendous effort that they put in to run 5k without stopping and then running 10k. Eventually they are running races in all distances including marathons. I have nothing but admiration and respect for the Fit 4 Life group

<NOTE: Here is a poem in tribute to ‘Barry’ and the Fit-4-Life squad, written by Jo Hughes. It was presented to Barry on his 70^th birthday and it catches the camaraderie and spirit of the group>

Barry has a little group

Its name is Fit-4-Life

30 odd members 2019

No arguments rifts or strife

——————————

Mondays and Wednesdays, we always meet

Whether its hills or track or run

Rain or hail we rarely miss

We get miles and chats and fun

——————————

Back in the day there was Barbara & Niamh

Turning up every week without fail

If it wasn’t for them as others moved on

Barry would have had to bail

——————————

There was Nicola and Elaine and Stacey’s Dad Ken

They kept us going through thick and thin

But alas they got too fast for us plebs

So, they climbed the ladder and now they’re celebs

——————————

As time went on the club started to grow

Deirdre Healy and Andrew, Anne Rush and Jo

Others joined too, but soonest they left

But that’s all right, Barry wasn’t bereft

——————————

Don’t shame me if I get the order wrong

We welcomed the brothers Neil and Colm

Anna and Orlaith the athletic sisters

Put a spring in our step and soon we had blisters

——————————

Deirdre Brennan and Coyle were next on the list

Amadine and Adrienne if weren’t around would be missed

Julie is in and out of the game

And without Orla and Sile wouldn’t the the same

——————————

We were delighted to welcome Shiofra and Peter

And part of the furniture is our good friend Cariosa

2 Seans’ joined up Sean White and Sean Browne

Not as good at runnin’ as hittin’ the town

——————————

Claire and Jenny came to join the group

More marathon runners to add to our troop

Siobhan and Rachael put pressure on our paces

Made us stop and think and sign up for some races

——————————

Andrew and Daniel were nearly last

But there’s no denying they’re bloody fast

Ray and Tony we are glad to have

As of our group, they’re really sav

——————————

A few more faces in the last year

Namely Rachael and Blathnaid they have no fear

Daniel apparently is training hard

For Ultras and marathons, he won’t get jarred

——————————

Simon joined back after 2 years gone

Faster than ever and ever so strong

Claire is still strutting her stuff

As Siobhan and Stacey are up the duff

——————————

That’s us all Fit For Life in Donore

Keep telling your friends we could do with some more

Thank you, Barry, for your constant dedication

It’s your 70^th birthday but still no hesitation

——————————

We did a collection, nothing you need in your life

So, buy something nice or go out with your wife

Your efforts and kindness we cannot measure

So, we made you a book, we hope you will treasure!!!

HAVE YOU WON ANY IRISH SINGLETS? I have won 4 Irish singlets. All from the British and Irish International cross country

YOU HAVE A 3^rd AND TWO RUNNERS-UP RESULTS IN THE WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD HANDICAP RACE; DO YOU HOLD ASPIRATIONS TO GET YOUR NAME ON THE COVETED SHIELD? I must admit it’s not high on my bucket list! But yeah, I’d love to win it on merit

In this catch-up, we meet husband and wife Stephen and Michelle Dawson. Both regularly compete in cross-country and road races – and have added the Triathlon to their sporting endeavours. Michelle was the popular winner of the Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield in December 2012. Ultra-marathon man Stephen had a focus on ‘Boston’ prior to the Covid-19 restrictions

The sociable couple are backbone members of Donore Harriers. They are incredibly supportive when new members join the ranks offering hearty welcomes and advice – and they are always present in the organization of club events, carrying out tasks such as course-marking, marshalling, hospitality, and the manning of water stations

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH?

MICHELLE?Tallaght 1982

STEPHEN? Rathcoole 1982

WHERE DID YOU ATTEND COLLEGE?

MICHELLE? DITCathal Brugha Street

STEPHEN? DITCathal Brugha Street

MICHELLE, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH? I studied Culinary Arts at DIT and after a year of travelling in Australia I made a career change to ELT. Since moving to English Language I’ve completed my DELTA (Masters) in teaching English. I’ve been the Director Studies at Kaplan for the last 5 years

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU BOTH JOIN DONORE HARRIERS: 2011

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? We both got into running the year before our wedding. Auntie Joan recommended Donore Harriers to us as it is a very welcoming club and only down the road from us. We’d no idea what a running club really entailed however – we both thought the session was over after the warm-up!

WERE EITHER OF YOU WITH ANOTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No

DID EITHER OF YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORTS? Basketball and badminton – Michelle

STEPHEN, WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES?

Ruby Walsh was a couple of years ahead of me at school so when he found success it was good to see someone (else!) from Rathcoole doing so well in sport

AND THE SAME QUESTION FOR YOU MICHELLE? Gwen Jorgensen – World and Olympic Triathlon world champ – an amazing athlete who had to put a huge amount of work into improving her swimming and bike to compete at such an amazing level

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?

MICHELLE? The Lost Man – Jane Harper

STEPHEN? A Dance with Dragons – George R Martin (slowly working through the Game of Thrones books as a lockdown project!)

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU BOTH ATTENDED? New Order at Trinity

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS TO WATCH TOGETHER?

