Plaque to mark birthplace of Leahy athletes of Cregane

A PLAQUE to mark the birthplace of the athletic family the Leahy brothers of Cregane, Charleville will be unveiled on this Saturday the 7th September at 12 noon by former Limerick based veteran athletics supremo Ronnie Long, who is a life president of BLE.

The plaque was commissioned by a group of interested local people led by Kevin McSweeney of Charleville who felt that the birthplace of the family should be marked for posterity.

The Leahy brothers, Paddy, Tim, Joe, Tom, Mick and Con, were to the fore in Irish athletics during the early part of the 20th century and were regarded as the finest set of brothers to grace the athletic stage. Another brother Jack, who though he devoted most of his time to horses also won many prizes in the athletics arena.

Paddy, Con and Tim were world beaters and are best remembered as high jumpers, but the also excelled in the long jump and the hop, step and jump, while Paddy was an outstanding sprinter and Joe was one of the best all round in the country.

Con crowned his many successes with victory in the high jump competition at the Olympic Games in 1906, when along with Peter O’Connor of Waterford and J.P. Daly of Galway represented Ireland in the Olympic Game in Athens.

Cregane is located on the Cork Limerick border just north of Charleville and the Leahy farming family would have regarded Charleville as their nearest town in which to conduct business, and the boys and girls of the family would have attended schools in Charleville.

Charleville Golf Club President Barra O’Dwyer presenting D.J. Hourigan with his Presidents’ prize, which he won recently.

Sophie Sheehan and Katie O’Connor were at the coffee morning in aid of the Hope Foundation in Newtownshandrum.

Kieran O’Regan, Brendan Delaney, Paddy Delaney, Mons. James O’Brien and Dave Ryan pictured on the first tee at Charleville Golf Club for the Ballyhea Parish Classic last week.