RIP Jerry Kiernan

Ceepo · 22-01-2021 10:27am

Nice article from Cathal Dennehy.

https://www.the42.ie/jerry-kiernan-appreciation-5332338-Jan2021/

Chivito550 · 22-01-2021 1:37pm

Very upsetting to hear the news of the passing of Jerry Kiernan.

He has been such an enormous part of Irish athletics for several decades.

First as an athlete, finishing 9th in the marathon at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. His performance was overshadowed by John Treacy winning the silver medal in the same race, but it was a truly special run in its own right.

He was best known to non-athletics folk for his brilliant punditry for RTE's athletics coverage. A straight shooter, he wasn't one to soften his words, and he often rubbed people up the wrong way. But, while I didn't always agree with what he said, more often than not he was right on the money with his comments. He made RTE's athletics coverage truly entertaining, much like how Eamonn Dunphy and George Hook did for soccer and rugby. In ways you could say he transcended the sport, in that the average Irish sports fan, who might not have followed athletics, knew who he was, and knew his analysis was essential viewing.

He has given back to the sport at every level, not just coaching elite athletes like Ciara Mageean and John Travers, but also people trying to break 3 hours for the marathon. He didn't discriminate against athletes based on talent. From what I've been told, all he expected is that everyone he coached tried their best and put the work in.

I didn't know him personally. I met him a few times, and regularly saw him wandering around Irishtown when coaching his athletes, and at various grassroots athletics meets.

One interaction sticks out for me though. At the 2017 National Championships in Santry, I had just finished my 200m race, was still standing at the finish line, and when my result came up on the big clock, I lost myself with excitement, running 24 seconds for the first (and only) time. Seconds later that familiar voice appeared from behind my back. It was Jerry who was asking me had I just run a PB, and we ended up talking for a couple of minutes. He encouraged me to push on for 23 seconds (which I knew deep down was beyond my capabilities). I had finished last in my heat, and there were infinitely more talented athletes in Santry that day, but he still had an interest in how I got on. It just highlighted to me how much he loved the sport. I'll never forget that moment.

RIP Jerry. Irish athletics will be the poorer for your loss.

diego_b · 22-01-2021 1:46pm

Ciara Mageean did an unbelievably good tribute on Second Captains World Service today. It was recorded yesterday evening and she was very upset throughout most of it but managed to speak very well about him both as a coach and a person. Fantastic tribute to him and he comes across as a very fine human being is what I take away from it all.

It may only be January but djemba-djemba's post there will certainly be my vote for post of the year.

AndyBoBandy · 22-01-2021 1:50pm

I wouldn't be a big fan of athletics but always enjoyed him on RTÉ covering the big meets.

Appeared to be an absolute wealth of knowledge all things athletics both at home and abroad, and his love for his sport was quite apparent.

Saddened to hear of his passing.

BeginnerRunner · 22-01-2021 2:24pm

diego_b wrote: »

It may only be January but djemba-djemba's post there will certainly be my vote for post of the year.

Yah 100%. I was gonna say it may as well be locked up now. What a beautiful tribute.

22-01-2021 2:33pm

Such an authentic character.

Piece on OTB with David Gillick there too - said that he went out of his way to give him some guidance when Gillick was starting to do TV work.

AuldManKing · 22-01-2021 2:54pm

Was just listening to Travers going on about him last week on RB's pod.
One of life's characters gone to rest.
RIP Jerry.

Djemba Djemba - Amazing words - eloquently put.

walshb · 22-01-2021 9:38pm

Great to read such positive comments about him..

I’ve always felt that the mark of a real good person is their interest in others, and their wanting to help...their giving their time to others!

Reading the comments from people that have been in his company really does paint this picture..

A teacher through and through!

walshb · 23-01-2021 11:49am

Good article in the indo from Cathal Denehy.