1. Star Wars (Episodes 2-9)

2. The Dark Knight

3. Pulp Fiction

FAVOURITE COUNTRY THAT YOU VISITED TOGETHER? We love to travel – hard to pick a favourite – Bali, Spain (Estepona/ Barcelona) and Florida Keys

FAVOURITE KIND OF RESTAURANT TO GO FOR A DINNER OUT? Modern Irish using local produce – favourites include – Variety Jones, Bastible and Lilliput Evenings

MICHELLE, WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/ SPORT? Reading, podcasts and cooking

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. MICHELLE – Famous Blue Raincoat by Leonard Cohen

2. STEPHEN – Pixies by Debaser

3. MICHELLE & STEPHEN – LCD Soundsystem by All My Friends

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO ARE YOUR COACHES? Willie Smith – a wonderful man and an excellent coach

STEPHEN, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? In 2013 I took part in the Connemara Ultra (39 miles) – I really enjoyed the race and finished in the top 20

WHAT ARE BEST TIMES (PBs)?

MICHELLE?Marathon 3.57.26/ 10km – 50.12

STEPHEN? Marathon 3.00.29 / 1/2 Marathon 1.22.23

MICHELLE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? Pyramid on the Polo Grounds – a good distraction for the mind (also known as torture!)

STEPHEN, DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? Any session that Willie decides that there will be a sting in the tail of 100 on/ 100 off – just when you think it’s finished!

MICHELLE, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE MOST REWARDING ASPECT OF RUNNING WITH DONORE HARRIERS? The chat either during a long run or before and after a good session. Also, marathon training – working with a group and feeling the improvement over the months leading up to the race

STEPHEN, WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN (pre-covid)?

I was training for the Boston Marathon, so my typical week was –

Monday / Wednesday – 10km recovery runs

Tuesday – Willie’s session

Thursday – Tempo / fartlek run

Friday – rest

Saturday – Willie’s session – usually hills

Sunday – 20-22 miles

MICHELLE, WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS?Some focus on strength and conditioning training for injury prevention

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

STEPHEN, CROSS-COUNTRY OR ROAD RACING? Road racing

MICHELLE, YOU WON THE WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD RACE IN DECEMBER 2012, TELL US ABOUT THAT DAY?One of my proudest moments! The race itself was horrific and for the last two laps I wanted to drop out as I could feel the rest of the field chasing me down. Jim Mc(Namara) had different ideas and pushed me on with words of encouragement

STEPHEN OR MICHELLE, DID YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY LONG-TERM INJURY THAT INVOLVED REHAB, MAYBE TELL US ABOUT THAT? Michelle – 2 stress fractures over 10 years of running – both required a few months off running

YOU HAVE BOTH COMPETED IN THE TRIATHLON, A GROWING SPORT IN IRELAND, HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE? AND WILL YOU CONTINUE IN THAT EVENT? Stephen competed in duathlon and did a couple of 50km cycles – he’s not a fan of the swim (yet!).

I took up triathlon after my first stress fracture, starting in the pool and then the bike. I joined Pulse Tri Club for a couple of years and did some Sprint, Olympic and one 1/2 Ironman – the 1/2 was a fantastic experience and someday I would love to do the full distance

FINALLY, IF YOU HAD TO CONVINCE A FRIEND TO JOIN DONORE HARRIERS WHAT POSITIVE THINGS WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE CLUB? The people are fantastic, and you will make lifelong friends. The coaching is excellent too! Willie is always just a text away for advice

On the 10^th September 2020, two days before his 87^th birthday, it will be 60 years to the day since Willie Dunne competed in the 1960 Olympic Games marathon in Rome.

It is arguably the most iconic race in the history of the marathon. The race was won by Abebe Bilika, who took the decision to run the race in his bare feet despite sections of the route being over cobblestone. Bikila, a soldier by trade (a member of the Imperial Guards who protected the Emperor of Ethiopia), set a new world record of 2.15.16 and became a pioneer for African distance running. He became the first man to successfully defend the Olympic marathon title when he won in Tokyo in 1964 lowering the world record mark to 2.12.11.

Here is a link to the 1960 race – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_zRr9KOFWEWillie was wearing no. 59 and his clubmate Bertie Messitt, who was an early race leader, wore no. 58. Gerry McIntyre (Clonliffe Harriers) wore No. 60.

Back in 1956, Willie, together with his brothers Tommy, Joe and Brendan, were key members of the Donore Harriers teams that began a run of 19 senior cross-country titles within a period of 20 years.

Willie competed 4 times in the International Cross-Country Championships, the precursor to the World XC Championships, with his best result being 5^th at the Pontcanna Fields in Cardiff on 22^nd March 1958. The top 3 in that 9-mile race were international superstars in the sport in their day; Stanley Eldon (ENG) 46.29, Alain Mimoun (FRA) 46.30 and Frank Sando (ENG) 46.33. Willie ran 46.43 and led home the Irish team that also included his Donore Harriers team-mate Bertie Messitt, who placed 19^th. Ireland came 7^th of 9 teams.

Willie won the All-Ireland (AAUI) championship marathon in 1962, 1964, 1965 and 1966, before winning the first Bord Luthchleas Na hEireann (BLE) marathon in 1967 following the amalgamation of the NACAI and AAUI.

