Nenagh Olympic Athletic Club to mark it 70th anniversary
Big celebration is planned
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A group of Nenagh Olympic Athletic Club athletes who competed at juvenile level in the 1970s. The vast majority went on to compete through the 1990s and some into the new century. From the back, left to right, the group comprises: Peter Gleeson, Sean Finn, Liam Tierney, Denis Finnerty, Margaret Duggan, Breda McKenna, Brid Naughton. Next row, from left: Mark Gleeson, Breda Tierney, Cyril Whelan, Lelia McKeogh (née Duggan). Next row, from left: Mary O’Halloran, Alice McKenna, Mary Naughton, Mary Costello (née Whelan), Mary Manly. Next row, from left: Tony Hassett (Middle Distance Coach), Patricia Costelloe, Paul Whelan, Margaret Moroney. Front row: Noelle Morrissey, Patricia Naughton, Sean Naughton, Nora O’Grady and Olympian Terry McHugh.Image 2 of 4
Some of the newer generation who represented the club in the more recent era. Aisling O’Donnell, Emma Hennessy, Laura Costello, Ciardha Maher, seen here after their success in a sprint relay competition.Image 3 of 4
The late Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion of 1932, Bob Tisdall, always visited the club when home in his native place. He is seen here at an event held in his honour with club members, Ciara and Mary Shiels.Image 4 of 4
Club members Louis Crowe (left) and Mark Gleeson enjoying a day out at a competition in Tullamore in the 1990s.Nenagh Olympic Athletic Club celebrates its 70th anniversary on Saturday, November 22, and the club invites all past and present coaches, athletes and committee members over the past seven decades to join with us in this milestone celebration at the Thatched Cottage, Ballycommon, starting at 7.30pm.
Nenagh Olympic AC was founded on the November 21-22, 1955. The very first committee came together at JD Gleeson's family home at 14-15 McDonagh Street, Nenagh. The meeting started at 8pm on November 21 and finished at 2.45am on November 22, hence the staggered date for its inception.
The first committee and founder members of Nenagh Olympic present on the night were Donal Murphy (Chairman), Sean Naughton (Vice-Chairman), Liam Gleeson (Hon Secretary and Vice Captain), John D Gleeson (Hon Treasurer) Michael O’Connell (Captain), Gerard Lewis, Vincent Tierney, Olainn Dempsey (founders), while Patrick Naughton, Ned Fogarty and Tom Carroll were co-opted at a later date.
The inspiration for the club’s name and its motif of three Olympic rings comes from three outstanding Olympic champions who all had connections with Nenagh: Johnny Hayes, Matt McGrath and Bob Tisdall.
Johnny Hayes won Gold in the 1908 London Olympics in the Marathon. He was the New York-born son of Martin Hayes, Silver Street.
Matt McGrath, Curraghmore, won Gold in 1912 Stockholm Olympics in the Hammer. Matt had previously broken several world records, including three in one day at the old showgrounds (present day Tesco site) on returning home after winning Silver at the 1908 London Olympics.
Bob Tisdall, Hazel Point, Nenagh, won Gold in the 1932 Los Angelus Olympics in the 400 Hurdles. Bob's time of 51.67 seconds was a world record on the day, but it was disallowed because he knocked the last hurdle. However, he is now recognised to be the first athlete to run under 52 seconds for the event.
TOP CLUB
Through the years Nenagh Olympic has remained among one of the strongest clubs in Ireland and was the leading juvenile club in the country five years in-a-row in the late 1970s.
It was the first and only club to open its own indoor athletics track, and it remains to this day the only club in Ireland to have achieved this feat under the determined guidance of the late Sean Naughton.
Sean, an icon of Irish athletics, was appointed Irish coach and manager to numerous Irish teams for many major championships, including the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Throughout the decades, our club has produced many fine international athletes, with Gary and Neil Ryan going on to become Olympians, and Gary coaching Olympians.
Then we have Noelle Morrissey, now of Limerick Emerald AC, a former Nenagh Olympic athlete with an illustrious international athletics background in the 60 metres Hurdles, 100 metres Hurdles and Long Jump, who currently coaches the Olympian Sarah Lavin over 60 metres Hurdles and 100 metres Hurdles.
We should also mention Terry McHugh who spent his formative years as a young athlete in Nenagh Olympic. He went on to become one of Ireland's most storied Olympians, representing our country at four Summer Olympics, 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 and two Winter Olympics (as a member of the Bobsleigh team) in Albertville (1992) and in Nagano (1998).
Terry also won 21 consecutive Irish titles in the Javelin event following in the tradition set in motion by the great pole-vaulter and javelin thrower, Liam Gleeson.
The three-ringed crest of Nenagh Olympic contains a double symbolism, representing the Olympic champions central to our club, but also the colours of the rings: Green White and Orange signify the National Character and the All-Ireland nature of the Athletics Family.
We are extremely proud that all the above named athletes and coaches have their roots in this locality and in our club.
Today, Nenagh Olympic continues to have a fantastic group of volunteers who manage the club and coach our new generation of athletes, keeping the culture of athletics and volunteerism alive in the town and its surrounds.
INVITATION
If you had a connection with the club in the past we would be delighted if you could join us on Saturday, November 22, for a chat and a reminisce. Please text or email your RSVP with your name to our club secretary Aoife Ryan, 085 1826479, or email: nenagholympic@gmail.com by November 16 to allow for accurate numbers for refreshments on the night. We are looking forward to meeting you all on the night.