BY JOHN WALSHE
IT’S a cold early February evening at the Red Brick building in Cork’s MTU as the delegates gather for the monthly meeting of Cork Athletics Board. Amongst them is Bill Allen who has made the long journey from Drimoleague to chair his first meeting of 2025, having been elected to that post at the recent County Board AGM.
But the Doheny club-man has been here before, having already served a three-year term in this position from 2015-2018. So why seek the demanding post for the second time?
‘I suppose Pat Walsh was retiring and there’s a very good county board there at the moment and when there’s a good board, life should be a bit easier,’ Allen explains.
‘The last time around, the board was getting older and older so this is a very young board. I’d say if you took the average age it wouldn’t be 55 whereas the last time it was probably closer to 75. So it’s a case of not a new brush sweeping clean but more of rowing the boat and keeping it going in the right direction.
‘I was always involved, and I didn’t drop it. I was still going to the cross-countries and coming up to the track and field and I’m still chairman of West Cork (division), so I was still interested. The change of the board hasn’t made much difference so I haven’t been thrown in at the deep end and so it should be a very smooth transition.’
In the six years since Allen was last chairman, the sport of athletics has certainly seen a dramatic surge in standards, especially in his native West Cork. Since 2018, both Phil Healy and her Bandon club colleague Nicola Tuthill have competed on the ultimate Olympic stage, Glengarriff’s Darragh McElhinney has medalled at U20 and U23 European level and a number of young athletes are now performing with distinction on the US colligate circuit.
‘West Cork is doing very well, both Bandon and West Muskerry now have good training grounds and a lot of the clubs are expanding,’ he says. ‘I would put a lot of that success down to the athlete’s own dedication to the sport, that’s probably the most important thing.
‘I remember we were at a cross-country in Bandon at one stage and Darragh (McElhinney) came into the field and said “would you mind if I run around the field.” The cross-country took probably two hours and Darragh was still running around the field when we were finished. It’s their own dedication and it’s important to keep the people at it and keep the coaches and parents interested, even the likes of our recent awards night gives them something to look forward to.’
One eagerly awaited event that should take place on the new chairman’s watch is the opening of the new track at Bandon.
‘Bandon should be open this time next year, and we will have the West Cork championships there in 2026,’ says Bill. In his daily work as a self-employed electrician, Allen is more familiar than most with its progress.
‘I actually did the lighting there myself as a contractor so I know the track both underground and over-ground.’
He also feels there is a need for further new tracks in the county, with fundraising underway for a similar facility to Bandon in the eastern part of the county.
‘Cork County Board, along with Cork Sports Partnership and Cork County Council, are also looking at providing a track,’ Allen says.
‘The track here at MTU basically belongs to a university and even though we’ve been told there’s a fair guarantee we would always have a track here, when tracks close you’re left hanging. Bandon have the track, which is probably the biggest plus that athletics in Cork is going to have for the next 15 years as it would take that length of time to develop another one.’
Originally from Castletown, Enniskeane, Bill has been involved in athletics from a young age.
‘I suppose my interest in athletics started off when my father, the late Tom Allen, used to take me to the various school and club sports when I was aged around nine or ten,’ he explains.
‘I then went boxing and managed to win a Munster minor welterweight championship before taking part in tug-o-war with Kilmeen/Kilbree, which kept me fit during my younger days.’
Having got involved with Doheny AC through his children, he then progressed up the ranks and his voice is now also well-known as the commentator at the various Cork cross-country fixtures throughout the winter. With the vast experience Bill Allen has already gained from his previous term as chairman and with the energy and enthusiasm for the sport so evident, it looks like athletics in Cork is certainly in safe hands for at least the next three years.
