Hero Harriers are welcomed home

Slow and steady might not sound like the way to success for some - but in the world of Kilkenny’s latest group of international athletes it was the perfect foundation for their European adventure.

The quartet of Kilkenny City Harriers who ran in the European Cross-Country Championships returned to a heroes welcome in the Marble City on Wednesday. While the World Cup semi-final may have been on, there was no talk of football as Peter Lynch, Aoibhe Richardson, Shay McEvoy and Hannah Kehoe were given a rapturous reception by clubmates and invited guests at a special night.

The four, who ran for Ireland in Turin, had an adventure of all sorts - and most of it even before they donned their spikes! The icy conditions meant many of the Irish athletes saw their departure from Dublin heavily delayed, but that didn’t deter them from delivering a series of top class performances and, in the case of Richardson and McEvoy, bringing home team bronze medals from the respective races.

For the quartet their international selections didn’t come overnight. Quoting their clubmate Brian Maher - ‘the fastest way to success is slowly’ - the rise to the top came from many months and years of slow and steady progress, working hard to hone their skills which have, over the years, delivered a string of impressive results.

We have a wide range of athletes with a wide range of abilities who deliver on regular intervals,” chairman John Maye told the assembly. “We’re thrilled to have them in our club.”