You may think with the County hurling final taking place on Saturday 30th, that im going to start to compare Kiltale hurlers past and present, in my post today.
Not a chance of that happening, i am after all part of the Kildalkey backroom team.
Anyway the Greatest sportsman ever to hail from Kiltale was not a hurler, he was a long distance runner by the name of Des Mcgann.
Des was an outstanding athlete, he was a member of the Civil Service athletic club
Des was coached by the legendary Frank Duffy.
Des won national titles over various distances on the road.
He ran country, track and road for his club and he represented Ireland at the World cross- country on several occasions.
But it was on the road, over the marathon distance where Des Mcgann would represent Ireland at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich.
One of the proudest moments of his life.
Representing Ireland in the 1970’s at the Olympics was very different then it is today.
There were no athlete grants back then and the athlete had to do his own fund raising to pay for the trip to the games.
Ireland was not a wealthy nation in the 70’s but the good people of Kiltale and the neighbouring parishes came together to help raise money for Des through collections and dances to help send him on his way to Munich.
The games of 1972 will be always remembered,not for the sport but for the terrorist, hostage taking of several Israeli athletes by the Palestine group Black September.
In a botched shootout on a Munich runway 17 people including 5 terrorists were killed.
The games were suspended for 2 days and although several nations pulled out the games went ahead under a screen of tight security.
It most of been a real worrying time for Des but can you imagine how worried his wife Mary would be back home in Kiltale.There was no internet, mobile phones back then.
Times for the marathon were well down in Munich, im sure athletes just wanted to complete their event and go home, after all Des was away for 6 weeks in West Germany.
Des raced at the highest level for a futher 10 years after Munich, it was a golden era for Irish athletics, Tracy and Coughlan were to win cross country and track World championships during these golden years.
Des was involved in a car crash and as a result could not run for several years in the 80’s but he recovered and began racing again soon after. He still runs or cycles everyday, he is 72 years old, he simply floats along the road .
He is a regular supporter/ spectator at Meath
Cross-country and road races he always gives great encouragement to athletes especially to The Kiltale ladies, who are brilliantly coached by Fiona and Pat Diskin
(Fiona is Des daughter , she was also a very talented athlete and won several races over road and country in the 1990’s) she had a very similar running style to her fathers.
Before i sign off i almost forgot to mention Des Mcgann ran 2hours 16 minutes 16 secs in qualifing for Munich.
That makes him the fastest Meath man to have ever ran the distance.
I look forward to meeting him in Navan after the final tomorrow. No doubt Win or lose we will talk briefly about the match before we get down to more serious matters, athletics and he will always ask me how far did you run today.
Once an Olympian always an Olympian.
Wishing you contnued good health in the future
Des Mcgann
Your Friend in Athletics
Joe brady
