Irish schools event needs nurturing

ATHLETICS:Irish athletics has a strange habit of unearthing its finest talents in pairs, the latest of which will be on show at today's schools championships in Tullamore. John Coghlan and David McCarthy clash in the senior boys 1,500 metres - still the blue-riband event - and it doesn't matter which of them actually win because their potential is equally exciting.

They're following, they hope, in the footsteps of Eamonn Coghlan-John Treacy, of Marcus O'Sullivan-Frank O'Mara, and of Sonia O'Sullivan-Catherina McKiernan - all of whom won Irish schools titles in the same era before moving on to greater things. Coghlan is already deep in those footsteps as the son of his famous father, Eamonn. The Castleknock student has been progressing steadily, carefully coached and encouraged, and is the reigning schools cross country champion.

McCarthy has been nurtured in much the same way. A student of St Augustine's in Dungarvan, he is now coached by multiple Irish steeplechase champion Brendan Quinn (whose Irish record of 8:24.09 still stands from 1985) and former Irish cross country champion Gerry Deegan.

Both these athletes are capable of running close to 3:50, or even testing the senior schools record of 3:47.03 set by Colm McClean in 1998. They'll also yield the classic clash of strengths, with Coghlan the stronger and perhaps smarter runner, while McCarthy has that undeniable raw speed and perhaps stronger kick.

The Irish schools championships have long been the foundation for international success in latter years, as Ireland's current pair of finest talents - David Gillick and Derval O'Rourke - can readily testify. Running in the colours of St Benildus in Dundrum, Gillick won his first national title at schoolboy level in 1998, though not in the 400 metres flat.

"I was doing both the 400 metres flat and 400 metre hurdles," he recalls. "The first year I made the All-Ireland schools, at intermediate, I won the hurdles, but only got second in the 400 metres flat. The next year, though, I concentrated on the 400 metres flat, and won it."

It was at that point, admits Gillick, athletics became his sport of choice: "Those schools championships really got me back into athletics. I went through a phase at 13 or 14 where I played a lot of GAA, and a lot of soccer, and drifted away from athletics a bit. The schools got me back into it, going to the East Leinsters, and then the Leinsters, and without those competitions there's no way I'd be competing today.

"The schools are a great event. Some of the talent at that level is amazing, and it's just a pity that not all of it has come through. But that'll always be a problem for Irish athletics, keeping people in the sport once they leave school, and head off the college. It's very important the schools championships are supported in every way. It's still very enjoyable at that level. Winning that first All-Ireland is something I'll remember as much as any race. It's like a soccer player scoring his first goal."

During her schoolgirl days in Cork, O'Rourke also had to learn to lose before learning to win: "Well I'll never forget them either, because I got beaten. I was in fifth year, and for the first time in my life was injured, with a hamstring. I remember someone told my mother afterwards I wasn't tough enough. I just thought 'I'll show them.' I was gutted, ran 14.7 seconds, but later that summer ran 13.8. I did win the title in my last year. But the great thing about the Irish schools is that if you're doing well there you know you're making it. It's very, very competitive. Just look at the records. When I did win it I knew I was capable of doing something."

With 104 events run over eight hours, today's championships remain an unique occasion in Irish athletics - and a crystal ball for anyone wondering where the future of the sport lies.