The Donore Harriers athlete competed several times in the international Marathon de Berchem in Belgium. In 1971 he came 2^nd (2.23.10), behind French international Bernard Caraby (2.19.58), whilst in 1972 he placed 3^rd (2.17.54) behind his club teammate Brendan O’Shea, who won in 2.16.50.

On the 5^th March 1977 Willie contested the first national veterans (masters) XC championships at the Phoenix Park, finishing 3^rd behind George Blackburn of Westbury Harriers and Noel Hendricks of Wexford. Twenty-nine years later Willie came 2^nd in the national M70 grade at Carrignavar in Co. Cork. He eventually retired from competition when 80 years old.

The Dublin 8 native came 25^th in the inaugural Dublin Marathon in 1980 in a time of 2.37.07 and ran a blistering 2.30.13 in the following years aged 48.

Willie won a European Masters marathon gold in the M45 class at Viareggio, Italy in 1978 and won a team silver, together with his clubmate Jim McNamara and his brother Brendan, in the 10km XC at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Melbourne in 1987.

He coached at Donore Harriers for the best part of 30 years, gradually stepping away in the early 2010s. Among the successful juvenile girls in his squad were Roseanne Galligan, Karen O’Neill, Emily Rankin and Brid Larkin

NOTE: In December 2017, the Juvenile Section coaches at Donore Harriers initiated a 2-mile handicap race run in conjunction with the Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield 10-mile Handicap race. The winner of the Juvenile race is presented with the Willie Dunne Shield

<NOTE: A very special thanks to Jean Dunne, Willie’s sister-in-law (wife of Brendan) and Amanda Gilsenan (Jean’s daughter-in-law) for their support with this interview>

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? The Coombe on 15.09.1933. I was one of 9 boys and a girl

WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? St. Kevin’s Schools in the Black Pitts, Dublin 8

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? Silversmith

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 1950 give or take!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I think it was 1949 when I saw a group of people running in College Park. A man said that he would give half-a-crown to whoever won the 440 yards race. So, I joined in and I won. That got me started in the running. Donore Harriers was my local club

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I used to box at the St. Francis Boxing Club in the Liberties. Other family members also boxed there

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? The marathon

WHAT WERE YOUR MAIN ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete and coach

WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? It was Ronnie Delany

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? AND WHY? Puerto Rico. I competed there in a team event together with my brother Brendan and another club member Brendan O’Shea. We won the team gold

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? I like a bit of opera and to listen to classical music. I also enjoy watching sport on TV, in particular rugby

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. Nessun Dorma

2. Serenade from the Student Prince

3. Old Refrain by Deanna Durbin

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO WERE YOUR COACHES? Eddie Hogan and Cyril White

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? I set the Irish marathon record of 2.14.35 (#) when I won the national championships in 1967. It was the first combined BLE championships after the NACAI and AAUE came together

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? The long run

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU DID? Anything with hills

WHAT WAS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN IN YOUR HEYDAYS? I used to run between 100 and 130 miles in a week

DO YOU STILL FOLLOW THE ACTIVITIES OF DONORE HARRIERS? Yes, but it’s difficult these days because I can’t get to the club so often – and I am not on the internet

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. John Treacy

2. Sonia O’Sullivan

3. Eamonn Coghlan

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

DID YOU COMPETE AS A JUVENILE OR JUNIOR ATHLETE? Yes, I started running as a junior, known as youths back in the day

SANTRY 1956, IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A GOLDEN ERA FOR DONORE

HARRIERS IN IRISH CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING… YOU WERE ON THE SCORING TEAM THAT WON THE INTER-CLUBS THAT DAY, WHAT IS YOUR MEMORY OF THAT DAY? I remember that I came 7^th. My brother Tommy was 2^nd. We were all delighted with the team win and celebrated afterwards in Dillon’s Pub, which was close to our clubhouse in Hospital Lane. However, I never touched alcohol

THE DUNNE FAMILY WERE A DYNASTY IN DONORE HARRIERS. I NOTICE – AS

EXAMPLE – THAT THE 1961 NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY WINNING TEAM

INCLUDED BROTHERS WILLIE, JOE AND BRENDAN DUNNE. TELL US MORE

ABOUT THAT? All my brothers were runners, some did the running more than others. I came 6^th with Joe 11^th and Brendan in 12^th. Joe was also a good runner! I was also on the scoring Donore Harriers team that won in 1962

YOU RAN THE HISTORIC 1960 ROME OLYMPIC MARATION IN 1960, WHAT ARE YOUR RECOLLECTIONS OF THE RACE AND THE ROME OLYMPIC GAMES? I remember that I had heat stroke 2 days before the marathon. I got to meet Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali) and I still have his autograph to this day. And I remember that we all got Parker pens. When I got home there was a great celebration in the Iveagh Trust Flats (Kevin Street) – and I remember that my mother felt very proud that I had competed in the Olympics Games

<NOTE: Willie Dunne (2.33.08) came 42^nd from a field of 75 athletes>

YOU HAVE A SPECIAL STORY TO TELL ABOUT THE GREAT ABEBE BILIKA, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THAT? Bikila stayed in the same Olympic accommodation and there was great excitement in the flats after he won the marathon.He was a lovely man, but he didn’t have a word of English. We used to go on runs together with some of the other distance runners

