Guest Post: FIFTY YEARS AGO – WHEN AN IRISHMAN WON THE BOSTON MARATHON ...by John Walshe

In this guest post, John Walshe looks back at the 50th anniversary of Neil Cusack winning the 1974 Boston Marathon with an additional piece about Bill Rodgers' win the following year.

FIFTY YEARS AGO – WHEN AN IRISHMAN WON THE BOSTON MARATHON

By John Walshe

This Monday, April 15th, sees the 128th Boston Marathon taking place. The date will also mark the exact 50th anniversary of a historic triumph by an Irishman on that celebrated 26.2-mile point-to-point route from Hopkinton to Copley Square.

Patriot’s Day - on which the marathon is traditionally held - in 1974 coincided with Easter Monday. On that fine April evening a brief announcement at the end of the nine o’clock news on the black-and-white television stated that an Irishman named Neil Cusack had won the famous Boston Marathon.

Neil Cusack winning the 1974 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:13:39.

Although only 22, the Limerick man was no stranger to Cork athletics fans. Two years before on a Sunday afternoon he had won a 10,000m road race (the acronym ‘10K’ hadn’t yet been invented) organised by the Midleton club on a six-lap course around the town.

That March Cusack had returned from East Tennessee State University where he was on scholarship to represent Ireland in the International Cross-Country at Cambridge. The marathon potential was already evident the previous December when, in his first attempt and a few days short of his 20th birthday, he won the Peach Bowl Marathon in Atlanta by almost seven minutes with a time of 2:16:18.

Later in that year of 1972 he would set an Irish 10,000m record of 28:45.8 in the heats at the Munich Olympics. Before leaving for Munich, he made another visit to Midleton where in a novel mid-week 10,000m road and track race he defeated locally-born Mike Keogh, back from the US for the Olympics.

On his return to the US in the autumn Cusack became the first Irishman (and one of only three in all) to win the prestigious NCAA Cross-Country. On that day at Houston he led an all-Irish team known as ‘The Irish Brigade’ to a second-place finish. The team consisted of himself, Eddie and PJ Leddy, Kevin Breen, Ray McBride and Frank Greally who would go on to create Irish Runner magazine.

Three of Ireland’s greatest athletes at the 1975 Tullamore road race: Neil Cusack, third; Eamonn Coghlan, first; John Treacy, second.

After a stellar indoor season in early 1974, Cusack arrived in Boston in top form, both physically and mentally. “I remember travelling up to Boston from Johnson City having my mind already set on winning the event,” he would relate to Greally in Irish Runner many years later.

“I was young and confident and I had no fear of the distance or the opposition. I didn't put any limits on myself back then and running that first marathon in Atlanta gave me an insight into what it was like to tackle the distance," he said. "Going into Boston, I had no fear." 

The night before, Cusack remembers sitting in his hotel room in the city sewing a shamrock crest to the string vest that he was going to wear. "Ron Hill, who had won Boston in 1970, had made the string vest a popular piece of running apparel for marathoners and I had my Dunnes Stores version with me in Boston.”

That Patriot's Day, Cusack was on target for a 2:09 performance going up the infamous Heartbreak Hill between 18 and 21 miles but the pace found him out over the final miles. He still recorded the third-fastest performance over the iconic course as his 2:13:39 gave him almost a minute to spare over Tom Fleming in second (2:14:25) with Canadian Jerome Drayton taking third spot (2:15:40).

Nowadays the winner at Boston can expect to gain in the region of $150,000 in prize money, plus bonuses and expenses. But like Hill four years previous, all Cusack received was a medal, a laurel wreath and a bowl of stew. The big money in road racing was still a couple of years distant but Cusack’s class can be seen from his victory at the Newark Distance Run over 12 miles the following year.

There he defeated Bill Rodgers by 10 seconds in a time of 58:38. The following month Rodgers would win the first of his four Boston Marathon titles, setting an American and course record of 2:09:55, thus making him one of the first (and richest) superstars of the sport. A year or two later he had his own running store along with his own line of running apparel.

Cusack hit another high when he won the Dublin Marathon in 1981 in 2:13:58. He competed in two Olympics, 1972 and 1976, and represented Ireland in the World Cross-Country on 13 occasions. In the 1982 Ballycotton ’10’, the Limerick-man came home first of the 429 finishers in a course record of 48:01. He would run a second faster a year later when finishing third (48:00) behind Jerry Kiernan (47:04) and Ray Treacy (47:42).

