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, 15 Jul
IT WOULD have been a ‘Long’ road home for Ronnie after a puncture only
for the help of fellow Irish athletics greats.
The Limerick man who will turn 87 this month, accompanied by
92-year-old friend Michael Hayes, were returning from watching the
National Athletics Championships in the Morton Stadium in Santry,
Dublin when at round midnight on June 26 they had a front tyre blow out
near Castletroy.
Mr Hayes said they were unsuccessfully trying to recover the spare
wheel and implements to make the tyre change when a voice from the side
said, “Gentlemen, can I help?”
“Ronnie looked up and said, ‘Thomas Barr, how did you know it was
us?’,” recalled Mr Hayes.
Three hours earlier Thomas had won his 10th national 400m hurdles
title. The Waterford native with close ties to University of Limerick,
who missed out on a bronze medal in the Rio Olympics by 0.05 seconds,
had plenty of time for the two elderly gentlemen.
“Thomas replied that he did not know who was involved but he wanted to
try to help two persons in motoring difficulties. By then we were
joined by Kelly McGrory, who earlier had impressively won gold in the
women’s 400m hurdles. She and Tom were returning to their training base
in the University of Limerick."
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Judgment reserved as family of murdered Limerick boxer seeks to halt
killer's prison transfer
“Thomas produced the equipment needed to change the wheel, and without
difficulty recovered the spare wheel from the boot and expertly put it
in place. He has a top class degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Limerick, but he showed in the ultra-professional way
that he made the wheel changes that he also has acquired very practical
mechanical skills along the way,” said Mr Hayes, of Labasheeda, County
Clare.
As the tyre change was nearing completion another car stopped behind
their vehicle – the trend of stars of track and field stopping to help
continued. Who should get out only Sarah Lavin and her engineer father
Ger.
Olympian Sarah had won with ease her ninth 100m hurdles championship
title a few hours earlier.
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“The Lavins are well known to us, but they were unaware of whom they
were offering to assist. Several cars passed by us that cool and windy
morning. The persons in the two cars that stopped to help took time out
from the rest that their sport requires.
“There is a view that athletes and top-class sports people are
selfishly concentrated on their own advancement. Like many great sports
people, Thomas Barr and Sarah Lavin, are very dedicated to their
training regime, as doubtless is Kelly McGrory, whom we know least.
“They are totally focused when in competition, are generous in
complimenting the vanquished, and always ready to support their
colleagues and others. Such persons are great role models for aspiring
young persons,” said Mr Hayes.
It is thanks to the kindness of these great runners that Mr Long and Mr
Hayes didn’t have to walk home. It is a pity that Ronnie Long released
a book on his sporting and life memories called the Long Road last year
as this would have been a great story for it.