Eileen O Keeffe Situation

Tomthepost

Anyone read Cliona Foley article in the Indo today about Eileen O' Keeffe's training (or lack of) facilities.
She purposely moved to live opposite Morton Stadium in Santry but can't use the facilities because new League of Ireland team Sporting Fingal lease the grass area for soccer matches.
Seemingly the hammer indents the pitch too much so she was told to bugger off back to Meath.
Genuine medal hope and treated like this.
How Irish!!!:mad:

thirtyfoot

Tomthepost wrote: »

Anyone read Cliona Foley article in the Indo today about Eileen O' Keeffe's training (or lack of) facilities.
She purposely moved to live opposite Morton Stadium in Santry but can't use the facilities because new League of Ireland team Sporting Fingal lease the grass area for soccer matches.
Seemingly the hammer indents the pitch too much so she was told to bugger off back to Meath.
Genuine medal hope and treated like this.
How Irish!!!:mad:

Yeah, its a bit of a disaster alright. There is a new cage so hopefully they'll sort that out for her. Its been like that in Santry for years, a big sign says "No Throwing of Hammer" or something to that effect. I saw her throwing up there one night a few weeks ago and she was belting them out, about 7 or 8 hammers and then heading out to do a bit of gardening. I don't imagine the top eastern european throwers need to include a sand-bucket in their gear bang.

RoyMcC

Old, old story for hammer throwers - not welcome anywhere much. Not sure if that outside cage at Santry is floodlit or not. The car park is rather adjacent for a big hooked effort as well :eek:

Irishtown is the same story and the hammer people have to go out to Belfield.

I agree that Eileen ought to be afforded the best possible facilities and preparation for Beijing.

islandexile

Tomthepost wrote: »

Anyone read Cliona Foley article in the Indo today about Eileen O' Keeffe's training (or lack of) facilities.
She purposely moved to live opposite Morton Stadium in Santry but can't use the facilities because new League of Ireland team Sporting Fingal lease the grass area for soccer matches.
Seemingly the hammer indents the pitch too much so she was told to bugger off back to Meath.
Genuine medal hope and treated like this.
How Irish!!!:mad:

The fact that a soccer team gets precedence over an olympic athlete in an olympic year in an ATHLETICS STADIUM says it all really. :rolleyes:

Dodge

islandexile wrote: »

The fact that a soccer team gets precedence over an olympic athlete in an olympic year in an ATHLETICS STADIUM says it all really. :rolleyes:

Pays the bills.

RoyMcC

Dodge wrote: »

Pays the bills.

Arrrgh yes you're right!! But surely it's not beyond the wit of man, or AAI, or somebody, to sort out dedicted facilities where our throwers can get their work done and feel that they are appreciated rather than tolerated.

Our soccer friends really do have plentiful pitches without them impinging on athletics during the summer months.

Wouldn't it be good to have an indoor facility like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LacAtdsLzs&feature=related

Timmaay

She'll hopefully be down in Greystones for the Share the Dream Meet on the 27th, i hope she isn't just coming because shes run out of places to train!

Dodge

RoyMcC wrote: »

Our soccer friends really do have plentiful pitches without them impinging on athletics during the summer months.

Not with a stadium up to League of Ireland standard attached to them.

I might be wrong but don't Fingal County Council run Morton now? I'm not saying O'Keeffe doesn't deserve training space, I'm just saying that AAI probably can't justify paying for a training facilty for at most 20 hammer throwers

RoyMcC

You may well be correct Dodge, and of course the figures therefore do not add up. It's just very sad that hammer - which has Gaelic origins and was dominated for many years by Irish-Americans, has been sidelined in favour of footy at our own national stadium. What would Billy Morton think?

I'm not saying that the situation in the UK was much better until recently (across all events) before the injection of huge amounts of Sports Council funding.

Hopefully these matters are regular agenda items at higher levels and things might improve. A good O'Keefe showing in Beijing would help greatly.

Racing Flat

Dodge wrote: »

Not with a stadium up to League of Ireland standard attached to them.

I might be wrong but don't Fingal County Council run Morton now? I'm not saying O'Keeffe doesn't deserve training space, I'm just saying that AAI probably can't justify paying for a training facilty for at most 20 hammer throwers

A stadium management committee runs santry. Fingal CC are responsible for upkeep of stadium. AFAIK athletics have priority over Sporting Fingal ( ie athletics get first say over when they want to use the stadium and SF get allocated slots (every second friday), so stories above may be Chinese whispers. As part of this deal SF may purchase a hammer throwing area for athletics.

thirtyfoot

Dodge wrote: »

I'm just saying that AAI probably can't justify paying for a training facilty for at most 20 hammer throwers

Thats a pretty narrow minded view. Track and Field is more than just sprinting and middle-distance. Maybe the reason we have only 20 or so throwers is because they have nowhere to train and crap facilities.