DID YOU PREFER RACING ROAD OR CROSS-COUNTRY? Road, too many hills in cross-country

WHAT ARE YOUR ABIDING MEMORIES OF COACH EDDIE HOGAN’S ERA OF THE 1950s, 60s and 70s, WHEN DONORE HARRIERS WON 19 NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY TITLES IN 20 YEARS? It was a great period for the club.Eddie Hogan was a great coach. He was very dedicated. I think that he was at the club morning, noon and night

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT RUNNING IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARATHON DE BERCHEM BACK IN THE EARLY 1970s? I ran in that race a few times. When I finished 2^nd in 1971 it was the first time that I made the podium in an international race. I went to the race with Dave Reynolds (Lourdes AC) from Drogheda and we struck up a friendship. We used to talk about the running and our jobs. I think he said that he was fitter in a local cement factory.

I remember that I was leading the race in 1972 past the halfway. I passed halfway just outside 70 minutes. There was a local official on a bike who was shouting at me, and I couldn’t make out if he was saying “you in front” or “two in front” with his Belgian accent. I couldn’t see anyone up the road, but I still decided to try and speed up. Eventually, I got tired and Brendan O’Shea caught up to me and that was that. I finished 3^rd.

<NOTE: Here is an extract from the book ‘ATHLETICS IN DROGHEDA 1861 -2001’ by Joe Coyle – in which he gives an account of the trip to the ‘Berchem Marathon’ in 1971 … On written confirmation of his selection (Dave) Reynolds reported to the Santry Stadium on the Sunday before the race. He was loaned an Irish track suit, which he was told to give back as soon as he returned. He was given a green Irish international vest, which he could keep. He was given a separate badge of the national shamrock motif, which he was to arrange to have sewn on the front of his vest. (Willie) Dunne and he were given return flight tickets Dublin-Brussels and they were given written instructions on how to get to the race from Brussels and how and when to get back to the airport.

When they (Reynolds and Dunne) arrived in Brussels they boarded a train for Duffer, a small town near Antwerp. On arrival, they were met by Irish man, Paddy Cuddy, from Aughnacloy in Co. Tyrone, who had married a local girl and stayed in Belgium after the war. He arranged their accommodation. Although they were racing the following day the athletes were obliged to stay a further four days because the ‘six day’ return flights were the most economic that BLE could purchase.

Cuddy had arranged for the Belgian coach of the local Duffer A.C to give the Irish runners information about the race. There was one small hitch – the Belgium coach had few words of English.

Not surprisingly, in the heart of sports mad Europe, the marathon was a big event locally. There were 118 starters, a huge field in those days. Commencing at 7pm on a September evening darkness came quickly and most of the distance was run under the street lighting of the city. The course was flat, incorporating some difficult stretches of cobbles, but Reynold’s abiding memory is of the enthusiastic crowds lining the entire course and their encouragement to the runners. He never experienced anything like it.

The two Irishmen were in close contact through much of the race, but as the field settled after the early miles, they were not sure what was happening up front. They could see the flashing blue lights of the official lead car ahead of them. Approaching twenty miles the Belgian coach who had been darting from point to point on a bicycle, rode up to them, gesticulated and shouted: “treee, fooor”. Dunne and Reynolds correctly interpreted this to mean that they were holding third and fourth places. Two French men had slipped away early in the race and one was tiring badly. Dunne caught him first to move into second and the Drogheda runner passed him a short time later to go clear in third place. But the French man’s team-mate (Bernard) Caraby held off the strongly finishing Irish pair to win in two-seconds under 2hrs and 20mins, with Reynolds clocking 2hrs 23mins 24 secs., just nineteen seconds behind Dunne.       

The following day the first three finishers were paraded in front of a 20,000-crowd attending a track and field meeting in the Heysel Stadium, Brussels … They did a lap of honour and were introduced trackside to the legendary Belgian athlete of the day Emile Puttemans. Most importantly for the lads they were given envelopes which covered their expenses. If they had finished outside the top three, they would have been out of pocket because of their enforced extended stay in Belgium…>

<NOTE: Dave Reynolds was the founding member of Star of the Sea AC in 1972>

IS IT TRUE THAT YOU RAN IN THE FIRST DUBLIN MARATHON IN 1980? Yes, I ran in the first Dublin Marathon <NOTE: Willie placed 25^th in 2.37.07, just one place and 5 seconds behind Jim McNamara>. But I did better in the second Dublin Marathon. I came 43^rd in 2.30.13 at 48 years of age. My brother Brendan ran 2.40.

DID YOU EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH LONG-TERM INJURY? I had a lot of injuries and I still struggle with walking after all the wear and tear of running

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WAS YOUR LAST RACE? I ran in the Waterhouse Byrne Baird when I was 80 years old. A few years back! I had to walk most of it, and I thought that was it <NOTE: Willie never won the WBB>

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPORTING REGRETS? I have no sporting regrets, only happy memories

HOW LONG WERE YOU A COACH AT DONORE HARRIERS? 20 years, maybe more

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING YOUNG ATHLETES? Take it easy at the start and have patience. Success needs to be long-term, so be patient