For this year’s Boston Marathon Neil and his wife Imelda have been invited back to celebrate that day all of five decades ago. He has been given the special honour of being the official race starter for the event, which now boasts an entry of 45,000. 

* As a footnote (pardon the pun) to that famous victory, a glance at Cusack’s shoes shows he was wearing the Tiger (now Asics) Marathon racing flat, probably the most popular of the few racing shoes available at the time.

They had a simple blue nylon upper, stitched to a white rubber sole that was - compared to the ‘stacked’ shoes of today - only about a quarter-of-an inch thick, with maybe a half-inch under the heel. Looking at an advert in Athletics Weekly of the time, they retailed for around five or six pounds sterling in the UK, about €75 in today’s money.

In the early 1970s, Nike was just getting off the ground in the US and there is a fascinating story concerning Bill Rodgers’ victory in that Boston Marathon of 1975. An unemployed school teacher, he had returned to competition after a two year layoff and had surprised even his coach when finishing third the previous month at the World Cross-Country in Morocco. 

This impressive performance caught the attention of many in the running community, including Steve Prefontaine. ‘Pre’, as he was known, was then at the height of his running career. He had set every American record from 2000m to 10,000m, along with a fourth-place finish in the 5000m at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Prefontaine was also an employee of an athletic shoe company started by his college coach, Bill Bowerman. That company was Nike. On April 9th, Steve Prefontaine wrote a letter to that relatively unknown, but up and coming runner named Bill Rodgers. The typed letter, hand-signed by Pre, went as follows:

Dear Bill,

First of all congratulations on a fine race in Rabat. You have really improved this last year and hopefully will continue to until the Olympic games.

The reason I'm writing is because Jeff Galloway told me you were interested in training in our shoes. I'm sending you a pair of Boston 73's and a training shoe. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Just feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Wishing you continued success for 75.

Sincerely,

Steve Prefontaine

Because the shoes were a bit on the large size, Rodgers had to stop twice in the final few miles to tighten his laces, to the surprise and awe of the spectators and press. Despite this he still crossed the line first in an American record of 2:09:55.

The following month, on May 30th at the age of 23, Steve Prefontaine would tragically die in a car crash.

***

Previous posts by John Walshe HERE

Guest article...National Marathon of 1976 in Limerick

The Irish National Marathon of 1976 was held in Limerick 40 years ago today. It was certainly a very different era and well before the running book of the 80's started. John Walshe of Ballycotton writes an account of that race and trials and hurdles of even getting to a race back then!

NATIONAL MARATHON OF 1976 ...By John Walshe (Evening Echo 09/04/2016)

The recent passing, within days of each other, of running legends Dick Hodgins of Leevale and Jim McNamara from Donore recalled a famous marathon race that took place 40 years ago this weekend in which both played leading roles.

The National Marathon of 1976 was held in Limerick on Sunday April 11. It was the first time since the formation of BLE nine years before that a Munster venue had been chosen. Nowadays, in the weeks preceding a marathon, interest centres on the numbers taking part, the people participating in unusual garb or those running for various charitable causes.

But back then, it was all about the competition. That marathon of 1976 was of special significance as it also acted as selection for the summer’s Olympics due to take place in Montreal. And, to add to the hype, amongst the favourites was a local Limerick man, Neil Cusack.

Two years before the goatee-bearded East Tennessee student had etched his name in the all-time honours list with a famous victory in the Boston Marathon, his time of 2:13:39 then the fastest achieved by an Irishman.

Dick Hodgins was the reigning National champion, where his 2:19:45 the previous May in Galway gave him a close victory over Mick Molloy with Jim McNamara in third.

Neil Cusack, Dick Hodgins, Jim McNamara & Danny McDaid

Danny McDaid - who had beaten Hodgins in the 1974 decider - was also in the line-up along with 1972 Olympic marathon representative, Donie Walsh. Two months before, Leevale man Walsh (who unfortunately would fail to finish due to injury) had won his third National C-C title ahead of McDaid and Cusack.

Marathon running then was a different proposition compared to what’s experienced today. The race took place at 2.30pm on a Sunday afternoon from the Dock Road in Limerick, straight out the Foynes road where, after 13 miles, the runners turned around and retraced their steps back to the finish.

Entry fee was just 30 pence but all runners had to enclose a doctor’s certificate indicating they were medically fit to compete. However, with only around 70 entrants the medical profession didn’t make a fortune – it can only be imagined nowadays with thousands competing what this would entail.

