Eamonn Sweeney: Rome medal haul proves Jerry Kiernan was right
Ciara Mageean celebrates her gold medal in the 1500m at the European Championships in Rome. Photo: Sam Barnes / Sportsfile
It’s an awful pity Jerry Kiernan wasn’t around to witness Irish athletics’ glorious week in Rome. Our most successful European Championships of all time bore out his faith not only in former protégée Ciara Mageean, but also in two beliefs which were cornerstones of his thinking.
The first was that Irish sport should never give up on athletics. Fallow spells led to suggestions that funding would be better directed towards sports where international success was more easily achieved. Kiernan insisted this was wrong. Irish athletics should always be supported because it was an integral part of the national sporting tapestry. It’s part of what we are.
