FIFTY years after he won Olympic Gold for Ireland in Melbourne the great Ronnie Delaney's super run will be commemorated with a series of events across the country today (Friday).
In Letterkenny a 1500 metre run will take place at the athletic club track at 5.30pm. The event is being organised by the local club in conjunction with local groups and for one man in particular it will be a nostalgic occasion. Danny McDaid, a veteran of two Olympic Games (72 and 76) and a friend of Delaney's is one of the key men behind the local event.
"I met Ronnie on several occasions and we've always got on well. I think this is a great idea to remember his great run at the Melbourne Olympics. I listened to his run on the radio as there were no televisions that time. Thankfully, now we will all get the chance to see it again today," he said.
Speaking to the Donegal News Letterkenny A.C Chairman, Brendan McDaid said it was a great idea.
"The race is taking place 50 years to the day that Ronnie won the gold medal in Melbourne. The money raised will go to local children's charities. We're hoping people will come along and take a trip down memory lane," he said.
WELCOME FOR ALL
The fun run will welcome runners, joggers, walkers etc. to take part in the event. Participant's will be welcome to donate an entry fee of five euro and event organisers are stressing that every penny raised will be donated to local youth groups in the Letterkenny area. Letterkenny A.C. has indicated that the race will be officially started by Danny McDaid.
The event is being strongly supported by a number of staff from development agencies based in the town and is being assisted by the direct support of Letterkenny Athletic Club, the Donegal Sports partnership, Letterkenny Chamber and the Voluntarism Programme of DLDC.
Likewise a number of high profile staff of Letterkenny local development agencies have confirmed they will be togging out for the event. Thoroughbreds from Border Action, which delivers the PEACE II Programme, the Donegal County Enterprise Board, TEAGASC, the County Development Board, many of the member organisations and businesses of Letterkenny Chamber and Donegal Local Development Company will breaking a sweat. Joanne Sweeney, CEO of Letterkenny Chamber was delighted to announce at the working group's recent press conference that the organisers would be in a position to offer a massive purse of one million euro to any person over 85 years of age who could beat Ronnie Delaney's winning time of 3 minutes and 41.2 seconds for the 1,500 metres. Joanne was quick to point out that all participants over the age of 85 also need a letter of permission to participate from one of their grandmother's.
This is a once in a life time opportunity to mark, in an very active way, one of Ireland's milestone sporting events while having great fun and supporting local youth groups. So all are encouraged to show up at the Letterkenny AC track and both mark history and make history. For all further details contact: Joanne Sweeney, Letterkenny Chamber, (087) 623-7373 or by email at joanne@letterkennychamber.com
For the best part of three decades Danny McDaid was one of the country's most elite athletes competing at local, national and international level. A native of Fahykeen, Glenswilly, Danny was four times national marathon champion and is one of just a handful of people from Donegal who have represented Ireland at the Olympics such as Paul Dolan (Ballyshannon-London 1948 over 400 metres), Pa Sharkey, Annagry, (Boxing) and Patsy McGonagle, Ballybofey, (London, football 1948).
Among the highlights of a glittering athletics career were Danny's appearances for Ireland at the Munich and Montreal Olympic Games in 1972 and 76 respectively.
He first competed for Ireland in the World Cross Country Championship's in Madrid in 1969 and in all took part in nine World Championship's finishing 11th in Limerick on a memorable day back in 1979 when John Treacy lifted the world title for Ireland. He was captain of the Irish Senior Cross Country team from 1975 to 81.
