Jerry Kiernan RIP

[BlackpoolTerrier]

https://clonliffeharriersac.com/shock-passing-of-clonliffe-olympian-jerry-kiernan/

 

[Bishop Con Lucey]

RIP.

A stalwart of RTE olympic and world championship coverage.

 

[BlackpoolTerrier]

Came very close to breaking the world marathon record on a shit course in Dublin in 1982. Beat some of the greatest marathoners in the world (including Salazar) when finishing ninth in LA in 1984.

Had a phenomenal head for analysis - every athlete's PB at his fingertips. Some of our greatest athletics memories are framed by Jerry's refelctions. Sonia's great nights anchored by himself and Bill O'Herlihy were pure magic.

Wasn't afraid to call it as he saw it either. He had a very clear view on what constituted elite performance in sport and the GAA fraternity always got fierce upset when he called out their amateur approach.

Jerry's prime was a true golden era for Irish running - Coghlan, Treacy, O'Meara, Flynn, Marcus O'Sullivan, Cusack and Hughes were all contemporaries. World-class performances were the absolute norm and he was a worthy member of the group.

A low-fi shot of Jerry winning the Cork Marathon on the South Mall in 1983 - 2:13 on the day:

 

[The Highway Man]

Came very close to breaking the world marathon record on a shit course in Dublin in 1982. Beat some of the greatest marathoners in the world (including Salazar) when finishing ninth in LA in 1984.

Had a phenomenal head for analysis - every athlete's PB at his fingertips. Some of our greatest athletics memories are framed by Jerry's refelctions. Sonia's great nights anchored by himself and Bill O'Herlihy were pure magic.

Wasn't afraid to call it as he saw it either. He had a very clear view on what constituted elite performance in sport and the GAA fraternity always got fierce upset when he called out their amateur approach.

Jerry's prime was a true golden era for Irish running - Coghlan, Treacy, O'Meara, Flynn, Marcus O'Sullivan, Cusack and Hughes were all contemporaries. World-class performances were the absolute norm and he was a worthy member of the group.

A low-fi shot of Jerry winning the Cork Marathon on the South Mall in 1983 - 2:13 on the day:

Yeah Great Pundit to be fair. Never really understood the whole community based organisation that was the GAA and had the chip on shoulder about it . A good man and very honest.

 

[Rebel CNC]

Yeah Great Pundit to be fair. Never really understood the whole community based organisation that was the GAA and had the chip on shoulder about it . A good man and very honest.

Primarily about gaelic football which he grew to hate after being a huge fan in his early years. Believe it enraged him that other Kerry lads of his age who were part of the great Kerry team of the 70s-80s were idolised in their own county whereas he never got more than a passing glance.

 

[Pontipine]

Very sad to hear this news. He was a young man.

I’ll never forget seeing Jerry zoom down the Glasheen road in the Cork marathon back in the 80’s. He was a god-like figure of marathons back then.

May he rest in peace.

 

[MerchantOfEnnis]

RIP. Loved listening to him on the Olympic coverage, he was so enthusiastic and a great analyst.

 

[markyboy]

Way too young. RIP.

 

[BlackpoolTerrier]

Yeah Great Pundit to be fair. Never really understood the whole community based organisation that was the GAA and had the chip on shoulder about it . A good man and very honest.

I think he understood it alright - he grew up with it but didn't agree with it. He saw the omnipresent GAA as amateur in their preparation and accepting too low a performance bar. He felt this smothered real and potentially world-class athletic talent.

I'm sure the poor recognition he got in Kerry certainly affected his opinion - he goes out and beats De Castella, Dixon, Seiko, Salazar, Pfitzinger - at the time the best marathoners in the World - in the LA Olympics and all the talk when he gets home is about what he sees as yet another Gaelic football match.

I'd agree that the Irish focus on the GAA certainly smothers world-class potential in other sports - but that's not the GAA's fault.

 

[CorktilIdie]

Very saddened to hear of his sudden passing. His was a mighty talent. But loved his erudite and passionate commentary, conveyed with pure honesty, on his beloved athletics. Greatly missed. RIP