June is a strange month. Which stirs more emotions in yours truly than you could shake a stick at. Obviously, in terms of sadness, nothing will ever surpass the 10th. Da’s anniversary. On the opposite end of that scale, June 2nd was the start of the four match saga between Meath and Dublin of 1991. Four days which altered the course of my life forever more.
There were other landmark days too. Ray Houghton putting the ball in the English net. And the Italian one. And the day the haymaking stopped for the penalties in Genoa. Certainly with the last few examples listed above, they were very much cases of little old Ireland punching above its weight.
When it comes to ‘other’ major sporting events like the Olympic Games and European and World Championship ‘multi-sport’ events, if you will, Athletics and Boxing are two of the areas in which we have certainly exceeded expectations over the years. Going back as far as Ronnie Delany in Melbourne to John Treacy, Eamon Coughlan, Sonia O’Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan.
In more recent times, that baton passed to the likes of Sarah Treacy, Fionnuala Britton, Tom Barr and the Meath duo of Harry Purcell and Andrew Coscoran. Most likely due to the changing demographics of sports broadcasting and the dearth of ‘less prominent’ sports on terrestrial television I will admit to not being as in sync with goings on in athletics as was wished to be the case. Save the odd newsflash about the latest noteworthy achievement of Ciara McGeeann.
That, however, is most likely about to change dramatically. Sure it’s only natural after the mesmerising exploits of the Irish contingent at the most recent incarnation of the European Championships in Rome in early June. However, sadly, before going on to pay proper homage to the outstanding excellence which saw those in green take home a total of four medals, we must first go back.
To the heady days for Irish soccer. Most specifically, one summer night in New York. The Giants Stadium. And possibly the greatest performance by an Irish sportsperson, ever. When one man – Paul McGrath – held the entire nation of Italy at bay. And the whole of Ireland in the palm of his hand. I would, without hesitation, nominate McGrath as Ireland’s most beloved sports star.
Whilst in no way seeking to be controversial, it would be ventured that the fact that the great man is accredited as such spoke volumes about the open mindedness of the Irish people at a time when such would absolutely not have been the case in other parts of the world. Mind you, it would be openly suggested that that whole process was definitely aided by the fact that the oracle of Irish sports writing, Con Houlihan, crowned McGrath ‘The Black Pearl Of Inchicore’.
How we could have done with the gentle giant from Castle Island last week to properly encapsulate the majesty of Rhasidat Adeleke and her colleagues in Italy and to drown out the jealous hatred spewing like volcanic bile from other quarters. The ‘She’s not Irish’ dross and ‘Do a DNA Test’ waffle. Funny, isn’t it, that there was none of the BS when it came to Georgie Wilson playing football with Dublin a half century ago or the likes of McGrath, Phil Babb, Clinton Morrison or any of the new wave of mixed raced Irish playing soccer for the country or Simon Zebo in rugby or South African/Irish jockey Seanie Leavey or the O’hAilpins of Cork or Wexford’s Lee Chin.
Now, it gives me absolutely no pleasure to say this but it’s very difficult not to arrive at the conclusion that all the hurtful and unnecessary brouhaha was agitated just because Adeleke is a female athlete. Yes I know it sounds outlandish, but nothing surprises me when it comes jealous begrudgery.
Yet, for this observer at least, nothing or nobody can detract from the achievements of our athletes this time around. Obviously, the individual honours garnered by McGeean and Adeleke merit the utmost commendation but – and again this is from a personal perspective – this was the first occasion on which the Irish can be recalled featuring among the medalists in the team events. At track and field at least, cross country is a different story.
But thanks to firstly our mixed relay team – Chris O’Donnell, Adeleke, Tom Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley – and the women’s 4 x 400m relay amalgam – Adeleke, Mawdsley, Sophie Becker and Phil Healy – in my lifetime at least – new ground has been broken.
Indeed, given the historic nature of matters involving the relay teams, the enormity of Tallaght’s Adeleke acquiring a silver medal in the individual 400m could almost have been lost in the din. Almost.
These Championships were a game changer for Irish athletics. And can go on being so for years to come. Kids get their heroes from seeing the sports stars of the day doing their thing. A fact endorsed only recently when Offaly’s Adam Screeney admitted he was as avid an autograph hunter from the likes of Henry Shefflin, Joe Canning and Tony Kelly when he was of commensurate age to those who continually swamped the mercurial Kilcormac/Killoughey star for autographs and/or selfies in the wake of Offaly’s All Ireland U-20 HC victory.
How do kids settle on their favourite sport in a world so saturated with options? As much by what they see as what they do themselves. We’ve all – yes, me included – dreamed of being Colm O’Rourke or Paul Carberry or Paul McGrath in our back gardens back in the day. So it stands to reason that the current generation of kids will harbour ambitions of being the next Rhasidat Adeleke or Ciara McGeean or Tom Barr.
As well as that, at the very least, it makes the forthcoming Olympic Games a whole lot more appetising to watch.