Irish sport is in mourning following the sad news that Ronnie Delany has passed away.
Ronnie, who had turned 91 last Saturday, captured the hearts of the nation when he won the 1500m Olympic gold medal in Melbourne in 1956, bridging a gap of 24 years after Dr Pat O’Callaghan and Bob Tisdall had topped the podium in 1932.
He is one of only 11 Olympic gold medallists from this country and remained a wonderful ambassador for the Olympic movement in Ireland, only stepping down as president of the Irish Olympians’ Association three years ago.
RUNNING TALENT
Born in Arklow on March 6, 1935, Ronnie’s family moved to Sandymount when he was six and, in his youth, he played hockey, cricket, lawn bowls and rugby. He also caught the athletics bug and joined the nearby Crusaders AC, where his running talent was fostered.
Educated at O’Connells CBS, Sandymount High and CUS, he was successful in provincial schools championship races before graduating to wins on a national scale.
Although he started a cadetship with the Irish Army to pursue his sporting ambitions, he changed tack by successfully applying for a scholarship to Villanova instead, where he studied economics and science and was coached by the legendary Jumbo Elliott.
Olympic Triumph
Ronnie made his European Athletics Championships debut in 1954, became the first Irishman to run a mile in under four minutes in the summer of 1956.
As a 21-year-old on December 1 of that same year, he kicked down the back straight to defeat his fancied rivals to claim Ireland’s fourth-ever Olympic gold medal – and second on the track after Tisdall’s 400m triumph in 1932.
The field was tightly bunched at the bell and, later, he recalled that he was right where he wanted to be.
“My task was merely to stay in contact and to be very much in touch at the bell, “ Ronnie said. “I then planned to be in a position to make the decisive break that would take me clear to the tape.”
He made that move with just under 200 metres left to run and he sprinter clear to glory, his joy captured for posterity as he stretched his arms wide in celebration, then sank to his knees in celebration after breaking the Olympic record. Thousands lined the streets for his homecoming.
He followed that remarkable triumph by winning 1500m bronze in the 1958 European Championships and, in the same year, was part of the ‘Miracle Mile’ at Santry, where the first four competitors to cross the line broke the world record.
Ronnie then struck gold in the 800m in the World University Games in 1961, becoming Ireland’s first ever winner at that level.
In the States, meanwhile, he dominated the indoor scene, winning 40 consecutive races from 1956 to 1959, and won several American NCAA and IC4A titles.
Ronnie’s competitive career on the track was over by 1962, by which time he had married Joan Riordan, and they went on to have four children, Lisa, Ronnie junior, Jennifer and Michelle.
He subsequently worked for Aer Lingus and B&I Line before becoming a sports marketing consultant. He remained active in later life through swimming and cycling.
Ronnie was granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin in 2006 and his statue stands in Delany Park, Arklow.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.