Cup effort needs shot in arm - and hammer

On Athletics:Thirty years ago this weekend Bernie Hartigan provided what is still seen by some as the highlight of Ireland's involvement in the European Cup. Though better known as an All-Ireland hurling winner with Limerick in 1973, and now a selector with the current team, Hartigan was also multiple Irish champion in hammer and discus.

His deftness with weights earned Hartigan several trips abroad, including Ireland's qualifying round of the 1977 European Cup, in Copenhagen. The event, inaugurated in 1965, was still something of a novelty, and with two new distance stars, John Treacy and Eamonn Coghlan, on board there were high hopes Ireland could make the semi-finals for the first time.

Expectation was reflected in media interest, both the Irish Press and the Irish Independent dispatching their top men. Yet that Saturday, the first day of competition, as Jimmy Meagan and Tom O'Riordan settled into their seats, they wondered if they would get even a half-decent story out of the weekend.

Then, without warning, the hammer came flying out of the throwing cage at a potentially lethal 90-degree angle and shot straight across the infield before crashing into the photo-finish equipment near the finish line. Startled, the two Irish pressmen swore out loud, before realising Hartigan was the man responsible.

"What happened was I misjudged my timing throwing the hammer out of the cage," Hartigan explains. "It flew off to the side and straight into the photo-finish console and totally smashed the thing . . . It was actually the first event of the day, and the meeting was delayed for a while as they assessed the damage. "Eventually, they proceeded with the use of the old hand-timing. But it did cause quite a fuss. And the next day made the front page of all the newspapers, with this picture of the photo-finish console with my hammer sticking out of it."

Fortunately for BLÉ, then-governing body of Irish athletics, there were no costs involved: "The organisers had insurance," adds Hartigan. "Though we were told it was worth around £10,000. A lot of people saw the hilarity in it, but it definitely upset the meeting organisers. Sure they coped grand in the end. And some good came out if it. Back then the hammer cage was around 11 feet high, and they increased it by another metre or so as a result of what happened."

Hartigan did manage a legal throw, and with Coghlan and Treacy winning, Ireland finished second to make the semi-finals in London three weeks later. Even better, Meagan and O'Riordan had follow-ups on the incident for a week.

All that, however, has proved the enduring memory of 1977, as Ireland were heavily outclassed in the semi-finals. And ever since, we have failed to make a real impact on the event, Hartigan-style or otherwise.

The European Cup was the idea of the European athletics president Bruno Zauli, after whom the trophy is still named, to encourage participation in the full range of track and field events. Zauli sensed the danger in countries focusing on certain disciplines and ignoring others, which has ultimately been Ireland's downfall over the years.

Since 1993, when the Cup became an annual event, Ireland has yo-yoed between first- and second-league status, never coming close to breaking into the Superleague. Doing well in distance races, we would often struggle in sprints and field events. Therein lies the nub of the challenge for the team and for Max Jones, the new director of Irish athletics, in Vaasa, Finland, this weekend.

Another problem over the years has, however, been the apathy to the European Cup among some athletes. Sonia O'Sullivan, for instance, was never a fan. Yet Liam Hennessy, Ireland's high-performance manager, understands the difficulty.

"Over the years some athletes saw it as an inconvenience," says Hennessy, "especially the distance runners. It's early in the season and rarely produces fast times . . . So we couldn't always put a gun to their head. But there are only a couple of obligations every year in Irish athletics, and the European Cup is one of them. It is something we need the athletes to fully embrace."

From 2009 the event will be become a combined men's and women's team competition, and in terms of priority for national federations the European Cup is growing all the time. As Hennessy explains, "The European Cup really exposes countries that don't hold up in the full breadth of track and field, and unfortunately Ireland has been one of them. We do need to bring on the field events, and that really is the challenge for Max Jones. This weekend should give some indication of where we are going.

"But . . . I think we can aspire to the highest level, especially on the women's side. With the likes of Derval O'Rourke and Joanne Cuddihy leading the way we can compete with the best in Europe. The problem right now is that we don't have the depth of talent of the bigger European countries, and if, say, our first- or second-choice athletes are injured we have little to fall back on."

Which brings us to a question - any more hurlers out there able to throw the hammer?