Liam O’Brien's Memorable Year of 1984
Liam O’Brien's Memorable Year of 1984
Guest Article by Denis McCarthy, East Cork AC
Forty years ago last Sunday, East Cork athlete Liam O’Brien set an Irish record of 8:27.24 for the 3000m steeplechase at Crystal Palace in London. This also qualified him for that year’s Los Angeles Olympics. Although Brendan Quinn from Waterford would lower the record to 8:24.09 the following year, those two times still remain at the top of the Irish All-Time list
That year of 1984 was a remarkable one for Liam over all surfaces, as the following article, compiled by his long-time club colleague, training partner, and friend, Denis McCarthy relates
Liam O'Brien cross line to take the 1992 National Steeplechase Title, in Belfield, Dublin
The year was 1984 and Bruce Springsteen had just begun selling the first copies of his 30 million selling ‘Born in the USA’ album. Meanwhile, in Ireland, a 29-year-old secondary school teacher, Liam O’Brien of Midleton, was planning his own assault on the West Coast of America for the Los Angeles Olympics that August
These days he is better known as head coach with East Cork AC, technical director of Cork City Sports, and both Munster and South Munster Schools Athletics organiser, as well as being actively involved in orienteering
Liam O’Brien was born in 1954, to a family of four boys and three girls in Youghal, before the family moved to Ballinacurra near Midleton. As his athletics career progressed, and by now teaching at his alma mater, Midleton CBS, his training centered around sessions of 20 x 400m, starting out at 64 seconds, and working down to 60 seconds, as well as sessions of 1000m repeats, and hills in nearby Ballyannan and Walshtown woods
His racing was a blend of cross-country, road and track, supplemented with golf and orienteering. In February of that year of 1984, he finished 12th in the National Cross-Country Championship, over a 12,000-metre course at Kilmacow. Shortly after, he competed in a number of road races including runner-up in the local Ballycotton ‘10’ in 48:28 to Tony O’Leary (48:22) on March 4th, winning the ‘Nationalist’ 10km in Clonmel on St Patrick’s Day, beating Ray Treacy in 29:20, and finishing second again to O’Leary in a half-marathon in Carrigaline in a time of 67:26
On May 6th he separated two English visitors, Tony Milosorov and Mike O’Reilly, over a short 10km in Fermoy (28:03), and then won the Ballyandreen ‘5’, with a 24:30 clocking. This more or less concluded his road racing season, as he now focused on the track. He won the East Cork 3000m (beating Denis McCarthy and Gerry Martin), held on the same day that Sonia O’Sullivan was runner-up in the girls U15 1500m
After winning the Cork 3000m steeplechase title, beating John Delaney of Grange-Fermoy, he won the open mile at the Cork City Sports, on July 3rd, in 4:02.05, from Joe Hartnett and Billy Horgan. A setback came at the National steeplechase trials where he relinquished a 10 metre lead to Hartnett, when finishing second with both athletes dipping below 8:40 – 8:37.99 to 8:38.10. This result saw Joe get an invite to Lisbon, while Liam secured a race in Belgium, where he ran 8:34
On Sunday June 24th, at the British AAA Championships at Crystal Palace, Liam O’Brien finished fourth in a Irish record of 8:27.24, securing Olympic qualification selection, where the standard was set at 8:28. Remarkably, four decades on, this time still remains second on the Irish All-Time list behind Brendan Quinn’s national record of 8:24.09 which was set the following year of 1985
Liam O'Brien out on his own, Belfield, 1992
O’Brien was now Ireland’s first steeplechase representative since Galwayman John Kelly, in Paris 1924, and the second Midleton athletics representative, after Mike Keogh, who finished fifth in the 5000m heats, at the 1972 Munich games. While in America, Liam raced to a second place, in a 3000m preparation race (8:09.73 – 8:11.11), behind Mike McLeod in San Diego
A week later, on the same evening that McLeod was finishing third (later upgraded to second) in the Olympic 10,000m final, O’Brien lined up in the third heat of the 3000m steeplechase, an event of 25 jumps and seven water barriers, set 78 metres apart and three feet high. Lining up alongside hot favourite Henry Marsh (USA), and New Zealander Peter Renner, his awareness saw him on the start line knowing what time was required to make his way to the semi-finals
Having heard the starting gun from the call room of the previous heat, he set his watch and knew the time he had to do to advance. He duly obliged, running 8:31.89 to finish eighth. Two days later, he competed in the first semi-final where he finished 11th in 8:34.90, so concluding his Olympic journey
It all happened 40 years ago this August, for an unassuming man, who gives back, in spades, what he has taken from the sport of athletics. While Springsteen sells out Irish concerts the same 40 years later, Liam O’Brien continues to share his knowledge and expertise of the sport which means so much to him
And incidentally, showing the support for the local events which he has graced over the years, two road races from that year are worth a mention. On Thursday June 28th, four days after achieving that Olympic qualifying time, Liam won over five miles at Ballycotton in 24:00. And then on August 23rd, just two weeks after his greatest hour, he was back winning over the same distance at Shanagarry in a time of 24:29
Denis McCarthy, East Cork AC, author of this article
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