Ron Delany
Encyclopedia
Ronald Michael Delany (born 6 March 1935), better known as Ron or Ronnie is a former Irish athlete, who specialised in middle distance running.
Born in Arklow
, Delany moved with his family to Dublin when he was 6. His father had got a job in Jacobs Biscuit Factory and there Delany went to Catholic University School
.
Delany studied in the United States at Villanova University
, where he was coached by the well-known track coach Jumbo Elliott. His first achievement of note was reaching the final of the 800m at the 1954 European Championships in Bern.
In 1956, he became the seventh runner to join the club of Four-minute mile
rs, but nonetheless struggled to make the Irish team for the 1956 Summer Olympics
held in Melbourne
.
Delany qualified for the Olympic 1500 m final, in which home runner John Landy
was the big favourite. Delany kept close to Landy until the final lap, when he started a crushing final sprint, winning the race in a new Olympic Record. Delany thereby became the first Irishman to win an Olympic title in athletics since Bob Tisdall
in 1932.
Delany won the Bronze medal at the 1958 European Championships at 1500m
Delany went on to represent Ireland once again at the 1960 Summer Olympics
held in Rome
, this time in the 800 metres. He finished 6th in his quarter-final.
He remained the last Olympics champion of Ireland for 36 years, until Michael Carruth
won the gold medal in boxing at the 1992 Olympics
in Barcelona
.
Delany continued his running career in North America, winning four successive AAU
titles in the mile, adding to his total of four Irish national titles, and three NCAA
titles. He was next to unbeatable on indoor tracks over that period, which included a 40-race winning streak. He broke the World Indoor Mile Record on three occasions.
He was granted the Freedom of Dublin City
in 2006.
Was also conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by University College Dublin
in 2006.
Now runs his own Marketing Consultancy business.
Born in Arklow
Arklow
Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
, Delany moved with his family to Dublin when he was 6. His father had got a job in Jacobs Biscuit Factory and there Delany went to Catholic University School
Catholic University School
Catholic University School is a Roman Catholic secondary school for boys located on the southside of central Dublin, Ireland. It is run by the Marist Fathers.-Origins:...
.
Delany studied in the United States at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, where he was coached by the well-known track coach Jumbo Elliott. His first achievement of note was reaching the final of the 800m at the 1954 European Championships in Bern.
In 1956, he became the seventh runner to join the club of Four-minute mile
Four-minute mile
In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional...
rs, but nonetheless struggled to make the Irish team for the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
held in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Delany qualified for the Olympic 1500 m final, in which home runner John Landy
John Landy
John Michael Landy, AC, CVO, MBE is an Australian former Olympic track athlete. He was the second man to break the four-minute mile barrier in the mile run, and he held the world records for the 1500 metre run and the mile race...
was the big favourite. Delany kept close to Landy until the final lap, when he started a crushing final sprint, winning the race in a new Olympic Record. Delany thereby became the first Irishman to win an Olympic title in athletics since Bob Tisdall
Bob Tisdall
Robert Morton Newburgh Tisdall was an Irish athlete of English origin who won a gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.Tisdall was raised in Nenagh, County Tipperary...
in 1932.
Delany won the Bronze medal at the 1958 European Championships at 1500m
Delany went on to represent Ireland once again at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
held in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, this time in the 800 metres. He finished 6th in his quarter-final.
He remained the last Olympics champion of Ireland for 36 years, until Michael Carruth
Michael Carruth
Michael Carruth is a southpaw Irish Olympic boxer from Dublin who won the welterweight gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Carruth has just finished a stint as expert boxing analyst for RTEs Olympic coverage...
won the gold medal in boxing at the 1992 Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Delany continued his running career in North America, winning four successive AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
titles in the mile, adding to his total of four Irish national titles, and three NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
titles. He was next to unbeatable on indoor tracks over that period, which included a 40-race winning streak. He broke the World Indoor Mile Record on three occasions.
He was granted the Freedom of Dublin City
Freedom of Dublin City
The Freedom of the City of Dublin is an award bestowed by the people of Dublin on a person nominated by the Lord Mayor. It is usually awarded for contributions made to the life of the city, as an honour given to certain visiting dignitaries. This award is rarely given; only 74 people have been...
in 2006.
Was also conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree by University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
in 2006.
Now runs his own Marketing Consultancy business.