By Ciaran O’Donnell

A Donegal native has been appointed to the Jury of Appeal for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

John Cronin, from Dooey in Downings, has devoted a lifetime to athletics. Confirmation of his appointment to an Olympic Games for the first time comes 42 years after he won the Donegal novice cross country championships in the Glenree AC colours over the sandy surface at Fintra. That he had his brother, Pat, for back up in the team that won gold made the trip to Killybegs all the sweeter.
“I’m not sure if I’ve ever dreamed about it, but it is a dream come true,” commented the highly respected figure who is current Chair of Competition and Deputy President of Athletics Ireland.
John started out with Glenree AC, an offshoot of Cranford AC which would merge back with Cranford after a few years. Former Highland Radio sports presenter, Myles Gallagher, was his coach. John was only 16 when he won the Donegal novice in 1976.
“That was a huge thing to win at the time,” he recalled.
“I won a national under-16 title over 800 metres the morning after Eamon Coghlan placed fourth in the Olympics in Montreal. I watched it the night before in the bed and breakfast I was staying in.”
He went to secondary school in Falcarragh, continued his studies at UCG and arrived in Tullamore in 1983.
“I’m here since,” he said.
John wasted little time in getting involved in his new community and Tullamore Harriers was an obvious draw.
“I was lucky in that I got a job here and part of the attraction to Tullamore would have been the club.”
Earlier this year, John stood down as Tullamore Harriers Chairman after 21 years.
“There were very good people around me,” he added.
Tullamore Harriers is one of the best known clubs in the country and has been a leading light for the sport for decades.
“We’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to host a lot of events and that our founding fathers set up a good club infrastructure. This is the 65th year of the club and only a couple of weeks ago we launched ‘Tullamore Harriers – A History: 1953-2018’.
“I’m part of a good team and just picked up the baton for a while from the people before me and passed it on.”
John went to Cologne in Germany in 2005 to the European Athletics technical officials’ course and subsequently made it on to the European panel. He retained his position in 2009 and in 2013 he was appointed to the International Association of Athletics Federations’ panel. He held on to that spot in 2017 and it was from that panel the recent appointments for the 2020 Olympics were made.
John was thrilled when he was told of his selection.
“I suppose as a young athlete, making the Olympic Games would have been your target – to compete on the track and get an opportunity. To be part of that four decades later is quite a feeling,” he commented.
“I had some success as a juvenile. Then my path took a different direction and I became more involved in officiating. I would have been the same vintage as Brendan McDaid of Letterkenny AC, so we would have competed together and he would be a lifelong friend as well,” he said.
John underwent quite a rigorous process before making the panel of 37.
“I am lucky enough to be one of the 12 that are going to the Olympic Games. I suppose a lot of the preparation has been done. The referees deal with any protests from athletes or countries. If the protesting athlete or country disagrees with the referee’s decision, their protest is passed on to the jury of appeal. We would then make the final decision.”
John said he was slightly surprised that the appointments for Tokyo 2020 were announced so far out.
“To have reached that level and to be part of officiating at the Olympic Games is really pleasing.”
The Olympic Stadium in Tokyo might be a long way from Fintra, but his early days with Glenree have served him well.
“That period was all good grounding all the way. I got great encouragement from Myles Gallagher starting off. I got a lot out of the sport when I was a youth.”
As such, the IT specialist who works in the pharmaceutical industry, is more than happy to put what he got, and more, back in to the sport he lives for.
“I’ve just continued to try to support the sport.”
Quietly, but steadily, John has made it to the top.
“In life we can come to different points. You can take right or left, and thankfully I managed to take the right path. I got great support from people along the way. One of those would be another Donegal man, Paddy Marley. He was Chair of Competition with Athletics Ireland for a number of years,” he added.
Back in August, John was trackside when Thomas Barr took bronze in the 400 metre hurdles at the European Track and Field Championships in Berlin. John was refereeing the men’s javelin when the the 26-year-old crossed the finish line.
“It was a proud moment and a very special moment.”
19 months from now, the man from Atlantic Drive will have his own special moment when he takes up his position at the biggest sporting spectacle the world will have to offer.
Downings and Donegal should be proud, too.