Women on the tracks

Irish athletics can currently claim three world-class women athletes: Sonia O'Sullivan, Catherina McKiernan and the unsung heroine, world 400 metres hurdles finalist Susan Smith. The title of this book is slightly misleading; it is the story of Irish women's athletics. However, if ever there was a sports story needing to be told, this is it.

In attempting both to evaluate and appreciate the achievement of Irish women athletes, many of whom are known only to followers of the sport, it is useful to look at the Ireland in which many of the pioneering figures competed. Track and Field for women was not included until the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. But as late as the 1960s, the idea of females competing in athletics was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church. John Charles McQuaid's disapproval endured. By then, however, Maeve Kyle had already competed in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and at Rome four years later. The year after helping establish Ireland's first women's section in the Dublin athletics club, Crusaders, she went to the Tokyo Games.

Henry writes out of passion and fondness, but also frustration, even defiance. Nowadays we take for granted that the likes of Sonia O'Sullivan are professional athletes. But there have been other heroines, Kyle as well as middle distance pioneers such as Anne O'Brien, Mary Tracey-Purcell and the incredible Claire Dowling-Walsh who prepared on the roads outside her home in Sligo for the 800 metres at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Lack of facilities and sports scholarships, poor medical backup and, above all, scant encouragement dogged many of them. At a time when international women's athletics was developing, Irish women's athletics was still functioning in Stone Age conditions. It was left to the runners, as the technical event athletes had no facilities, no professional coaching. Elsewhere it seemed a golden era.

Even before Britain's Seb Coe had elevated athletics to the main evening news through his record-breaking exploits which began in 1978, international women's athletics was regularly producing fabulous records, dazzling performances, a conveyor belt of often glamorous champions, and rumours about drugs. The East German anthem became a theme tune. Athletics, a sport made for TV, had never had it so good. Meanwhile, several outstanding Irish talents emerged only to depart abruptly. Of course, their times could not be compared with those being achieved by others benefiting from professional coaching and expensive international competition. Think of the gifted Amond sisters, sprinters Patricia and Mary, who were to feel out of things, living in Carlow in the 1980s. Mary Tracey, later Purcell, had been discovered and won the British WAAA 800 metre titles in 1972 and 1973.

In 1979 she was a magnificent sixth in the World Cross Country Championships in Limerick, but her performance was overshadowed by John Treacy's brilliant title defence. Meanwhile, one of the absolute greats of Irish athletics, Caroline O'Shea, had arrived. She was possibly Ireland's most balanced, fluent and naturally gifted home-produced runner, but injury dogged her career. She was, however, the first Irish woman to reach an Olympic final, the Los Angeles 800 metres in 1984. Carey May, another heroine, the first Irish woman under three hours in the marathon, lowered the national record several times, finally improving it to 2.28.07 in 1985 - figures which stood until McKiernan's magnificent 2.23.44 debut in Berlin last year.

Henry knows the sport and the athletes he is writing about. He also draws attention to the legendary Limerick all-rounder Sophie Pierce-Evans. Born in 1896, this high jumper and aviator addressed the Olympic Congress in 1925, campaigning for the inclusion of women. Baron de Coubertin was as opposed to women in sport as McQuaid.

As this is an Irish story it should be dedicated to the memory of the remarkable road runner Ursula Noctor who died aged 29 in 1993 and whose courage and generosity typifies the best of sport. Henry celebrates her and includes Roy Dooney's moving tribute. Another heroine is multinational sprint title winner Michele Walsh-Carroll. Any coach wishing to teach the art of sprinting would only have to point to this tiny powerhouse's crafted technique.

Reading this book of memories and triumphs and if only, it is easy to agree with Henry's perceptive comment about Carol Meagan, a self-possessed teenage middle distance runner of awesome talent: "Despite, or maybe because of, her brilliance," she abruptly gave up athletics. As a reminder of the women who made the way possible for the O'Sullivans and McKiernans, this is required reading.

Eileen Battersby is an Irish Times staff journalist