The Irish Whales as RoyMc has pointed out are probably our most successfull group of athletes ever. We have a double olympic hammer champion. A country's sporting success can be gauged by its sporting diversity and a country's athletic success could also be gauged by its event diversity. We were spoiled by Sonia for years and it clouded the fact we had no event diversity. Look at Europa Cup, our women are up there on the track but stuggle a bit in the field (not the athletes fault).

I would agrue that more needs to be pushed towards the throwers and proper facilities put in place so that its not a stroke of luck and down to the athletes determination that results in the likes of Terry McHugh, Paddy McGrath, Nicky Sweeney and Eileen coming through.

Imagine the uproar if athletic tracks were closed to runners or no hurdles, Belfield I suppose is an example. Athletics is more than just 800-10000, look what happened when we focused on sprints in recent years, the same could happen in throws if the focus was there because unlike sprinting we have a massive heritage in it and we are more inately suited to the throws. Triple Jump is the same, look at the All Time Irish Top 20 - many athletes from the early 20th century are still in the list with jumps which back then were world class. Maybe we need to start looking at how we identify talent and how we funnel them to events. God knows if we had one potential Olympic medalist for every 20 milers in the country we would be looking at a lot of silverware in Beijing.

RoyMcC

Dodge

Racing Flat wrote: »

A stadium management committee runs santry. Fingal CC are responsible for upkeep of stadium. AFAIK athletics have priority over Sporting Fingal ( ie athletics get first say over when they want to use the stadium and SF get allocated slots (every second friday), so stories above may be Chinese whispers. As part of this deal SF may purchase a hammer throwing area for athletics.

Thanks for clearing this up.

Tingle wrote: »

Thats a pretty narrow minded view. Track and Field is more than just sprinting and middle-distance.

I agree 100%. But we all know AAI have a limited budget and I'm trying to play devils advocate here, to maybe figure out why they don't have specialised facilities.

Drummerboy2

Fingal Co Council have been talking for years about building a throwing facility behind the stadium. Unfortunately with all the red tape involved it takes ages to sort out.

thirtyfoot

Dodge wrote: »

I agree 100%. But we all know AAI have a limited budget and I'm trying to play devils advocate here, to maybe figure out why they don't have specialised facilities.

Fair enough. Maybe they could have put some of the Fit4Life cash elsewhere although I don't know how much was spent on that. How about a Spar Hammer Challenge or Throw4Life:D Lots of big people throwing things in a field, would be great craic. People could throw want they want - hammers, wellies, fridges, wives.

Racing Flat

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

Fingal Co Council have been talking for years about building a throwing facility behind the stadium. Unfortunately with all the red tape involved it takes ages to sort out.

That's why SF's offer to provide the hammer throwing facility may be realised sooner than fingal CC would/could ever do it.

dna_leri

Tingle wrote: »

Fair enough. Maybe they could have put some of the Fit4Life cash elsewhere although I don't know how much was spent on that. How about a Spar Hammer Challenge or Throw4Life:D Lots of big people throwing things in a field, would be great craic. People could throw want they want - hammers, wellies, fridges, wives.

I do agree that investment needs to be made in our throwers. I understand that AAI sent 10 coaches to IAAF academy for elite coaches in 2007 - all for field events. [In 2006 they sent just one, for endurance.] This seems like a step in the right direction, now they just need somewhere to coach/train.

I don't think the answer is to pull funding from Fit4Life. What ever you think of these prgrams, we should be able to operate parallel programs for elite and beginners alike. I understand AAI got €33K from the Sports Council in 2007 for the WIS program and spent €23K of it on Fit4Life. Not sure what it was all spent on but if it plays a role in improving the overall fitness of the nation and reducing the growing obesity problem, we should not knock it.

babyblu

It will take Eileen WINNING an Olympic medal, not even making the final will justify an investment in throwing events it seems, as was seen when she did so well in the World last year and still all that's in the paper's are our runners who underachieved last year in Osaka....very little coverage on our walker and thrower who are real performers...

Anyone notice that Eileen opened the season with a 70m + throw? I thought not

Drummerboy2

Any update of the throwing circle being built behind Morton Stadium yet.

Very surprised to see Sporting Fingal playing on a Thursday night in Morton. Thought only Clonliffe Harriers could use the stadium on a Thursday night.

thirtyfoot

Drummerboy2 wrote: »

Very surprised to see Sporting Fingal playing on a Thursday night in Morton. Thought only Clonliffe Harriers could use the stadium on a Thursday night.

Bit of community goodwill allowed them play, Sporting Fingal were in a bit of a bind and the 'co-tenants' obliged.

