Willie was second in the World Vets 1500mtrs. in Puerto Rico in 1983 and ran 2hrs. 38 mins. in the Dublin City Marathon in 1982 age 49. He was also the holder of the following Irish National Masters records...
Outdoor...
800m...M65...Willie Neenan Millstreet 2.32.12 Sep. 1998 Italy
1500m...M65...Willie Neenan Millstreet 5.08.87 Sep. 1998 Italy
Indoor...
1500m...M60...Willie Neenan Millstreet 4.44.86 17/03/1997 Nenagh
8 comments:
Willie was not only a massively talented athlete but also a man who gave a huge amount of his life to local athletics in Millsteet. Generations of Millstreet children were introduced to running because of Willie. He will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by many.RIP
Sad to here the news of the passing of a Cork running legend. Somebody once told me that when he was in his fifties he still dominated Track races with lads half his age.
May he rest in peace a great athlete and coach, the other athletes are Mick Kinsella, George Webb and Michael Kiely, all Rising Sun AC., Mick Kinsella ran most of his career with Ballymore AC and only joined Rising Sun at the end of his career, as far as I can remember this picture was taken during an International in Mallow in the 80s
Willie Neenan a running legend.
Memories of Willie at road races,cross country and track races around the county and beyond will remain with those of us who knew him and followed his career.
His career saw him compete under N.A.C.A.,B.L.E.and A.A.I.
May he rest in peace.
very sad to hear of his passing,many a tussle we had in the fifties and sixties and he was a hard man to get the better of
Fintan Walsh Waterford Athletics
Looking at Willie's time of 2.38 at the age of 49 in the Dublin marathon.What time might he have done if he had not finished well up the field in a senior cross country the previous day. The race was in Macroom as far as I remember and it was knee deep in places with mud. RIP
Thanks John for remembering Willie. His sudden passing has saddened all who knew him. As you correctly said he was a wonderful athlete, but his greater legacy is the many young people he introduced to the sport. It was fitting that only 4 days before he died, Martina Kiely (nee Hickey) who started her career with Millstreet AC came second in the national intermediate cross-country championships.
We are the greater for having known him and the lesser for his passing.
DC
John, I was shocked to hear of the passing of the legend that was affectionately known as "Neenan".
So many memories of the great man and athlete and his passion for the sport. He won his first munster title at Ballyhooley in 1953; he returned to ballyhooley in 1963 to win the munster 2 mile title and the report in the Cork examiner then described him as the "Grand Old man of Cork Athletics". Little did anyone think then that some 55 years later Willie would be still that Grand old Man of Cork Athletics. RIP.
PS: The picture above was taken by Stephen Murphy of Vale Star publications, Mallow, at a cross country race promoted by Abbey Striders AC at Burnfort, Mallow in the mid 90s.
Chris.
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