That it was Paddy Boland, from whose vision the club was born there is no doubt. It was he who identified the need. It was later summer 1958. Athletics was box office. Ronnie Delany was the reigning Olympic champion. Herb Elliott had led five men under the four minute barrier on his way to a new world mile record of 3:54.5 up the road in Santry in front of a packed stadium earlier that summer.
Raheny was a sleepy country village coming to terms with growing suburbia. The denizens of the area needed activity both occupational and recreational. Boland called a meeting. His recall is that it was the 8th September 1958 and that it took place at ‘The Cottage’ on Main Street where Slender Health now stands.
Somewhere between 30 and 40 people attended. They voted unanimously to from an athletic club. Boland was pushing an open door in imposing his vision on the meeting. He was a Shamrock Rovers supporter. He wanted the club to be called Shamrock A.C. He wished the colours to be green and white.
Someone else proposed the name Raheny A.C. The matter was given an airing on the floor. Democracy kicked in. Compromise reached. Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club was born. The colours would be white vest with a green hoop.
The matter of affiliation was the most important and divisive issue of the meeting. When put to a vote it was decided by a slim majority that the club would not affiliate with the international athletics body in Ireland, the AAU but rather would join the 32 county National Athletics and Cycling Association more commonly known as NACA.
Fixtures and Results
Parkrun Round Up 26 August
Ian Conroy was first past the post in the St Annes Parkrun posting a swift 15 minutes 40 seconds with Graham O’Dwyer second in 17:08.
Ken Shannon took sixth place in 18 minutes 44 seconds with Mick Traynor tenth in 19 minutes 15 seconds.
Other finishers in St Annes were Peter Smyth 19:40, Orla Manley 20:13, Dave Feeney 20:22, Jim Keogh 20:55, Sean McGoldrick 21:25, Adrienne Atkins 22:12.
Gary Kenny 23:35, Amanda Langan 23:42, Patricia O’Cleirigh 24:20, Bernadette Manley 24:25, Niamh Donnellan 25:58, Marianne Fanning 28:51, Maia More 28:54, Laura Clarke 28:54, Valerie Hand 29:10 and Gillian Kenny 31:35.
Elsewhere Patrick Phillips won out in Donabate posting 20 minutes five seconds with Alan Foley winning in Fairview clocking 21 minutes six seconds.
John Frier clocked 20:54 in Poppintree, Brian Christensen posted 21:00 in Father Collins Park, June Comiskey posted 28:33 in Belton House. Declan Robinson posted 18:54 in Richmond Olympic Park and Steven Rowe posted 25:20 in Poolbeg.
News and Events
Bourke Sets New Long Jump Record
Colm Bourke set a new club long jump record as he finished second in the Scottish Championships on Sunday.
Bourke jumped 7.38 metres a massive improvement on the club’s record of 7.18 metres to finish second in the championship overall.
Bourke equalled the club’s record and his personal best with jump one of 7.18m, his second was measured to 7.42m but had an illegal wind assistance of +3.2.
History was made on Bourke’s fifth attempt when he jump 7.38m with a +1.9 wind assistance and followed that up with his final jump of 7.33m with assistance of +1.6.
A well-deserved new club for Colm Bourke, his previous record stood for 449 days!
Meanwhile Freddy Sittuk took second place in the Longford Marathon posting 2:32.04 behind Clonliffe’s Gary O’Hanlon who won out in 2:25.32.
Pat Hooper was guest of honour for the race and acted as starter for the Longford marathon.
Elsewhere Eric Champ posted 1:28.16 in the Quinnlan cup in Tullamore on Saturday. While Eoin Brady finished fourth in the Rockford Roof 4 Mile in Tinryland.
Brady posted 22 minutes seven seconds, the race was won by Metro’s John Coghlan in 19 minutes 24 seconds.
How to Join
Marathon Meet & Train Group
Weekdays at 6:30pm from the clubhouse. Long run Sunday mornings at 8am from the clubhouse. For info contact John Freir (0851569989).
Distance Group
Sessions on Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm Dollymount Bridge opposite Kinara and Saturday mornings from 10:30am St. Anne’s Park For more info contact Dick Hooper 087-2271940 (men’s captain) or Tom O’Sullivan 0851616874.
Middle Distance Group
For info contact Paul McKenny or Dermot Bradshaw
Sprint Group
Sessions Monday, Wednesday, Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday morning. For more info contact Brian Corcoran (0876881425) or Kay Bannon (0860347542).
Intermediate Group (13-18yrs)
Sessions on Monday in Santry. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday or Sunday in St Anne’s Park. Contact Damien Wall (0862540905) for more information.
Juvenile Group
Wednesday evenings at 5:30-6:30 (1st/2nd/3rd Class) and 6:30-7:30 (4th/5th/6th Class) in Manor House school. Email juvenile@rahenyshamrock.ie for more information.
Fit4Life group
Thursday evenings at 6:15pm at the grass area by St Anne’s playground. For more information contact Dave Woods (0861780111).
Sundays at 11:10am meet at Woodlands, 400m from the Park entrance on Watermill road. For more information contact Mick Martin (0872434698).
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