St. James' Athletics Club

Roger Rushe, Derreen and Mickey Kelly, Coolreagh, still running at 75

Killererin - A Parish History

Back row l-r: Tom Meehan, Cahergal; Maitias O'Gormaile, Tuam; Midie Hussey, Belclare; Roger Rushe, Abbeyknockmoy. Front row l-r: Micky Kelly, Togher; Harold Campbell, Tuam; Charlie Mullins, Creevaghbawn and Tommy Joe Hynes, Creevaghbawn.

Photo: Out and About Magazine, 2011

Tom Meehan, (Christy's son

Killererin - A Parish History

Founding of St. James’ Athletics Club

In 1957, Martin Nicholson, Dangan, formed an Athletics Club in the parish. Prior to this, Killererin athletes ran with Tuam until such time when a rule was brought in that athletes had to compete with their local clubs. This led to the formation of St. James’ Athletics Club in Killererin.

Club Members

Club members at that time were Mickey and Tommy Kelly from Coolreagh, Togher; Martin Nicholson, Dangan; Tom Meehan, Cahergal; Mickey Coleman, Togher; Christy Flaherty, Ballina; Martin Kelly, Tygreenane; Micky Quinn, Brierfield; Roger Rushe, Derreen; Mick Mellody, Brierfield; Tom Dunleavy, Coolreagh; Jack McDonnell, Togher; Joe King, Clogherboy; Paddy Joyce, Lissavalley; Joe and Mike Mannion, Barbersfort and Mattie McGrath, Barracks.¹

Notable Success

In its first year, the new club had notable successes finishing in 3rd place overall with Tom Meehan finishing 4th and Mickey Kelly finishing 5th in the Galway Senior Cross-Country championship. They went one better in Connacht Championships by finishing 2nd with Tom Meehan their first man home in 5th position. A few weeks after the Connacht finals, Tom Meehan showed great form being he second Galway man home in the All Irelands in 12th position. The team went from strength to strength over the next couple of years before most of the runners rejoined Tuam in 1960. Tom Meehan and Mickey Kelly were the two outstanding runners for the club.

Training

They would meet twice a week at Comers’ Hall and run to Horseleap Cross or Grange Bridge and back. They also trained in Parkmore, Tuam. Paddy Joyce, Lissavalley and Sean Kirwan often met with them. The story goes that on one occasion they were running to Tuam and these two men waited half-way for them and on their return rejoined them and won the race! For Cross-Country training, they ran in the fields or commonages, mostly at night, so the owners would not see them. They competed in all grades, both at county and national level, cross-country, etc.

County senior cross-country was 9 miles and at junior level it was 6 miles. Neighbouring parishes that had their own clubs ran and trained with Killererin.

Mickey Kelly, Coolreagh, Togher

Mickey Kelly, Togher, won at all levels during his fifty years of running. For his life-long achievements and loyalty to running, he was crowned Athletics Ireland, Galway County Board 2014 Athletics Award Winner.²

Today, Athletics is still very popular and with the emphasis nowadays on a healthy lifestyle, there is a very active athletics/walking club in the parish. This was formed almost three years ago and is gaining in popularity each year with up to 70 members this year (2015). It caters for all ages and all abilities and some of the members have entered the Dublin City Marathon.

¹Information from Roger Rushe and Mickey Kelley ; Pat Coen , A History of the GAA in Killererin pps 42-43