END NOTE: The Willie Dunne Shield winners to date are: –

2017 – Oliver Hopkins

2018 – Amber Lynch

2019 – James Dunne

END NOTE: To finish, here is another video clip of the 1960 Olympic Marathon – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk72IL6BDwAt 2.09 you will spot Willie Dunne No. 59, Bertie Messitt No. 58 and Gerry McIntyre (Clonliffe Harriers) No. 60 on the start line. At 2.29 you will see Willie running in the early stages of the race. McIntyre placed 22^nd in 2.26.03, whilst Bertie Messitt was withdrawn from the race on medical advice as he struggled in the latter stages of the race

David Slupko is both affable and tough-as-teak! Known as “Slupko” in his social circle, he mixes the high hurdles with rugby and judo. Since joining Donore Harriers in 2018 he has become one of the country’s most exciting prospects over the 110m Hurdles event. He won the All-Ireland Schools (14.49) and AAI Games in 2019 (14.94) and was pivotal to Donore Harriers progress in the National Track & Field League.

Slupko is not the first budding high hurdler to join Donore Harriers from the sport of rugby. Brendan Mullin, capped 56 times for Ireland between 1984 and 1995 and a British & Irish Lion on the 1989 Australia tour was recruited to the club during a time when he won 110m Hurdles titles in the All-Ireland Schools in 1981 (14.5) and 1982 (14.6) and the National Junior in 1981 (14.5) and 1982 (15.15) in the colours of Blackrock College.

Here’s hoping that talented Mr. Slupko, the former Castleknock College student, will stick around in athletics!

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Born in Dublin, 18/11/00

WHAT IS YOUR PLANNED CAREER PATH? My mindset changes often but I’m building on some ideas at the moment. I hope to be an entrepreneur

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 2018 I believe

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? Maurice (Ahern) got Aoife Lynch to contact me after my race in the Leinster Schools, whilst I was in 4^th Year

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? No

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? Yes, Judo, Rugby and Sambo

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? 110m Hurdles

WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? Athlete

WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? I don’t have anyone who I have looked up to in sport. However, I would say my father was a very big figure for me when I was young. Who I am today and what I have achieved is very much because of him

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Electric Picnic

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?

1. Ready Player One

2. Avatar

3. Scarface

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? I have travelled a lot and every country has its beauties. Difficult to say, but I’m caught between America (Florida) and Turkey

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Spending time with my girlfriend

IF DISERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. Walk Em Down – NLE Choppa

2. What’s Popping – Jack Harlow

3. Run Through Jungle – Creedence Clearwater Revival

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO ARE YOUR ATHLETICS COACHES? John Geoghegan, Paul Clarkin and Emily Geoghegan (Donore Harriers sprints coaches)

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Winning the All-Ireland Schools Championships. I knocked over 9 of the hurdles and yet I still won achieving a time of 14.49. It was a funny yet memorable day

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES/MARKS (PBs)?

Schools Seniors 110mH -14.49 in All-Ireland Schools at Tullamore June 2019

Senior 110mH – 14.90 (3’6”) in National League at Belfast May 2019

60mH – 8.81 indoors January 2019

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? I remember that we did one very serious session when warm-weather training in Portugal. We finished off with tanning and dipping our feet at the cold steeplechase water-barrier at the stadium

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? I believe I haven’t come across a session where I was lightheaded or had an urge to throw up at the Donore Harriers training, I think that the fitness sessions for rugby with Trinity is where I feel it. I can feel my brain pulsating sometimes!

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN (pre-covid)?

Monday – No sessions

Tuesday – Gym session in town (rugby) 9:00 – 10:20am – and evening athletics 7:15pm

Wednesday – Gym session in town (rugby) 8:00 – 9:20am – and evening rugby 6:00 – 8:30pm

Thursday – Evening either athletics 7.15pm or judo 7.00 – 9.15pm

Friday- Gym session in town (rugby) 9:00 – 10:20am – and evening rugby 6.00 – 8.30pm

Saturday – Athletics in the morning 10:30 – 1:00pm and judo 5.15 – 7.35pm

Sunday – Rugby match with a kick-off around 1.30 pm lasting till 3.00pm

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB? Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything funny jumping out of my mind that ties in with the athletics at this moment. However, I usually have good crack with training partners Alex Clarkin and Zak Higgins

WHAT ONE CHANGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT DONORE HARRIERS? Encourage more people to compete in the National Track and Field Leagues

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. Conor McGregor

2. Katie Taylor

3. Brian O Driscoll

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

HAVE YOU FOUND IT PROBLEMATIC TO JUGGLE YOUR RUGBY UNION COMMITMENTS WITH YOUR ATHLETICS? I have not found it problematic. In fact, I believe I balance it well between the two sports. Athletics has helped me become a little more flexible and agile which has helped me in my rugby. My body has found a midpoint between the two sports and I find no real challenges in mixing the two sports. Just pure work ethic from my end at this point

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR FUTURE IN SPORT? Having been brought up in the sports environment, I had many elders tell me I have a huge potential in rugby. I have picked up multiple awards in rugby, such as Player of the Year Awards. But the problem is that I started to get injuries that took me out of the game for approximately two months at a time. And by each injury, my mental state got rattled so much that at this point I am considering on dropping the sport and concentrating more with athletics. I believe that I have the potential to excel in the hurdles

HAVE YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH INJURIES, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE INJURY AND THE RECOVERY PROCESS? I have been mocked a lot for the amount of breakages I’ve had to this day. But it has never prevented me from stopping my participation in sport

In my childhood

Broke my left arm, I think playing football with older men.