The goody bag, the race shirt and the medal is now mandatory at all major marathons but back then all you expected to receive after completing the gruelling distance was a certificate with your time and place.

But that year, due to sponsorship from Omega (official timekeeper at the Montreal Games), each finisher got a pleasant surprise when presented with a T-shirt at the prize-giving – probably the first time that any of the runners had seen such an item.

After the morning rain had cleared, conditions were ideal as the runners faced the starter, Limerick Mayor, Thady Coughlan, on the journey which for at least two would guarantee them a seat on the plane to Montreal. A 14-man bunch went through 5km in 15:15 and at 10 miles, reached just under 50 minutes, this had been reduced to seven.

Donore’s Tony Brien, who had returned from the USA for the race, was joined by Cusack just before the turn along with McNamara, Fr Paddy Coyle and McDaid. “It was faster than most of the runners had ever done on the track, they pulled away from me at 10 miles but I felt someone would have to crack and I kept running on,” admitted Hodgins - who would eventually finish eight – afterwards.

McDaid made his break at 30km, opening a slight gap on Brien with Cusack in third and McNamara, getting over a bad patch, in fourth. Over the closing six miles McDaid continued to increase his lead while a rejuvenated McNamara, just a week short of his 37th birthday, was the surprise packet as he moved into second, therefore clinching Olympic selection.

McDaid’s time of 2:13:06 was the fastest ever achieved on Irish soil with McNamara knocking a huge chunk from his previous best to cross the line in 2:14:54 as a tired Cusack finished third on 2:17:07. For the local hero, justice prevailed as he was later added to the team for Montreal.

Donegal postman McDaid was then aged 34 and many considered his Limerick marathon victory the swansong to what had been a long and successful career. However, his greatest day had yet to come.

Three years later, in the quagmire conditions of Limerick Racecourse, he played a captain’s role when finishing 11th in the World Cross-Country behind John Treacy’s individual victory thereby guaranteeing the Irish team the silver medals.

‘Marathon running on a new plateau’ went the headline in the Evening Echo of April 13 over a piece by Brendan Mooney who stated that “apart for being the fastest this, as a spectacle, was the best marathon seen in this country.”

What might seem like a glaring omission in this nostalgic look back is that there is no mention of the women – for the simple reason that four decades ago no females ran long distance races in Ireland, or indeed in the UK. It would be another three years before Galway native Jean Folan became the first Irishwoman to run a marathon in this country.

But of course, as so often the case, Cork women led the way. Just a year after that Limerick marathon, Marion Stanton (now Lyons), Elaine Kelly and Dervla Mellerick lined up at Water Street with around 30 men for the 15 mile race from Cork to Cobh, the first time in this country that women had competed with males over such a distance.

The hundreds of women now enjoying the ever-increasing number of road races at all distances around the county certainly owe a debt to those three pioneers who proved that the female body is more than capable of competing with its male counterpart, and indeed, on many occasions, finishing well ahead.

PERSONAL FOOTNOTE:
That marathon of 1976 holds special memories as it was my first attempt at the classic distance. Two years before - at the relatively young age of 22 – I had trained for the National Marathon at Portlaoise, but never got there.

The reason being, back then, transport to races posed a major problem. A member of the Midleton club at the time, few of us possessed cars and but for the kind efforts of Tom Houlihan there was many a race we would never have got to.

For similar reasons, the 1975 marathon in Galway ruled me out so when Limerick was announced as the 1976 venue, the training commenced. But getting there still wasn’t easy. On that wet and windy April morning I walked down to the Protestant Church outside Ballycotton where I got a lift from the man delivering the Sunday papers.

Long before the era of health and safety, what followed was a whirlwind tour around the back roads of Garryvoe, Ballymacoda and Ladysbridge before arriving in Midleton where I met up with my club colleague, Paul Mulholland.

Paul was the pioneer of marathon running in the area, having finished the National event three years before. In that year of 1976 he was, in all probability, the only runner in all of east Cork who could claim to have run a marathon. Paul’s brother-in-law, Peter, drove us to Cork where we caught a bus to Limerick, taking us on somewhat of a scenic route through places like Bruree and Croom.

On arrival in Limerick and it being Palm Sunday, we attended mid-day Mass in the cathedral. Then we made our way to Limerick Rowing Club for the afternoon start and, what would be for me, a journey into the unknown. Our Midleton club-mate, Liam O’Brien, then a student at Thomond College (now UL) arrived on his trusty black Raleigh bike to provide us with a modicum of support along the way.

