Clonliffe book clears final hurdle

IF at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. That old adage can certainly be applied to one of the oldest sports clubs in Ireland, which has just published a book charting its illustrious history.

‘Clonliffe Harriers 1886 to 2013’, written by Artane man Dominic Branigan, has been in gestation for nearly 30 years, around the time the Santry-based club celebrated its centenary, but remarkably it is only seeing the light of day now.

Dominic, who joined Clonliffe Harriers way back in 1967, is proud to be the man who succeeded where others failed.

“Getting the book done has been hanging over the club for some time,

? he told Northside People.

“It was first mentioned in 1986 and used to come up at the AGMs. A few people had a go at it in the

’90s but it never happened.

“Then it came up again at our AGM three years ago. I said to Paddy Marley (President of Clonliffe Harriers Athletic Club) that I would try it for six months, and if I didn’t make progress in that time I would pass it on to someone else.

“The more I started researching, the bigger the workload became because the club spans such a vast amount of time and has so much history attached to it.

“It’s a project I have been working on for three years and finally it has come to fruition.

?

Clonliffe Harriers Athletic Club was founded in 1986 but came very close to being called a different name.

“The club was founded on Richmond Road by a group known as

‘The Lads’,

? says Dominic.

“They were only a group of young fellas, and were originally going to call the club Richmond Harriers.

“However, they realised that there was another club with the same name so they changed it to Clonliffe Harriers because one of

‘The Lads’ lived on Clonliffe Road.

The book is a compilation of all aspects of the club’s activities including:

?¢ The founding fathers and their early exploits in track and cross country

?¢ The establishment of the ladies’ section in 1963 and the issues they faced from the Church at the time.

?¢ Clonliffe’s contribution to the Olympics. They have produced a record number of Olympians dating from 1908 up to Mark Kenneally in 2012.

?¢ The role played by many of the club officers over the decades in the administration of athletics at club and national level as well as their involvement in trying to heal the various

‘splits’ in the sport.

Clonliffe have produced many of the greatest athletes to wear the green singlet including Frank Murphy, Claire Walsh, Ann O’Brien, Danny McDaid, Jerry Kiernan as well as northsiders Noel Harvey, Niall Bruton, Killian Lonergan, Mark Kenneally and six-time paralympian Patrice Dockery.

Probably the two most charismatic members were Tommy Burton (Captain from 1905-1946) and Billy Morton, regarded as Ireland’s greatest ever sports impresario. Morton brought the world’s top athletes to compete against the best of the Irish at Santry Stadium in the 1950s and

’60s.

At the book’s launch in the Teachers’ Club, Parnell Square, Dominic paid tribute to all those who had contributed to the book and in particular acknowledged the help and assistance he received from Killian Lonergan.

Olympian Jerry Kiernan launched the book and gave an insightful and heartfelt speech outlining his involvement with the club since he came to Dublin and joined back in 1971, following in the footsteps of his hero Frank Murphy.

‘Clonliffe Harriers 1886 to 2013’ costs 30 and you can purchase a copy by contacting Dominic on 086-6028058 or email dombran@eircom.net