Rineanna

babyblu wrote: »

Anyone notice that Eileen opened the season with a 70m + throw? I thought not

Sorry to be pedantic, but she technically opened with a 68.56m throw in Split at the European cup in March, but it has been highlighted over on the olympic thread that she's currently throwing a lot further this early in the season when compared to this time last year; she hadn't ever thrown over 70m this time last year, yet she's throwing out 70m+ throws for fun at the moment.

Suitcase

Wondering what the latest news is on Eileen's training dilemma???
I am a fan of hers in the USA so I must depend on you to keep this "Yank" updated on her situation.
I would think she would be a "national treasure" but it appears from the posts that hammer throwers in Ireland suffer from the same lack of respect and support as their US counterparts.
I am looking forward to seeing Eileen on the medal stand in Beijing.
Keep me updated as the Olympic Games get close.
Thanks
Suitcase

Racing Flat

Suitcase wrote: »

Keep me updated as the Olympic Games get close.
Thanks
Suitcase

Just to let you know, Eoleen won National Championships today with around 72.75, had around 4 throws over 70metres I think.

Suitcase

Racing Flat wrote: »

Just to let you know, Eoleen won National Championships today with around 72.75, had around 4 throws over 70metres I think.

Thanks for the info.
Congrats to Eileen.
72.65 should send notice that she will be read for Beijing.

Suitcase

Will you please post the link the news article about Eileen's 72.65?
I can not find the info on the net.
Thanks

Rineanna

Here's one anyway: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics-okeeffe-hits-peak-form-with-eighth-irish-title-1436261.html

...and the report of day one, which has pictures and a write up about O' Keefe at the very end:
http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/?p=4579#more-4579

Racing Flat

Suitcase wrote: »

Will you please post the link the news article about Eileen's 72.65?
I can not find the info on the net.
Thanks

Sorry, just getting to this now, links above by Rineanna

Suitcase

Thanks for the info on Eileen.
Santry should be quite the showdown.
I'll be an ocean away?
Any way to view or listen to the meet on it on the web?

helpisontheway

I know its a bit late considering Beijing is fast approaching but are hammer throwing facilities not available at other tracks around the country outside of Dublin that the infield isnt leased by other sports?

ZiggyStardust

Been in Cork recently and the infield is a hocky pitch. There is a hammer cage outside of the track though.

meathcountysec

There are at least 4 hammer cages in County Meath, 3 of which would be suitable for an athlete of Eileen's talent.

Dunboyne AC, where she has trained previously, Fr. Murphy AC (Athboy) and Bohermeen AC (outside Navan).

Regards

helpisontheway

Off the top of my head An Riocht in Kerry allows hammer throwing and has a state of the art gym and plans for an indoor training area[maybe not for hammer though].CIT in Cork maybe[i know the mardyke doesnt],Tullamore? Its a disgrace really that AAI havent burst a gut to sort her out.:mad:

Suitcase

It has to be difficult for a thrower of Eileen's stature to use just any facility. There are other considerations such as scheduling, security personnel to deal with on lookers, etc.
Back in the day I use to train with a worldclass thrower and he was not always welcome at other facilities in our area. Some folks are very territorial when it comes to using "their" facilities.
I hope her knee is responding to treatment.

helpisontheway

Scheduling shudnt b a huge prob,as for security,this is Ireland,people dont flock to watch elite athletes train im afraid,not that iv noticed anyway!:rolleyes: AAI have to get their act together regarding facilities and access to them or athletics will not exist in ireland for much longer as the other dominant sports are just becoming bigger in numbers and where do u tink they are coming from,Athletics,swimming,etc,the minority sports.At least swim ireland even with all their past problems are gettin their act together re facilities,we just talk bout it and do nothing!!!:eek:

Suitcase

Track & Field, as we in the USA call it, has also fallen on some hard times. Some universities, both large and small, have dropped their T&F programs. TV coverage is poor except during the olympic games. Of the throwing events the men's shot put gets some coverage only because we are, at present, very strong in that event.
If it isn't an olympic year most Americans could not name one dominant T&F athlete and TV coverage is relegated to wee hours of the p.m. or early a.m.
The telecasts will show 15 minutes of introductions, false starts, etc. in the 100m and only thirty seconds of coverage when Hoffa, Nelson, or Cantwell exceed 70 feet (21.3m) in the shot.
I am a high school teacher/coach. When I attempt to recruit students for our interscholastic T&F program they look at me as if I am speaking a dead language when I mention discus or shotput.
I really thought Eileen O'Keeffe was a "national treasure" in her homeland. However, after reading some of the posts these last few weeks it seems that her situation parallels that of many top throwers here in the states the difference being many of our universities will permit top athletes to use their facilities even after their collegiate days have ended..
Wishing Eileen the best.
Suitcase