In 1^st Year

Two nose breakages within 3 months, playing rugby and then the fixation operation

3^rd Year

Broke my right ankle quite bad (displacement, ligaments and tendons remained intact). It side-lined me for almost a full season. I was told that I needed screws and bolts. But I refused and told the doctors to place it back into place – and I prayed and hoped for the operation to be successful. The operation was, indeed, a success. Gladly, I have had no problem with the leg since.

5-6^th Year (Rugby Senior Cup campaign)

I had right lower-back muscle tightness. This had a severe impact on my upper body movement. So, professional needling and heat therapies were carried out. The issue was fixed, and I have no problem with it now.

Then, my left-knee-slight hit to the patella causing severe swelling and lockup. I wasn’t able to hinge my knee fully for about 4 months. So, I had more professional heat therapies done. The energy flow up and back to the left leg was an awesome experience

2020 Trinity Rugby

In November I picked up a shoulder Injury. Thus, I had a numb shoulder for over a month. Thankfully, its fully recovered now

On the 24^th of February I got a serious break in my left wrist. I had to have 7 screws and a metal plate. Ireland’s best hand consultant surgeon operated on my arm. I’m recovering at a fast pace. Something like 75% healed at this stage

I SAW IN A RACE WHERE YOU KNOCKED OVER 9 OF THE 10 HURDLES – AND STILL WON! HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING TO IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE? AND DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR BACKGROUND IN RUGBY HELPS YOU TO STAY BALANCED AND COMPOSED AS YOU CLATTER THOSE BARRIERS?The reason why I tend to hit the hurdles is because when I see someone bypassing me, even just a little, I get this urge of doing ‘the catch-up game’. I don’t really care about technique at that point and my objective is just to win.

I am trying to polish up my technique, but to perfect it will take months. Furthermore, I must say that rugby does give me that ability to keep going as rugby is composed off trying to stay on your feet as long as you can and clattering fences that have little weight is not much of a challenge or obstacle for me. Also, when it comes to competitions, I am the heaviest runner in the race, but I still have the power and flexibility to compete well. I believe that the technique will soon be sharper. I just need to slim down, and keep working hard at the drills

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE RACE? AND WHY? It was the 19^th of May 2019, I think, in the National League at Belfast. This was the day where I knew the race will not be a stroll in the park. I have a good memory of people’s faces and recognised the athlete who competed against Alex Clarkin in All-Irelands Schools competition. That had been a tight race between them both. And then there was Rolus Olusu, an older athlete who coached me hurdles back in 4^th year. I intuitively knew that they would be starting out of the blocks against me in the hurdles race. It was a heart-stopping, hair-raising close race and I managed to hold-off the two athletes that I considered my biggest challengers. But that wasn’t the best part! The moment that truly captured my memory was of my supporters, my club colleagues, in the Stand screaming out my name as I passed the finish line. When I stopped and turned towards them all I saw was everyone jumping of joy and congratulating me. I teared up a little bit – not gonna lie!

I think the reason why everyone was delighted is because the odds of me winning were low and many, but not everyone, doubted me coming first that day. BUT I BELIEVED IN MYSELF! And coach Paul Clarkin boosted my confidence prior to the race. He told: “Don’t mind them. This is your race and they are nothing compared to you”

GIVEN YOUR DETERMINATION, COURAGE, POWER, STRENGTH AND NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE, HAVE YOU EVER CONTEMPLATED DOING MULTI-EVENTS/THE DECATHLON? I have had thoughts on doing multi-events. I believe I have the power, strength and height and can do well in several events. However, I believe it’s a bit too late to be starting now. Even if I have a few training sessions and head into a competition, I’d be up against athletes who have been training from a very young age. Beating them would be tough as they’ll have years in their pocket whilst I’d be a novice in many of the events.

Everything is possible! But at this moment in time, I want to concentrate on other things, and I don’t have much time to take on more challenges

WHAT IS YOUR BIG TARGET IN ATHLETICS? Top 3 in the national seniors at 110m Hurdles. I’d also like to get that Irish singlet, sooner or later!

IS IT TRUE THAT YOUR NICKNAME IS THE SAME AS YOUR FAMILY NAME? Yes, that’s correct. My nickname is my family name. I am well known in the sports environment in Ireland with the surname” SLUPKO”. I prefer being called Slupko more than David as there are many Davids but only one SLUPKO!!

FAVOURITE MOMENT(S) THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN ANY OF THE SPORTS? A moment that will stay with me forever. Semi-Final against Cill Dara in Rugby.

It was a home game, last play of the game, 16-12 to Cill Dara, scrum on our 22 and their ball.

