Other Sports

Celebrating cross country running in Kerry

April 21st, 2015
by Weeshie Fogarty

 I had the privilege of being invited to the Kerry Athletics Awards Night in the Listowel Arms Hotel two weeks ago, a superb event as athletes young and old, boys and girls, men and women were honored.  Meeting the Kerry Ladies Senior Team silver medal winners in the Inter County cross country was special. They took second place behind Dublin in the finals in Dundalk last November.  A superb achievement. Niamh Clifford (Star of the Laune), Grace Lynch (Iveragh), Ann Maria Costello (Gneeveguilla)Maria McCarthy (Farranfore Main Valley)Karina Teahan (St Finbarr's), Caitriona Barry (Farranfore Main Valley), Shone Heaslip (An Riocht), Laura Crowe(Ann Riocht) and Niamh o Sullivan (An Riocht).

Cross country running has a huge history in Kerry and some great names, men and women have brought honor and glory to the county down through the decades. And by sheer coincidence as I intended to remind readers of this great sport a brand new publication arrived in my post just last week.  Written by Cork man Liam Fleming and titled; Irish Champions Past and Present 1879-2014, it is absolutely fascination to thumb through is near four hundred pages and read the names of legendary figures in the world of cross country but especially when the word Kerry appears after a name then you will really sit up and appreciate this massive body of work.

Liam has endeavored to cover all championships from the first All Ireland cross country at Dunboyne on April 9th 1881 right up to March 21st 2014 at Dundalk. He delves deeply into the fragmented political history of the sport informing us among other things that from 1937 to 1967 NACAI athletes were ineligible for international competition; the Irish government presented an Irish singlet to the first ten homes in the senior championship but the athletes never got to wear them.

Women's cross country was first introduced in 1966, Peggy Horgan was the first Irish winner followed by great names such as Sonia o Sullivan, Ann o Brien, Fionnuala Brittan, Ann Kennan Buckley, Rosie Lamb.  Eleven counties have produced individual ladies cross country winners and there among these elite eleven is our own star of stars Maureen Harrington. Maureen's name literally jumps out at you from the pages of this superb publication and any Kerry heart would swell with pride when you trace the achievements of this magnificent unassuming athlete.

Maureen is in my opinion one of the most unacknowledged sporting greats this county has seen. A remarkable successful athlete she has had a wonderful career. Her achievements are amazing and really speaks for themselves. Indeed her greatest admires have been known to refer to her as Kerrys answer to Sonia o Sullivan and whether you agree or not with this high praise few people will argue that she is one of the most exciting female athletes to emerge from the Kingdom . Maureen is from Tousist, the very same parish from were the great winning Kerry captain of the twenties Phil o Sullivan came from.

She wrote herself into the annuals of Kerry legends when she was a member of the Irish women's team which won the countries first bronze medals at the world cross country championships in 1997 and again in 2002. A magnificent achievement by this very unassuming and private lady and team mates on those teams includes Sonia o Sullivan, Catherina McKiernan, Valeria Vaughan, Una English and Pauline Curley, all legends in ladies athletics.

So how talented was this amazing lady. During the nineties she won seven Kerry senior cross country championships, five Munster senior Cross country championships. At All Ireland inter counties, her record is two wins, (1994-95 and 1995-96) and five second placing. In the All Ireland inter club championships her record stands at two wins, third three times, a fourth, fifth and sixth.  Amazing statistics.

In her stunning career, the Kenmare lady represented Ireland on eight occasions in the European Cross country championships and in ten world championships. She ran in the world re-lay marathon race in Seoul and completed in numerous international grand prix races all around the world. Maureen Harrington is a legend, who can argue that she must rank as one of Kerrys greatest female athletes.  Liam Fleming new book simply copper fastens for posterity all her achievements.

And then on the male side the one big name that dominated the sixties was the magnificent Tom o Riordan. What an athlete. Tom won five memorable Irish senior cross country titles running for Donore Harriers, 1963-65-66-68-70. Tom, from the townland of Turbrid near the village of Ardfert in North Kerry is one of Kerry's, and indeed, Ireland's, greatest athletes. He achieved the highest honour when he represented Ireland in the 5000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics 1964. His story is for another day.

Jerry Kiernan won the title in 1984 and other Kerry names that appear on the medal lists in the various grades include Breeda and John Barrett, Kieran Lamb, Freda Davern, John Kissane, Pat King, Paddy o Donoghue, Catherine Kerrisk, Brian Conway, John Egan, Dan Murphy, Sonny Fennel, Tadgh o Donoghue and Laura Crow (An Riocht)) who won the ladies novice All Ireland title in 2012 and this brilliant you lady ranked no 1 in Ireland for the 1500m is shown in beautiful color breasting the tape to win that race.

The people behind athletics in this county are doing a magnificent job, forever it seems swimming against the proverbial tide of other sports in particular the GAA and we never hear complaints for these dedicated officers and athletes in relation to vast amount of work behind the scens and seven day training schedules undertaken by most of those men and women.

Names such as Brendan Cullen, Liam Fitzgerald, Dinny McSweeney, the o Donoghue brothers from Gneeveguilla Tom Joe and Paddy, Jerome Crowley, Lorcan Murphy, Dan o Sullivan Tessa Dennison, Regina Prendiville, Jean Courtney and Helen Fitzgerald are hugely dedicated to their cause. And finally it was special for me to meet and chat at that Awards Night with two men who have literally given their lives to Kerry athletics. Two men who have toiled year after year, decade after decade for the sheer love of their sport. Donal Crowley (Tralee Harriers) was the recipient of the Hall of fame having retired two years ago following forty five years constant involvement in competition. His list of achievements both in track and field and on the road is simply mind boggling.

And Patsy o Connor who was honored in the Masters category. He too has had a life time of competition winning among other disciplines only this year his 40th consecutive county senior Javelin title. Two exemplary men who among the very many are the heart and soul of the great sport of athletics in this sports mad county.


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