Mad_maxx · 23-01-2021 11:23pm

was it Covid 19 ?

someone told me today that it was ? , could be rubbish

Chivito550 · 24-01-2021 2:12pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

was it Covid 19 ?

someone told me today that it was ? , could be rubbish

Not appropriate to speculate. Covid is just one of about a hundred things it could have been.

walshb · 24-01-2021 7:55pm

I’ve heard some comparisons to Brolly and Dunphy and Hook

An insult to Jerry. Those three were deliberately stoking controversy

Jerry was a straight shooter who spoke what he genuinely believed, and never sought out controversy for the sake of it..

EndaHonesty · 24-01-2021 9:57pm

Chivito550 wrote: »

Not appropriate to speculate. Covid is just one of about a hundred things it could have been.

It's not appropriate to speculate, for sure. But it's a completely appropriate question to ask.

Jerry was a lifelong athlete who no doubt looked after himself. Out of everyone I've ever seen on TV, he's one of the last I'd expect to die young.

I would hope whatever happened to Jerry would be made public. If it was Covid it would be useful for many people to hear.

Lost Ormond · 24-01-2021 10:00pm

EndaHonesty wrote: »

It's not appropriate to speculate, for sure. But it's a completely appropriate question to ask.

Jerry was a lifelong athlete who no doubt looked after himself. Out of everyone I've ever seen on TV, he's one of the last I'd expect to die young.

I would hope whatever happened to Jerry would be made public.

Why would you hope that?
Its a very personal thing and i dont see why it should be appropriate to ask. Its nothing to do with any bar his family

Buddhapadge · 24-01-2021 10:01pm

Hello everyone,
I'm Paddy Kiernan - Jerry's son. I just wanted to thank everyone here who expressed a sympathy or shared a story about my dad. It means a huge amount to myself and my family.

Buddhapadge · 24-01-2021 10:04pm

Hi Darren,
I'm Paddy - Jerry's son. I just wanted to thank you for your beautiful post.

djemba djemba wrote: »

Where to begin…

22/8/17. The first day I approached Jerry in UCD to join his training group. Everything changed from there.
I am grateful for every minute of those days to his passing.

I don’t know what it was about him but he had this aura that attracted people to him. He didn’t care what type of runner you were, how fast you could run, he just liked people who ran. He loved athletics and just wanted to see the sport he loved get the respect and credit it and its athletes deserved.

During a session he would stand in his corner when we would do laps and laps or whatever the session was and as you came around you would wait for the ‘Very good Darren’ and you would be half way around before you came down of the high.

I remember so many Tuesdays coming away from UCD absolutely buzzing after a session. Once Jerry gave me an unconditional compliment, I couldn’t wait to get back to my car to send a message to a friend of mine telling him what Jerry said to me. Unconditional compliments were rare, most of his compliments to me had a suffix such as ‘for a GAA player.’ Through his methods, advice and experiences he brought a former GAA player to a 2:43 marathon and proud to call myself an athlete.

I am no class of runner, but after every race Jerry would expect the first call. I remember a 5 mile race back in Wexford. I rang Jerry leaving the car park. I was close to Bray by the time the phonecall ended. It was only a 30 minute race.
Also another time after Mallow 10. I rang Jerry and he asked me to compare it to Dungarvan 10. I was hyming and hawing and couldn’t really tell him. So the phonecall ended. 15 minutes later the phone rings back and its Jerry again he had rang one of his international athletes to get there opinion and then he could give me a full debrief.

This is just his coaching I could fill another post about his own career. Most of the time you would need to drag the information out of him but he stories were worth it. He would always keep us guessing about the session we would do but at 6:25, he would call us in and give us the news of the session and share a story and some great advice. His last words would always be make sure you have enough left to do another one or two at the end. Even with the lockdown his instructions would be you should be able to do another 5 minutes at the end.

I often asked him about his TV work. The amount of research he did was amazing, he would go through every athlete who qualified for whatever championship he was working on.

Coincidently, we would cross paths in our work life too. His reputation as teacher was impeccable and years on former students, always spoke highly of him and them of him. In this respect he was also a role model to me.