As scrum was being formed, I was already on my knees (Position Flanker). I had my eyes closed and was visualising myself intercepting the ball and running the whole pitch. What I visualised turned into reality. It became a race to the try line against the wingers that were catching up to me from the sides. When I placed the ball beneath the two sticks and jolted back up onto my feet, all I saw was my whole team running towards me screaming in joy. Everyone was smiling and their happiness really did strike a soft spot in me. I got a little bit emotional as I felt this appreciation from everyone including the coaches. My interception got the team into the final against a tough side in the Donnybrook Stadium. Until this day, whenever we get together as a team, that exact moment always gets brought up in conversation

Gerry Curtis has no regrets about his running career; he describes it as ‘an incredible journey’. He was National Senior XC champion 3-times in 1989, 1990 and 1992, came 2^nd on 3 other occasions and led Donore Harriers to their last senior team title in 1993. He represented Ireland 6 times in the World XC championships. On the track, Gerry won the National 5,000m (14.08.47) in 1987 and 10,000m (28.49.26) in 1988. He won the Ballycotton 10-mile (48.07) in 1993; and was the winner of the Raheny 5-mile in 1987, 88 & 89. His 1987 time of 22.39, long before the Vapor Fly shoe, is still the course record.

The Donore Harriers man starred on the Irish team that famously won the America-International Ekiden Relay in New York in 1989. He competed at the highest level in races in Britain, the USA and elsewhere. Gerry Curtis was a super athlete and a great competitor! The question to be asked is what Gerry would have achieved if he came to the sport earlier in his life and had the opportunity to be a full-time athlete!

Before you read Gerry’s compelling interview you might wish to see the man in action; so here is a link to Gerry running against a star studded field in the Cork City Sports 5,000m in 1988 when he placed 3^rd in 13.42.32 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kogrn8GfVC4

STANDARD QUESTIONS

PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Dun Laoghaire, 18^th May 1959

WHERE WERE YOU EDUCATED? CBS and Tech College in Dun Laoghaire

WHAT WAS YOUR MAIN CAREER PATH? I was a soldier between 1978 and 1981. I then worked in the Fire Services for 34 years

IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? Not exactly sure, but I think sometime in 1986

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? Sean Meaney (a former senior athlete with the club), whom I worked with in the Fire Brigade told me about Donore Harriers and suggested that I should join. I was soon encouraged by Brendan O’Shea and Maurice Ahern to sign up for the club

WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? Yes, I was with Blackrock A.C

DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I enjoyed sea rowing and I played volleyball. I did a bit of coaching in volleyball and I was also a gym instructor

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? I have to say that I loved it all, track, cross-country, road… but road racing was my absolute favourite

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE AT THE CLUB? I was an athlete with Donore Harriers

WHO WERE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? When I was a kid all the talk was about Ronnie Delany. He was the first famous sportsperson that I admired. I then remember being in the local Yacht Club watching Eamon Coghlan run in the Olympics… and I also admired John Treacy and Ray Flynn for what they achieved

SOCIAL QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Staying the Course by Dick Beardsley. You might remember that Beardsley came 2^nd in the Boston Marathon in 1982 behind (Alberto) Salazar after a mishap with a motorcycle

WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Bruce Springsteen in Cork a few years ago

WHAT ARE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE FILMS?

1. The Quiet Man

2. Trouble with the Curve, starring Clint Eastwood. The story is about a baseball scout

3. For the Love of the Game, starring Kevin Costner. That’s about an aging baseball player

I also like the movie St. Vincent starring Bill Murray

FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? That’s a hard one! Probably the USA. In terms of running I would say Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. Great facilities and great running trails

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? Reading, doing a bit of gardening, gym, swimming, and the movies

IF DESERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PALY 3 SONGS, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

1. Fairy tale of New York – The Pogues (Shane McGowan) and Kirsty McColl

2. Living Years – Mike and the Mechanics

3 What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong

ATHLETICS QUESTIONS

WHO WAS YOUR COACH? Ian Hamilton, who was an athlete at Villanova (USA), and was coaching at Blackrock AC always offered good advice. Brendan O’Shea was my coach at Donore Harriers

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Winning my first national senior cross-country title in 1989

WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)?

3,000m – 7.52.07 in Belfast 1988

5,000m – 13.34.70 in Hechtel, Belgium 1988 (1^st)

10,000m – 28.01.0 Sodertalje, Sweden 1989

5km Road – 13.54 in Los Angeles 1991

10km Road – 28.24 in Bangor, Co. Down 1987 (1^st)

10 miles – 48.07 Ballycotton 1993 (1^st)

Half-Marathon – 1.02.40 in Belfast 1988

Marathon – 2.14.37 in Boston 1990 (placed 12^th)

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? A 4-mile tempo run starting in Greystones and going uphill all the way to Bellevue Woods. That really got the heartrate going!

DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? That was a pyramid session with John Treacy whilst in the States. It was 1km, 2km, 3km, 2km, 1km at 5km pace with a short jog recovery

WHAT WAS A TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN? It changed according to the season. October to Christmas was about building up the mileage. Nearer the race reason it was a 90-mile week that included a long run, a tempo and a fartlek

DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS? In the Fire Brigade I had to wear steel-cap shoes and we were told “Never run in steel-caps”. The story is that I got selected to run two road races in Yugoslavia and I had to apply for special leave. After a few days I got a call to go to the office. Being excited I started running towards the office, fell on my arse, bruised my hip… and the injury meant that I could not make the trip…

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3 IRISH SPORTSPERSONS OF ALL TIME (all sports)?

