Fifty Years Ago - Richie Crowley Won the Famous Tullamore Road Race

FAMOUS WIN BY CORKMAN

richie crowley echo saturday january 22 2022

This article, by John Walshe, appeared in the Echo, on January 22nd 2022

Richard Crowley from Blarney was one of the dominant Cork distance runners of the 1970s and 1980s. A member of the St Finbarr’s club, Richie – as he was best known – represented Ireland on a number of occasions on track, road and cross-country

richie crowley tullamore jan 1972

Richie Crowley, St Finbarr's AC - Tullamore January 23rd 1972

As this month of January comes a close, it is therefore apt to look back 50 years ago and recall what was probably the most outstanding victory of his career which came about in the town of Tullamore on Sunday January 23, 1972

Races on the road during the 1970s were no way as prevalent as they are today. But there is no doubt that the most prestigious event in the calendar was the Quinlan Cup series of races around the Midlands town. Having started off as a cross-country promotion, because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak of 1967 it had to move to the road. Usually held a couple of weeks after Christmas, it soon became the unofficial national championship on that surface

Road races today may revolve around accurate courses and personal bests, but Tullamore was all about the competition. Part of the allure was the vast array of prizes. The senior men’s race, for example, boasted awards for the first 20 individuals, the first 10 teams in Grade ‘A’ and the first three teams in both Grade ‘B’ and ‘C’. With six to score, that meant a total of 116 prizes

Three weeks before that 1972 race, Crowley had finished fourth behind John Hartnett, John Buckley and Donie Walsh at the Cork senior championship at Fermoy (recently featured in these pages). The line-up at Tullamore that day for the main six-mile event included the previous year’s winner Fr Paddy Coyle (also the defending Irish C-C champion), along with 19-year-old Tony Staynings from Bristol who had Irish connections

As the 260-strong field (from 48 teams) made its way over the two bridges which led to the course proper of two laps, it was Staynings who was forcing the pace along with Crowley, Pat O’Riordan (Leevale) and Joe Scanlon (UCG). At the halfway stage, Crowley began to open a gap from Scanlon with Staynings struggling to stay in touch. Fr Coyle was well out of it at this stage as he led the chasing group some 50 yards behind

Heading back into the town, Crowley was well clear and although Staynings closed the gap somewhat the 23-year-old Corkman had enough in hand to cross the line with 13 seconds to spare in a time of 28:17. Staynings – who would go on to represent Britain in the steeplechase at both the 1976 and 1980 Olympics – recorded 28:30 with Scanlon third in 28:35, Coyle fourth in 28:52 and O’Riordan fifth in 28:57.

A number years ago Richie Crowley was the recipient of a Hall of Fame Award bestowed on him by his St Finbarr’s club. On that occasion he remembered his early days in the sport, growing up in Blarney. “A neighbour of mine, Tim Crowley, who was a good cyclist, asked me if I’d go to a local cross-country league on a Saturday. There were around 20 in the youths race and I came third behind George O’Riordan, who went on to play football for Cork, with Pat O’Connell in third.”

Of his many victories over all surfaces, that Quinlan Cup victory still stands out as his most memorable. Winners at Tullamore over the years include the likes of Eamonn Coghlan, John Treacy, Ray Treacy, John Hartnett and Donie Walsh, so Crowley’s name is certainly up there amongst some illustrious company

“The first year I went to Tullamore, I finished 56th,” he recalled. “I was 21st the following year, followed by a fifth in 1970, and then I won it. After that, I finished second, third and so on until I got out of the top half-dozen.”

Crowley never had a coach - “we learned as we went along” - and despite a busy working life as a commercial traveller he still managed to train 10 times a week. “We trained as a group but I feel we didn’t do enough of speed work. I had a lot of trouble with my Achilles tendon so it was a case of run lively and be happy with it or else do speed work and get injured.”

Having been there or thereabouts for many years at the Cork Count Senior C-C, Crowley finally won the title at Clonakilty in 1980. He had been runner-up on three occasions along with two third place finishes.

He can also claim another unique record as the only athlete to win three of the most iconic road races of that era - Tullamore, the Cork to Cobh 15-mile, and the Ballycotton ‘10’

Other Guest Articles by John Walshe

1972 Fermoy Cross-Country Championship Recalled

Midleton AC County Novice Cross-Country Team 1971

Donie Walsh - 1971 European Championships 10,000m Recalled

Willie O'Mahony has clocked the miles building East Cork Athletics

Memorable Youghal Road Race Took Place at Midnight on New Year's Eve

Midleton AC Virtual Club Challenge

Cork Cross-Country of 1980

Cork Marathon Magic in 1986 as Marion Lyons Wins

The 1985 Cork 800 Marathon

Tullamore Man Won First Cork Marathon

Pioneering Women of Cross-Country