Cobh

Fr Liam Kelleher receives Cork City Sports Athletics award
With activity curtailed during the Covid lockdown, the Cork City Sports committee decided to give an award to Fr Liam Kelleher who has been actively involved in the sport as well as many other sports for the past 50 years. On Tuesday the 22nd of June the award was presented to Fr Liam. Present were Frank Walley President if the Cork City Sports. Tony O'Connell chairperson and Liam O'Brien technical director of the Cork City sports. Regrettably the prestigious Athletic event will not be held this year because of Covid. But the situation is improving slowly and the National Track and Field Championships are down for decision on June 26th and 27th at Morton stadium in Santry. Ironically it was at that venue Liam O'Brien coached by Fr Liam won the first of his numerous National steeplechase titles. It was there the first Juvenile steeplechase event was ever held at National level. Liam went on to gain his first International in the Irish schools singlet. He went on to win 11 National senior steeplechase titles and his crowning glory was to make the Irish Olympic team in the event at the Los Angeles games on 1984 where he reached the semi final. He was a regular on the Irish team for many years and a testament to his longevity in the sport was the fact that when he was over 40, he represented his country in the Europa cup winning in 8.47, ahead of the Russian favourite. Fr Liam made reference to Liam's glorious career, at the presentation and complimented him, on his achievements and his continued involvement in the sport at East Cork level and as chief organizer of Post Primary Athletics. A nice touch from Fr Liam, he thanked Liamo for bringing his own name to the fore for his coaching ability and now the wheel has turned full circle and both are still actively involved. Fr Liam also thanked Frank a former National sprint champion for his commitment to the sport through the Cork City sports, and for the wonderful work he has done in Cobh, in helping restoring the iconic St Colman's cathedral. In fact the presentation was made outside the cathedral. He also complimented Tony who has played many roles in the Cork City sports including chairperson and PRO.
Thanks
In reply they all thanked Fr Liam for his many years of dedication. From the grassroots during his time in Midleton in the early 70's when hundreds of young people were helped in the sport. The successes were amazing including taking Ist and 2nd team places in 2 ages in the All-Ireland x country championships. At schools level coaching St Mary's x country team to win the Junior and Intermediate All-Ireland school titles, on the same day, taking the ist, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places in the Junior under 15 race. He organized trips to Donegal and the West of Ireland In 1972 to Scotland in 1977 and to Crystal Palace London on a coaching course, Liam O'Brien was on those trips. Another trip is worthy of mention both of them headed off uninvited to an Olympic coaching course, at Louvain in Belgium where Olympic champion and world record holder for the steeplechase Gaston Roelants, was present he was a huge inspiration to both Liam and Fr Liam who was National steeplechase coach. The Midleton days ended in 1977, with the transfer to Tullylease a small village on the Limerick border with just 39 children in the primary school. Within the year, 4 athletes he coached with Christy Brosnan at nearby Dromcollogher won the first 4 races on the programme at the Munster xcountry, they needed a track to train on and that gave rise to a 400m all weather track in Tullylease. The international sports drew world class athletes like Olympic Champions John Walker and Steve Ovett and world champions Eamon Coghlan, John Treacy and Frank O'Mara and many other internationals including Liam O'Brien. Fr Liam was founding member of West Limerick AC.&nbsp;
Dromina
Dromina was the next port of call where the Adidas Dromina 10 attracted the cream of Irish athletes. The course record was set by the late Jerry Kiernan at 46.30. While there he set up North Cork AC still a powerful force in the sport with Michael Herlihy director of operations. North Cork produced many champions including Olympians, Barbara Johnson 400m hurdles in Seoul on 1988 and 3 time Olympian Peter Maher who after winning the Munster Senior x country, won the National 10 mile road race. He emigrated to Canada, the country of his birth, he came to Ireland when he was one year old. His career blossomed in Canada in making 3 Olympics in the Marathon and 3 world championships and famously in Rome in 1987 he led the worlds best and was half a mile ahead at 19 miles on a scorching hot day, with temperatures hitting 35c, his drinks mysteriously disappeared and he became dehydrated and struggled to finish. He broke the world 25k record, won 18 marathons with a best time of 2.11. Staying with the marathon Fr Liam coached Curtin sisters to First Lady and 2nd in the Cork city marathon. The club produced numerous scholarship athletes including Anita Philpott, who won the USA junior x country title during her first year there, while on Scholarship at Providence college, her arch rival here before that was Sonia O'Sullivan. Both were on the Irish Junior team managed by Fr Liam in the 3,000m at the European championships in 1987 in Birmingham Both had come back injured from the USA both went, Sonia had to opt out the injury not sufficiently recovered, Anita was not fully recovered easily qualified for the final, where she finished a creditable 6th behind subsequent world champion, Fernando Ribero of Portugal. Injury dogged the rest of Anita's short career which ended when she reached the final of the European Senior 3,000m, a race which Sonia won. Add in the Stack brothers Kieran and Brian from Doneraile, Garret Barry and Cormac O'Riordan from Buttevant. The Charleville trio the late Ger Twomey, Geoffrey Sheehan and Finbarr Egan and Michael Cotter from Macroom and that is an insight into the huge contribution Fr Liam brought to the sport in North Cork. There are so many others who did not emigrate,like the Kennedy's of Buttevant the Collins brothers from Ballydesmond the Casey brothers from Milstreet, Donerailes Seanad Roche and Ann O'Kearney Flynn, Eileen Curtin Buttevant etc
East Cork
It was back to East Cork in 1988 to Inch in the parish of Killeagh which led to another athletic dynasty. He spent a year going around about 30 National Schools marked out an 800m circuit and gave every pupil a run at this distance, now through the efforts of Frank Greally it's the "Daily mile" for schools. It worked, after spending a year trying to set upGlenbower AC, called after the wood in Killeagh the club got permission to trade. He unleashed his charges in the co x country and they took 12 team prizes and went on to become the leading Juvenile club in Ireland at track and x country.&nbsp;
Whiitechurch
Another move took place this time to Whitechurch in 1994 he continued to return to Midleton to coach Glenbower athletes with Liam O'Brien at Midleton CBS. The National x country championships were awarded to Blarney AC in conjunction with Whitechurch Community council they were another huge success. In Whitechurch a new phase in sport took his interest, when the girls in the school wanted football, he reluctantly agreed and that culminated with as much success as the athletics. First Sciath na. Scoil titles were garnered. Rockban club was formed, and the Co title under 12 team a title came and the club followed up the line to All Ireland success at Junior and Intermediate level. Then Cork came calling and the Co had no even a Senior team.
Cork Ladies football success
He took on the Intermediate team worth Charlie Mc Laughlin, which duly won the All-Ireland. Looking to the future they established a School of Excellence and Summer camps. In 1999, Fr liam was transferred to Grenagh as Parish Priest and contemplated retiring from sport. But training for the under 14's would take place in Grenagh. After winning the Munster 'B' title in 1999 defeating Tipperary by a point. As manager of the team he led them to an 8.34 yo 0-0 victory over Tipp in the first round of the Munster championships in 2000 before going on to win the All-Ireland. Three more followed under 14, 3 under 16 titles, 2 minor titles all on the space 6 years and the rest they say is history. After a stint in the USA he came back in 2013 got involved with John Cleary and Co and won 3 minor titles. He encountered his first loss with Cork in 20 years in an all-Ireland final losing the final to Galway by a point and called it a day.
It is well to remember that all these happened while managed by Fr liam attending to his priestly duties. Being Co PRO and at National for athletics as well from as ladies Football. 
Editing and producing Marathon athletics magazine for 21 years. Establishing the Imokilly people newspaper for East Cork. Peil a National magazine for ladies Football. Throw in the attendance at 8 Olympics, numerous world and European athletes championships. Manager of Irish teams at World and European Championships. Many years were spent at management level of the National executive of Irish Athletics. While officially retired from parish duty at 76, he is still as active as ever at local level at football and athletics. Since the start of the pandemic he has live-streamed mass every day on his Facebook page which has 5,000 followers. Is it any wonder the Cork City Sports presented this award.
Picture Fr Liam Kelleher pictured with the Cork City Sports award included are Frank Walley President Cork City Sports Tony O'Connell chairman and Liam O'Brien Olympic Athletes

Cork City Sports award

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