The advantage of an out-and-back course is that you got a good view of the leading runners, accompanied by a cavalcade of cars, on their return journey but then it was a lonely road as you made your own way to the turn-around before facing the homeward struggle.

Unfortunately, Paul had to drop out after 20 miles (he would run 2:33:59 in Loughrea a year later) so he was there at the finish to greet me. After a visit to a greasy grill for a bite to eat, we then had to scrounge a lift back. Fergus O’Donovan and his St Finbarr’s club-mate Michael Joyce (now the Ballycotton ‘10’ commentator) obliged.

Fergus then, as now, was a fount of knowledge and on the journey home regaled us with the intricacies of the carbohydrate-loading diet made fashionable at the time by Ron Hill.

On arrival in Cork, we caught the 10.30pm bus from Parnell Place with a no-doubt disappointed Paul getting off in Midleton while I carried on to Ballycotton, alighting at the same spot where I had met my newspaper delivery friend some 15 hours before.

As I made my way up the hill and home I carried the aches and pains and tiredness of what had been a long and eventual day. But I also carried that special feeling of achievement and fulfilment that only finishing one’s maiden marathon brings.

And in my little kitbag I carried three items I didn’t have when I set out that morning – a white cotton T-shirt, a one-page result sheet and a certificate stating that I had completed the BLE National Marathon of 1976 in 34th position in a time of two hours, 49 minutes and 24 (.3!) seconds.

Happy days! 

John Walshe

Updated...12th Apr 2016
Andrew Talbot has a small gallery HERE on Facebook of the race.

Photo from Andrew Talbot

FERMOY'S DECADE OF RACING GLORY... (Guest article by John Walshe)

This weekend in 1976 saw the first of the Fermoy International Cross-Country meetings taking place and an amazing 3000 people turned to witness it. It would continue each year (apart from 1984) until 1987, featuring many of the world's top athletes.
FERMOY'S DECADE OF RACING GLORY... (John Walshe, Evening Echo 14/01/2016)

Forty years ago this Sunday, the sports pages featured Bobby Charlton in the colours of Waterford United who beat St Patrick’s Athletic 3-2 before a capacity crowd at Kilcohan Park.

But on that spring-like January day, an event was taking place in Fermoy which would play a significant role in Irish athletics for the following decade.

The Fermoy International Cross-Country was the brainchild of Tom Burke, then secretary of the Grange club (now known as Grange-Fermoy AC). Like a lot of great ideas – some which never come to fruition - it reputably came about in the early hours of the morning after the club’s annual dinner-dance.

That first race was fixed for Sunday January 18 on the grounds of Patrick Coughlan, situated just outside the town on the right-hand side of the old Dublin road. It was a flat grassland course with a few man-made jumps included for variety and ideal for spectator viewing. The distance was six miles and it was preceded by the Southern Region Junior Championships over four miles.

A number of British clubs had been invited and although Shaftsbury Harriers, Cardiff and Manchester & District Harriers sent teams, for various reasons they were without their star runners. The main attraction was the ginger haired Andy Holden of Tipton Harriers, who tragically passed away two years ago after a long illness.

Holden had competed in the steeplechase four years previously at the Munich Olympics, the same year he set a British record of 8:26.4 for the event. His main opposition was deemed to be Grenville Tuck, one of the famous Tuck twins (the other was Graham) who ran for Cambridge & Coleridge AC.

Grenville Tuck, Neil Cusack & Donie Walsh

The home challenge was led by Neil Cusack from Limerick and Leevale’s Donie Walsh. It was the latter who hammered out a blistering pace from the start, but he lost contact soon after as Holden moved up after a slow start.

Piling on the pressure, the Tipton man eventually crossed the line to a tumultuous reception from the estimated 3,000 crowd in a time of 28:21. Tuck finished runner-up, 10 seconds behind, with Cusack holding on for third in 28:43 and Walsh finishing fourth in 28:56.

Irish clubs dominated the team contest as Clonliffe took first with 62 points, five ahead of the Leevale squad of Walsh, Ray Treacy, Tony O’Leary and Pat Duggan. Donore Harriers finished third ahead of Manchester & District, Shaftesbury and St Finbarr’s.