I will miss him more than I can ever put into words. He was a coach, a role model, a confidant and in a short period of time a father figure to me. I told him things, that people who have known me years will never know.
I am rambling now, through tears I am writing this and every time I think I am finished I write a bit more. Over the years I have spoken to people about Jerry and they can sense my passion when I talk about him but they ask me why, what is it about him? I can never answer, it was whatever he had you just felt better in his company.

We have lost one of the very best today. Someone who taught me to be true to myself, never be afraid to speak my mind and always make time to run. I intend to run later on tonight, whether I am motivated to or not but as every kilometre ticks by I will hear him say ‘Very Good, Darren.’

Rest In Peace Boss. You have impacted me in a way you will never know. Festina Lente.

Buddhapadge · 24-01-2021 10:07pm

Hi,
I'm Jerry's son - thank you for sharing your memory with us.
Paddy

MonkieSocks wrote: »

I remember staying up late to watch the 1984 Olympic marathon.

I as glad when Tracy got second place, but when Jimmy McGee said "And Jerry Kiernan is in the stadium" the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I as delighted for him, on a great night for Irish Athletics with Dick Hooper coming in 51st place

Lovely man and a very competitive Athlete

R.I.P

Buddhapadge · 24-01-2021 10:08pm

Hi,
I'm Paddy - Jerry's son. I just wanted to thank you for sharing your remembrance with us.

thehairygrape wrote: »

Djemba djemba.
Lovely tribute to a great hero of mine. I only met him briefly once when my legs gave out just after the 20 mile mark in the Limerick marathon. Who was standing there all on his own but Jerry Kiernan. ‘Tough it out’ he said. The sheer shame iof stopping in front of such a legend spurred me on to a PB. I most certainly didn’t stop again! Great athlete. Great commentator. I’m still going to claim he coached me for all of 10 seconds. Condolences to his family and friends.

echat · 24-01-2021 10:57pm

Jerry was intensely involved in athletics in various roles for over 45 years. As a competitor apart from the Olympics, he had a long club history, superb road races including 46 minutes 10-milers in Dromina and elsewhere, and a very successful period in the States in the mid-1980s. Like Padraig Keane, Pat Hooper, and many others - he will be missed by many.

echat · 31-01-2021 12:25am

Lovely photo of Jerry on https://rip.ie/death-notice/jerry-kiernan--dublin/446541 when he was invincible in the 1980s

Butterbeans · 31-01-2021 11:26am

A fitting tribute from Peter Collins
https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2021/0129/1193949-once-an-olympian-farewell-to-a-friend-jerry/

esposito · 31-01-2021 11:41am

Butterbeans wrote: »

A fitting tribute from Peter Collins
https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2021/0129/1193949-once-an-olympian-farewell-to-a-friend-jerry/

That’s a great tribute from PC

Tombo2001 · 02-02-2021 8:26pm

diego_b wrote: »

Ciara Mageean did an unbelievably good tribute on Second Captains World Service today. It was recorded yesterday evening and she was very upset throughout most of it but managed to speak very well about him both as a coach and a person. Fantastic tribute to him and he comes across as a very fine human being is what I take away from it all.

It may only be January but djemba-djemba's post there will certainly be my vote for post of the year.

I've nothing to add to the considerable comments made about this great man; however on the point above - Ciara Mageean is a really outstanding speaker. I did feel being honest that the OTB interview on Jerry Kiernan was very painful for her, but she got through it. I've listened to her speak a good few times. In particular the Keane and Mageean Unleashed on Off the Ball after Christmas, it was a great discussion, completely different fare to what we'd be used and made me realise how much we miss out on by having such a predominantly male voice in sports journalism and commentary.

eliwallach · 08-02-2021 5:49pm

If you've got a couple of hours to spare, you could do worse than watch the 1984 Olympic Marathon on Youtube. It's not HD but that just adds to the authenticity of the recording. It's a 'live' american feed with the commentary team still being recorded while on commercial breaks. It's worth the wait for when the great J Kiernan arrives from nowhere to join (and briefly lead) the leading pack around the 20 mile mark. Surely Jerry's finest hour (well, finest 2hr 11mins).

RIP Jerry Kiernan

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