Finn Valley AC to honour historic cross country teams

Finn Valley AC won eight national senior cross country titles in a row from 1993 and that breakthrough win paved the way for a golden period that yielded ten titles in twelve years.

Finn Valley AC will honour the eleven storied athletes who made the impossible dream possible in those glory years at a special dinner dance on Friday-week at the Finn Valley Centre.

On the night, December 29, Finn Valley AC members will also honour Rosaleen McGonagle, who will become the latest inductee into the club’s illustrious hall of fame.

Finn Valley AC knocked on a door that had never been breached before in 1992, when they finished an agonising second to Dublin City Harriers.

“We promised that would never happen again,” says Kay Byrne, a lead protagonist for Finn Valley’s dominance.

“If some athletes had run more positively early on in ’92, we would have won.”

No Ulster team - in either the men’s or women’s race - had won an Irish senior crown.

Finn Valley, driven by Patsy McGonagle’s fierce determination, dared to dream.

In December 1992, a Finn Valley AC quartet of Belinda McArdle, Dawn Hargan, Kay Byrne and Margaret Synott led Donegal to the senior inter-county crown.

Even then, the future was protective of its secrets.

At the national road relays, held at Gowran Park in April, McArdle led the way as the Finn Valley women topped the pile.

“That was it,” said McGonagle. “That was our marker down.”

Kay Byrne runs for Finn Valley AC in Europe.

During the months of ’92, McGonagle - who would manage an Irish team at the World Junior Championships in Seoul that autumn - was plotting the course of history and the addition of Dawn Hargan to the blue and white singlet was a key move.

At Phoenix Park in 1993, McArdle led the charge in 11th as Finn Valley AC finally broke the mould.

With McGranaghan (14), Hargan (15) and Byrne (17) all inside the top 20, Finn Valley were on the famous roll of honour at last.

“That win in 1993 was just the pinnacle,” McGranaghan recalled.

“We were all working full-time, but we never missed a beat in training.”

McGonagle worked the oracle through those magical years when Finn Valley AC went to levels never before - or since - experienced around these parts.

Before Finn Valley defended their senior crown in 1994 at Ballinlough, Gerry Byrne - Kay’s husband - was seriously ill in hospital having contracted Weil’s Disease.

Kay Byrne’s mind was far from the race.

As Gerry’s condition improved and the race neared, McGonagle visited hospital before convincing Kay to run.

At Ballinlough, she finished fourth and was just one second from a bronze medal. Her performance led the way and, accompanied this time by Rosaleen Campbell, Rosemary Bogle and Margaret Synott, it was team gold again.

The performance meant that Byrne would go to the World Cross-Country Championships in Budapest.

“In 1994, Kay was an inspiration,” McGonagle said.

“Considering what she was going through at home, it was mind-blowing that she could even have the capacity to park it and run.”

Byrne was priceless and would score each time as Finn Valley won eight-in-a-row.

A third successive title arrived in 1995 in Naas.

Wins at Santry, Cork and Bree were secured to make it a sweet six.

Things might have capsized in 1998 at Bree when injuries meant that they could only start four athletes - ‘we were on the edge,’ McGonagle recalls - but Helena Crossan, Rosealeen Campbell, Ita Boyle and Kay Byrne - always Byrne - maintained their glorious run.

It brought them to the end of the decade and another go. 1999 meant a little more, though. The Championships were being held in Stranorlar.

McGonagle fought the corner to get to host the Championships and ’99 was the year.

It helped keep his team focussed, ‘We’re on home territory - we have to win’. The drum was beaten every day of every week. ‘We have to win.’

It was a day of days for Finn Valley.

Gary Murray won the men’s race and the senior women retained their crown.

Helena Crossan and Kay Byrne booked places on the Irish team for the World Cross with Catriona McGranaghan and Ita Boyle completing the scoring.

In 2000, the sequence came to an end, book-ended by McGranaghan and Byrne, accompanied by Noleen Porter and Rosaleen Campbell.

The journey would include further titles in 2002 and 2003, with Porter and Clodagh McCool joining the ever-reliable McGranaghan and Byrne.

The magical years also saw Finn Valley AC compete in Europe at the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross-Country. In 1995, Finn Valley AC finished sixth in Maia, Portugal - a trick they repeated 12 months later in Lanciano, Italy.

The result in Portugal was, said the Donegal Democrat of the time, ‘the club’s finest hour’.

McGonagle rarely gave needless praise but in Maia he sat his team down.

As McGonagle spoke - slowly, to emphasise his point even further - his team listened.

‘You would need to take this all in. You need to take in where you are... and what you’re doing. 

‘Here you are, six athletes from a small town in Donegal... and you are running against are professional athletes. This is not normal life.'

1993 Phoenix Park
Belinda McArdle, Kay Byrne, Dawn Hargan, Catriona McGranaghan

1994 Ballinlough
Kay Byrne, Rosaleen Campbell, Rosemary Bogle, Margaret Synott

1995 Naas
Kay Byrne, Dawn Hargan, Catriona McGranaghan, Belinda McArdle

1996 Santry
Catriona McGranaghan, Key Byrne, Rosemary Campbell, Ita Boyle

1997 Cork
Catriona McGranaghan, Dawn Hargan, Kay Byrne, Helena Crossan

1998 Bree
Kay Byrne, Helena Crossan, Rosaleen Campbell, Ita Boyle

1999 Stranorlar
Helena Crossan, Kay Byrne, Catriona McGranaghan, Ita Boyle

2000 ALSAA
Noleen Porter, Rosaleen Campbell, Kay Byrne, Catriona McGranaghan

2002 ALSAA
Nolen Porter, Catriona McGranaghan, Clodagh McCool, Kay Byrne

2004 Roscommon
Noleen Porter, Clodagh McCool, Kay Byrne, Catriona McGranaghan