After that first international, the quality of runners attracted to the Fermoy venue continued to spiral. The following year of 1977, despite a day of strong wind and heavy rain, Bernie Ford from Aldershot (he had finished eight in the 1976 Olympic 10,000m and would go on to run 27:43.74 for the distance later that year) maintained the British dominance when coming home 11 seconds clear of Waterford’s Gerry Deegan.

The 21-year-old Deegan would finish an impressive 21st that spring at the World Championships in Düsseldorf, improving to 14th the following year behind John Treacy’s historic victory in the mud of Glasgow.

Finishing fourth that day in Fermoy was Dutchman Jos Hermens, then holder of the world’s best track times for 10 miles (45:57.6), 20,000m and the one hour run. In later years he became one of the most influential athletes agents with the likes of Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele on his books.

Another former world record holder, Dave Bedford, had to settle for ninth that wet and windswept day, two places ahead of Donie Walsh as the previous year’s winner Holden could only manage 13th. A women’s two-mile race also appeared that year with victory going to Vera Duffy from Glasslough ahead of Ann Ford, wife of the men’s winner.

The following year of 1978, a full juvenile programme was added with the main attraction seeing another British star, Brendan Foster, taking the honours. Now BBC athletics commentator, Foster would later that summer run 27:30.3 for the 10,000m.

Another outstanding athlete who hailed from the same North-East athletics hotbed as Foster was Mike McLeod, the Fermoy winner of 1979. But the following year, the long awaited home success was finally achieved as Deegan took the title, beating Steve Binns and Dave Black from England.

Local star John Hartnett gave the crowd plenty to shout about when taking fourth ahead of Danny McDaid, one of the heroes of the Irish silver-medal winning team at the previous year’s World C-C in Limerick.

In 1981, Deegan had to settle for second behind Hans-Jurgen Orthmann from West Germany and the 1982 race saw McLeod back on the winner’s rostrum after a tremendous duel with Mohammed Kedir of Ethiopia, the winner of the world cross-country a couple of months later in Rome.

The 1983 race was a battle between the world champions with 1977 winner Leon Schots of Belgium defeating John Treacy (1978 and 1979 winner) while another two-time champion, Craig Virgin from the United States (1980 and 1981), could only manage sixth.

One place behind the American was Rob De Castella of Australia who went on later that year to take the marathon title at the inaugural World Championships in Helsinki as well as defeating Alberto Salazar and Carlos Lopes at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Another iconic world star was Henry Rono, the Kenyan who had set world records for 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and 3000m steeplechase during the early summer of 1978. But by the time of his Irish appearance nine years later he was past his best, finishing well down the field as Limerick’s Frank O’Mara won the final Fermoy International Cross-Country.

Sadly, the decade that brought a galaxy of stars to the North Cork town was at an end, but it is an era that is fondly recalled by those who were fortunate enough to be part of what was truly an international feast of world-class athletics.

Irishman Neil Cusack won the Boston Marathon 40 years ago this weekend...

On this weekend 40 years ago in 1974, Neil Cusack from Limerick won the Boston Marathon, the  oldest and one of the most famous city marathons in the world in a time of 2:13:39.

With the 2014 Boston Marathon taking place on Monday the 21st of April, a number of publications have been looking back at that win 40 years ago.

In the Irish Examiner, Kieran Shannon has a very good interview with Neil Cusack and it can be seen HERE

In the Johnson City Press in Tennessee, Tony Casey has an article HERE

Former winner Neil Cusack plans to run 2014 Boston Marathon ...

Neil Cusack, the only Irish man to win the Boston Marathon has announced that he plans to run the 2014 race as a gesture "to those who died and were injured, their families, and all the great people of Boston".

The 61 year old Limerick man won the Boston Marathon back in 1974 in a time of 2:13:39, the only Irish man to win the race. 2014 would also be the 40th anniversary of his win.

In an interview, he said....."I'd make a prediction that next year's event will be absolutely unblieveable, and I'm glad I'm going to be back there, because they'll want to show a total good feeling about the event, and the Americans will be behind it 1000%. I think it would be an idea for other champions to do as well. Imagine 10 or 12 of us, running together, and just get through it, together - it'd be a nice gesture. I am in good shape and go for a run every weekend. The Boston Marathon is a national treasure and I was devastated to see the horrific scenes on the TV. I remember the day of my win like yesterday — I was attending the University of East Tennessee. When I got to Boston I took a shamrock emblem from an old vest and put it onto the one I was wearing in the race to show I was Irish. I was cheered all the way along the route. What a day. They are a great people and a great city. To run next year would be a gesture to show how all our thoughts are with them. I think there will be a massive surge of support for the city when the race is held in 2014 and I plan to be there at the start with all the other athletes. Boston has given so much to me and I want to give something back.”

