80-year-old Michael Heery ready for another challenge

On the 9th February 1941 the world was in a state of flux. The Second World War was raging and that date, a Sunday, was the 528th day of the global conflict.

It was on that date too that the British navy bombarded the port of Genoa with 300 tons of shells. “Heavy damage was claimed in what the Press Association termed the war’s most tremendous naval shelling of a port,” the Irish Independent reported.

Closer to home stories in the Meath Chronicle illustrated concerns about the shortage of certain foodstuffs and the high number of bachelors in the county. Cinemas in Kells and Navan were open and people could see films like ‘The Blue Bird’ starring the one and only Shirley Temple.

While Europe burned, in Ballinacree in north Meath a young couple, Kathleen and Jimmy Heery, had something to celebrate - the arrival of a baby boy. They named him Michael.

In time Michael Heery was to grow up to become someone more concerned with peace rather than war; with bringing people together rather than keeping them apart.

He became one of the driving forces behind the formation of Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) in 1999 - and by doing so played his part in unifying Irish athletics, ending years of rancour and division.

Yet athletics was only one, if a very prominent, aspect of his life. He also became a farmer and dedicated community man, a prominent member of St Brigid’s GAA club and a father of six – Mary, Gerard, Martin, Patricia, Lorraine and Fechin, all of whom are, or were involved, in athletics in one form or another.

A few weeks ago the Heery clan gathered, virtually if not in reality, to celebrate Michael’s 80th birthday. It was a time when he had reason to reflect on his life so far.

“I’m very happy with the life I lived, family life, married life, my sporting life. If I had my life over again I don’t think I would change anything,” he said when he took time out to talk to the Meath Chronicle.

“And hopefully I’ll get a few more years yet,” he added.

BALLINACREE

Michael Heery says that one of the many blessings bestowed on him is the fact that he was brought up in Ballinacree. Beautiful Ballinacree.

His parents ran a mixed farm there and he never hankered to live anywhere else. He was always content to be among his people, his tribe.

He was always content to live and work in the shadow of the lovely Loughcrew hills and at some point in his youth he evolved a love for sport that has remained with him throughout his life.

Maybe it had something to do with his father?

Jimmy Heery wasn’t a big sportsman, Michael will tell you. However, from time to time Jimmy would bring young Michael to games involving Meath.

“We didn’t have transport of our own, but we’d go to the odd Meath game.

"We travelled with a neighbour by car. With cars very scare at the time sometimes we would go in a taxi with a load of other people.

"We’d head off to places like Navan or Mullingar.”

Maybe his love of sport came from other sources. He recalls how in his youth even a radio was a rarity and anybody who had one could find their house full on Sunday afternoons, especially if there was a big game going on.

The 1949 All-Ireland final was one of those big occasions. It certainly left a big impression on young Michael Heery and how sport could enrich people’s lives. It was a lesson he never forgot.

“Ballinacree national school is only about half-a-mile from the Cavan border.

"We would have had a good many children attending Ballinacree and the rivalry was mighty between the children because it was Meath against Cavan in the ’49 final.

"That rivalry was something else.

“We were cock-a-hoop when Meath won, we felt that pride in our county even though we were very young.

"I know it was only friendly rivalry with children, but there was still that great sense of pride.”

That growing appreciation of the power of sport was felt by young Heery in other areas.

He recalls been selected on a Ballinacree National School relay team for a sports day in Kilnacrott in Cavan.

“At the time, the 1940s and 1950s, sports days were very important events in rural Ireland and people supported them in big numbers because they didn’t have any television or even a wireless set at the time.

“Our school principal in Ballinacree was Patrick Connaughton, Fr Alo Connaughton's father.

"He brought us to a field and said right I want to pick a team to represent the school at the sports day in Kilnacrott.

"I was one of four to make the team and on the day we had to run heats, but we won it out, got a cup and brought it back to the school.

"It was there for years afterwards and we were all very proud of that.”

As he grew older Heery became more involved in athletics and football. He was there when St Brigid’s GAA club was formed and he’s proud to say he played as a half-forward in the team’s first championship match against Moynalty in Kells in 1963.

He was encouraged to take up cross-country running. He took to it like a bird to flight. With no club in his own area he was asked to join Boardsmill AC.

He did well enough in races to be selected for Meath teams and enjoyed it all; the running, the sociability. He knew there was an opening for an athletics club in his beloved Ballinacree.

“I was with Boardsmill for most of the 1960s and I was treated very well by them.

"I didn’t have a car, but they still collected me and brought me to races to represent the club in championships.

"Even when I was picked for county teams they would bring me. I always had a great regard for those people, but Boardsmill AC went out of existence in the late 1960s so we decided to form our own club.

"We called a meeting and St Brigid’s AC was formed in November 1970. That’s how it started.”

ATHLETICS IRELAND

Over the following years Heery got more involved in athletics. He never planned anything, it just happened.

He attended Meath Athletics Co Board meetings. Someone put him forward as chairman and he was elected.

People could see how passionate he was about the sport. He was proposed for positions at provincial level and elected. He went forward because he felt it was a way to promote the sport.

He rose through the ranks, became president of the National Athletic and Cultural Association (NACA).

He had long felt that athletics in Ireland would be best served if the separate bodies governing the sport on the island of Ireland at the time – such as the NACA and Bord Luthchleas na hEireann (BLE) – joined forces. But how to make it happen?

It was then his gentle nature, his quiet determination, his natural diplomacy came to the fore. They were the kind of qualities that were needed at just that time. He spent many days and nights travelling the roads of Ireland, talking to people, persuading the doubters. Meeting followed meeting, but he stayed determined, focused.

“We eventually were able to bring the organisations together. We put the proposal to a special congress in November 1999 and the rest is history. "Athletics Ireland was formed out of all that.”

Michael Heery was elected president of AAI in 2002 and he filled that position until 2008, when he stepped away.

A big player in helping Heery make it all happen was his wife Brigid who looked after matters back home.

He pays tribute to for her unstinting support during those years when he travelled up and down the country as he sought, with others, to turn distrust and division into a unified sense of purpose.

“Brigid was a huge support to me during all those years, covering for me at home.”

In time Michael Heery also handed over the running of the farm to his son Ger. That too was a factor.

Ger was to carve out his own career in athletics, winning the Meath Senior Cross-Country title nine times between 1991 and 2007. He is currently chairman of St Brigid’s AC.

These days Michael Heery is no longer actively involved, but he keeps a keen interest; his passion for sport as strong as ever.

He is stirred by talk of proposals contained in the Meath County Development Plan that would prevent people from building a house unless they have 15 acres available to them. He sees a threat to rural sports clubs in that. A threat to the very fabric of rural life.

“I think that is totally wrong. While the countryside is beautiful it only comes alive with people living in it.”

Michael Heery, the proud Ballinacree man.

Still fighting the good fight.