1. Eamonn Coghlan

2. John Treacy

3. Ray Flynn

I can say that they all made a positive impact on my life

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

WERE YOU EVERY OFFERED A SCHOLARSHIP TO THE USA? Yes, coach John McDonnell offered me to go to Arkansas University. However, I felt that I was a bit too old to go and I had work commitments

DID YOU COMPETE AS A JUVENILE/JUNIOR/SCHOOLS ATHLETE? No. I was 22 years old when I took up running. Whilst I was always fit, I probably lost out by not having a stronger fitness base from a younger age

YOU WERE 2^nd IN THE NATIONAL SENIOR CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1987 AND 1988, SO HOW DID IT FEEL TO TAKE THE WIN IN 1989? WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT DAY? It was a very mucky course down in Killenaule. I remember that my Mom and Dad came to watch me. My Dad was not a person for giving hugs, but after the race he gave me a great big hug. He died a little over 2-weeks after that, so it was a very emotional period for me

YOU LED HOME THE DONORE HARRIERS TEAM THAT LAST WON THE NATIONAL SENIOR CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE IN 1993; WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT DAY? I had fractured my back a couple of years before, so I had reached the end of my running career. However, Donore Harriers had a few good runners that made winning the title possible. We had won the National Road Relays a couple of times, but I knew that winning the Inter-Clubs meant a lot to Donore Harriers. I ran out of my skin that day and was actually closing on the winner Noel Cullen (Clonliffe Harriers) in the final stages. Noel Richardson was 3^rd and Senan O’Reilly and Ciaran O’Flaherty closed the winning team

YOU RAN 13.34.70 FOR 5,000m in HECHTEL, BELGIUM IN 1988; TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT EVENT/RACE? It was a night race and Hechtel was a small rural track. I was in great shape. I won the race, but I missed the Olympic qualifying standard by just one second

YOU PROBABLY NEEDED TO COME 2^nd or 3^rd IN THE RACE TO PULL YOU THROUGH TO THE QUALIFYING MARK? Yes, definitely! Brendan Quinn finished in the field in the Steeplechase, but he got the qualifying standard. The other problem was that I was alone… I mean I didn’t have anyone on the side of the track giving me splits and encouragement

YOU REPRESENTED IRELAND SEVERAL TIMES IN THE WORLD CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS; WHAT IS YOUR BEST MEMORY FROM THE WORLD XC? I had my best run at Stavanger in Norway <placed 35^th in 41.44>. I was the first Irishman home and finished close behind top American runner Ed Eyestone. A few weeks later I beat Eyestone in a road race in the States

YOU WERE ON THE IRISH TEAM THAT WON THE EKIDEN (marathon distance) RELAY IN NEW YORK IN APRIL 1989; THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE? The Irish team included John Treacy, Marcus O’Sullivan, myself, Frank O’Mara and John Doherty. We were against some of the best national teams in the world including Kenya, the USA and Britain. I ran the 3^rd leg <9.3km run in 26.17> and started in 3^rd place. I passed Gary Staines (GB) and Ed Eyestone (USA) and reached Frank O’Mara in the lead…

<NOTE 1: This is a comment on boards.ie about Gerry’s performance in that race – It reminded me, in particular, of the Irish team’s victory when Gerry (Curtis) was head to head with the U.S.’s Ed Eyestone. It was great to hear the Yank’s commentary early on suggesting that Eyestone would just run away from the ‘full-time fireman’. They were initially taken aback when Curtis when ahead, only for Eyestone to come back and take the lead. Almost immediately Curtis came again and buried Eyestone. The Yanks were gobsmacked that a full time Olympian athlete could be beaten by a full-time fireman. It was brilliant>

<NOTE 2: Here is a YouTube link to the 1989 Ekiden relay with Gerry Curtis at the beginning of the clip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZg7pFEAa4

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SPORTING REGRET? I give the sport everything whilst I was competitive. It was difficult because I had work commitments. But I loved everything about athletics, and I loved competing for Donore Harriers. That was my favourite singlet to wear. The club has always had a special place in my heart. I know that people might think that I should regret not competing in the Olympics, but I got the standard in the marathon (2.14) and in the 10,000m (28.01). I am happy with that! What I can say is that the whole running journey has been incredible and good to me

WHAT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN IRISH ATHLETICS SINCE THE 1980s? MAYBE GIVE US A POSITIVE AND A NEGATIVE? There has been a big improvement in sprinting, whilst the sport has stood still in distance running. The standard in distance running has improved recently, but that maybe more to do with the science of shoes than anything else. I suppose on the plus it is good to see so many more people out running…

WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION WITH RWANDA? Let me explain that when I worked in the Army, I saw many awful things whilst stationed in the Middle East. When I finished running, I decided to go on a 3-months work project with the GOAL Charity in Rwanda. The club raised funds for the GOAL trip. There was mass genocide in Rwanda, and it was a life-changing experience

ARE YOU STILL INVOLVED IN SPORT/ATHLETICS? Yes, I believe in giving back to a sport that has been good to me. I am a coach at Bray Runners

THE CLUB HAS SOME VERY PROMISING YOUNG MIDDLE-DISTANCE ATHLETES AT THE MOMENT, INCLUDING LOUIS O’LOUGHLIN, ADBEL LAADJEL, GAVIN CURTIN, OLIVER HOPKINS, SEAN KINSELLA AND OTHERS; WHAT IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THEM? Enjoy it! It will all go by so quickly, so don’t get caught up in the pressure of it all. Listen to your coach and don’t get caught in the trap of hearing different things from different people