Neil Cusack represented Ireland in the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also won the Dublin marathon in 1981.

Neil Cusack winning the 1974 Boston Marathon

Irish 'involvement' in the 1973 World Cross Country Championships

Following on from a post yesterday where I mentioned that the IAAF were celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first World Cross-Country Championships next year, John Walshe kindly sent on some information about the Irish 'involvement' in the first race in 1973....

The first IAAF World Cross-Country Championships held in Ghent in 1973 were not without controversy, especially from an Irish point of view.

A group of six ‘intruders’ representing the old NACA organisation (who joined up with BLE to form Athletics Ireland in 2000) decided to make a protest at the participation of two Irish teams instead of one. After around 3km of the 12km race had been completed, the six runners in white vests with two black hoops slipped under a rope and joined the leaders, causing mayhem.  Many of the top runners were sent flying, the biggest casualty being race favourite Rod Dixon (one of the most versatile runners in the world at the time with a mile best of 3:53.62 and who would go on to win the NYC Marathon 10 years later in 2:08:59). Despite a ‘kidney punch’, the New Zealander got going again to finish third behind Pekka Paivarinta and Mariano Haro.

The following report by Fionnbar Callanan appeared in ‘Marathon’, the only Irish athletics magazine of the time, and gives a vivid description on what ensued:

“With almost exactly one quarter of the race over, the field was headed by a tightly grouped 18 or 20 runners. In the forefront, and almost running abreast, were Paivarinta (Finland), Haro (Spain), Cusack (Ireland), Clarke (England) and Dixon (New Zealand). At this point the course was no more than eight yards wide.

Neil Cusack of Ireland (Centre...#30) would later go on to win the 1974 Boston Marathon

“The group of six intruders ran onto the course in front of the faster-moving field. Neil Cusack told me his first reaction was one of amazement that they could have already lapped some of the runners. But, some spectators and officials realised that the intruders had come on and efforts were quickly made to hustle them off. They resisted and then the field were upon them. The rather awkward arm action of Paivarinta took him through the intruders and sent some of them flying. The diminutive Haro was forced to resort to more belligerent action to get through and the intruders lifted him off his feet before throwing him into a ditch. Cusack was buffeted but no more. Dixon was given a kidney punch and he told me later that ‘this finished me.’ Eddie Leddy was tripped and fell flat on his face being severely winded in doing so. One Moroccan runner was punched in the face and he was unable to continue.

The eventual winner Pekka Päivärinta of Finland with a narrow lead

“As the race resumed more normal appearances, the Belgian police detained one of the intruders and he was paraded back towards the stands. Here, the irate Moroccan saw him and made violent efforts to get at him but had no great success. When the race had concluded, most of the Irish party learned of the intrusion for the first time and there was a great outburst of resentment and anger. Somebody spotted some of the intruders a short distance away and there was a rush towards them. Some of them were caught and struck before wiser counsel prevailed.”

Fionnbar Callanan also stated that the day had begun with happiness for the Irish with a special St Patrick’s Day Mass said by Father Paddy Coyle (a member of the team) in the 12th Century Crypt of St Bravo’s Cathedral in Ghent. Team manager Billy Coghlan (father of Eamonn) had also thoughtfully provided shamrock for all members of the official Irish part and their supporters. “In ended, for me and many others, in anger and shame that the name of Ireland had been dragged in the mud by a thoughtless, irresponsible and undignified performance,” he concluded.

Päivärinta of Finland wins by just 0.1 seconds

Thankfully, we have moved on a lot from those days of four decades ago. For the record, the following are the positions of the Irish team – three of whom were from Cork - who finished 11th of the 18 teams on that occasion. Neil Cusack, who had been injured before the race, had to drop out and no doubt the intrusion didn’t help matters.

1973...1st Pekka Päivärinta FIN 35:47, 2nd Mariano Haro ESP 35:47, 3rd Rod Dixon NZL 36:00

25th Eddie Leddy (Ballinamore); 63rd Donie Walsh (Leevale); 67th Danny McDaid (Clonliffe); 69th Paddy Coyle (Lourdes); 84th Pat O’Riordan (Leevale); 85th Richard Crowley (St Finbarrs); 109th Eddie Spillane (Donore).

Full Results