Willie Morris and Tommy Madden are two of Galway’s finest ever athletes and their achievements in Irish cross-country championship running are legendary. The occasion of Willie’s 90th birthday on December 6th last, prompted their running colleagues in GCH and Athenry to mark the occasion in some way.

Willie and Tommy first ran together as team-mates over 50 years ago, part of the famed Derrydonnell AC that dominated Irish Cross-Country running from the 1950s through the early 1960s. From the late 60s, after the demise of Derrydonnell A.C. they both graced the red and white of GCH and the two men remain close friends to this day. The occasion of the Athenry 10k was a perfect place and time to honour the men, as both have close associations with the area –

Willie is originally from near Newcastle in Athenry and was a hurler before he found his fame as a runner. Tommy settled just outside Athenry and always comes down to watch the Fields of Athenry 10k each year. When the race was first run eight years ago, Willie ran it himself.

After this years race, in the Presentation College Sports Hall, Mick Rice gave a fitting introduction to the two men and there was a constant stream of runners and friends to say hello to the two men and their wives Winnie and Rosaleen. Mick summarised the great achievements and legacy of the two men. He noted that were it not for the complicated Civil War politics that was part and parcel of Irish athletics in the past, both men would surely have taken part in an Olympic games at one point in their careers. He also noted that the Derrydonnell club played a prominent role in trying to heal the divisions that plagued Irish athletics for so long.

Oliver Geraghty, President of GCH, presented graphite portraits by Dublin based artist David Gleeson to Willie and Tommy. Willie’s portrait was drawn from an old newspaper photo of him being held aloft after wining his third of four NACA Cross-Country titles in 1958, while Tommy’s portrait was drawn from an old photo of the aftermath of one of his three All-Ireland winning Galway Team performances. We have some photos of the occasion, courtesy of Joe Scanlan: http://www.galwaycityharriers.com/albums/willie-tommy-presentation-2010