The Ballycotton 10 Mugs...and the elusive 1983 one!

One of the unique features of the Ballycotton 10 mile road race was the mug which was given out at the end to all finishers. While some of the newer runners might have preferred say a dry fit top, the Ballycotton 10 mug has a long history and many people now have a collection of them.

I have my own collection of them as well from down through the years. I'd guess that since the news of the demise of the Ballycotton '10', people will probably be a bit more careful with theirs.

Jerry Forde's Ballycotton Collection

I was out in Jerry Forde's house a few months back and I took a photo of his collection. As you can see, he has a fair few Ballycotton '10' mugs and Summer Series plaques from years past.

Over the years, the designs have changed. Some were more like cups rather than mugs. Different years, different designs with different sponsors.

One of the more unusual years was that of 1983. The photo below shows the mug belonging to Danny McCarthy of Midleton AC.

It looks normal enough except for the fact that the mugs weren't properly fired that year and the writing disappeared with the first wash! It's likely that this is one of the few that managed to survive intact. Does anyone else have another one?