The late Mick Neville: tribute to an athletics legend

Tullamore Harriers AC was saddened to hear of the passing of club legend Michael (Mick) Neville in Waterford where he has resided for many years.

He was born in 1940 in Lynally, near Mucklagh, just beyond the Charleville Estate grounds. His first introduction to the sport of athletics was in the early 1950s. He joined the no longer in existence St Colman’s club, the first of four clubs he was to grace with his presence.

In the mid-1950s, he won his first Leinster medal and by the end of that decade, he joined Tullamore Harriers, the club that would bookend the remainder of his competitive career.

His senior career with Tullamore Harriers was short but during that time he emerged as one of the top endurance runners in the country over a wide range of distances from the half mile through to 15 miles, annexing national titles and records. He won the second and third Quinlan Cup races, being the only home winner until it became a half marathon a few years ago.

During a period of suspension for Tullamore Harriers in the early 1960s, Mick joined the Dublin based Donore Harriers which opened the avenue of representing Ireland in international competition.

He earned five international vests making his debut in 1961 in a team that contained Olympic gold medallist Ronnie Delany. 1962 was an epic year for Neville in cross country, becoming the first man to win Senior and Junior national titles in the one season, culminating in a superb seventh in the International Cross Country in Sheffield despite a cramp in his left leg over the last two miles.

Mick won four national titles at Senior level and four national titles at Junior (U20) level, two each for Tullamore Harriers and Donore Harriers at both levels. A number of records were broken by him including the European indoor 3-mile record in the Empire Pool Wembley on St Patrick’s Day 1962 when Derek Ibbotson just pipped him with both under the old mark. This feat was made even more impressive in that it was done in flat tennis shoes and was over 37 laps!

Two weeks later following a special invitation, Mick finished second in the AAA’s indoor mile at the same venue. An opportunity to take up an athletics scholarship in the United States didn’t come to pass due to a technicality.

While based in Ireland, for a period he worked with Bord na Mona along with his fellow club legend Mick Hayden and they were training partners, often running home from work in Boora.

In 1963, Mick moved to England and joined the famed Coventry Godiva club, his fourth club. While there he was a valued member of a crack squad that contained Olympians. Outside of formal international vests Mick competed for Ireland on the continent and had some noteworthy victories including one over Abebe Bikila, the double Olympic Marathon champion (1960 and 1964).

Injuries unfortunately became a factor and he missed out on the 1964 Olympic Games. He returned to Ireland in 1966 and stopped competing.

In 1981, he rejoined Tullamore Harriers and kicked off a second career as a masters or veteran athlete and was top in his category in cross country, in road racing and on the track, leading Tullamore Harriers teams to national team titles. He also reunited with his former training partner Mick Hayden.

Mick was a quiet and modest gentleman, ahead of his time. He was a pioneer into the international scene from Tullamore Harriers and achieved great honours and distinctions during his shortened career as a Senior and enjoyed great success as a Master.

Tullamore Harriers shares the sadness of the loss of this athletics legend with Donore Harriers and Coventry Godiva and extends condolences to Mick’s wife Ann, his daughters Lisa and Aideen and the extended Neville family. May his gentle soul rest in peace.