Jerry Kiernan

{{Short description|Irish long-distance runner (1953–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2021}} '''Jeremiah "Fran" Kiernan''' (31 May 1953 – 21 January 2021) was an Irish long-distance runner.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/athletics/irish-athletics-legend-jerry-kiernan-passes-away-aged-67-39995567.html|title= Irish athletics legend Jerry Kiernan passes away, aged 67|date=21 January 2021|work=Irish Independent|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref>

==Biography== Kiernan was born in Listowel, County Kerry. He represented his native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, where he finished in ninth place in the men's marathon.<ref name=inmylifecon/> His teammate, John Treacy, claimed silver in the same race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40211834.html |title= John Treacy on Jerry Kiernan: 'He had this great sense of purpose about him'|date=21 January 2021|work=Irish Examiner|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the42.ie/john-treacy-on-jerry-kiernan-5331865-Jan2021/ |title= 'It was the most special day of my career and I spent it with Jerry Kiernan'|date=21 January 2021|work=The 42|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref> Kiernan twice won the Dublin Marathon, in 1982 and 1992,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40211996.html|title= Jerry Kiernan: A prince of the Kingdom - Jimmy Deenihan mourns childhood friend|date=21 January 2021|work=Irish Examiner|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref> as well as in Belfast in 1990 and in 1992. He also won the national cross country title in 1984. A former Irish record holder over 3000 metres, Kiernan was a sub-four-minute mile runner being the seventh Irish runner to break that barrier in June 1976.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Irish Olympic marathon runner Jerry Kiernan dies aged 67|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/irish-olympic-marathon-runner-jerry-kiernan-dies-aged-67-1.4464377|website=Irish Times}}</ref>

Kiernan represented Ireland 17 times between 1975 and 1993, competing seven times in world cross-country championships, and won five Irish titles, from the 1,500m to the marathon, and also national inter-club and inter-county cross-country titles.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

His running club in Dublin was Clonliffe Harriers. Kiernan coached many athletes including Ciara Mageean and trained regularly in the UCD campus.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/jerry-kiernan-appreciation-5332338-Jan2021/|title= 'What stood out was how Kiernan’s public persona matched up exactly with who he was in private'|date=21 January 2021|work=The 42|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref>

He was a regular part of RTÉ's athletics television coverage.<ref>{{cite news|first=Padraig|last=Burns|url=http://www.con-telegraph.ie/opinion/tuesday-topics/2864-plaudits-for-rtes-athleticism/|title=Plaudits for RTÉ's athleticism|work=Connaught Telegraph|date=8 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205051428/http://www.con-telegraph.ie/opinion/tuesday-topics/2864-plaudits-for-rtes-athleticism|archive-date=5 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.the42.ie/jerry-kiernan-rip-5331624-Jan2021/|title= Irish athletics great Jerry Kiernan has died aged 67|date=21 January 2021|work=The 42|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref>

==Achievements== *<small>All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise</small> {| {{AchievementTable}} |- !colspan="5"|Representing {{IRL}} |- |1984 |Olympic Games |Los Angeles, United States |9th |2:12:20 |}

==Personal life== Kiernan taught at St. Brigid's Boys School, Foxrock,<ref name=inmylifecon>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/in-my-life-con-murphy-1.1169970|title=In my life ... Con Murphy|work=The Irish Times|date=14 December 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190509002547/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/in-my-life-con-murphy-1.1169970|archive-date=9 May 2019}}</ref> for approximately 40 years until retiring in June 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/sad-loss-of-jerry-kiernan-felt-far-beyond-the-world-of-athletics-1.4464681|title= Sad loss of Jerry Kiernan felt far beyond the world of athletics|date=21 January 2021|work=Irish Times|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref>

Kiernan died on 21 January 2021, aged 67.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2021/0121/1191212-olympian-jerry-kiernan-dies-aged-67/|title= Olympian Jerry Kiernan dies aged 67|date=21 January 2021|work=RTE Sport|access-date= 22 January 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} * {{cite sports-reference|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/jerry-kiernan-1.html|title=Jerry Kiernan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011091515/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/jerry-kiernan-1.html|archivedate=2010-10-11|url-status=dead}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiernan, Jerry}} Category:1953 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Irish men long-distance runners Category:Irish men marathon runners Category:Irish schoolteachers Category:Olympic athletes for Ireland Category:People from Listowel, County Kerry Category:Athletes from County Kerry Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen