JACK SWEENEY – The Man who Trained Ronnie Delaney

Ireland’s greatest athlete, Ronnie Delaney, was laid to rest yesterday, 16 March. In the extensive media coverage that followed, many people learned—some for the first time—that Delaney’s most influential coach was a Killybegs man, Jack Sweeney.

Jack Sweeney

Praise from Ronnie Delaney:

Delaney often credited Sweeney with shaping his entire approach to running. “Jack Sweeney taught me that the most important thing was the shape of the race—to be in a position to strike, to make the one move to win. That was the only tactic I knew, learned from my first coach, Jack Sweeney.” After his famous Olympic victory in Melbourne in 1956, Delaney sent a telegram to Sweeney that read simply: “We did it, Jack.”

Jack Sweeney was born in a house—now demolished—that once stood at the junction of Main Street and Conlin Road. The McGilloway family were the last occupants, and the site is now a car park. At the beginning of the 20th century, the house was home to James Strain, a baker, and his family. Sweeney’s father, John, a Railway Guard, lived there as a lodger and married Strain’s daughter, Annie, in 1914. Their son, John Joseph Cecil—later known as Jack—was born in 1916. Another of the lodgers in Strain’s was James Nutt, who ran a bicycle shop next door; the doorway to the domestic part Nutt’s shop can be seen on the left.

James Strain’s Lodging house where Jack’s Father Resided. (Original Photo credit: Dr Donal Martin’s Then & Now. The passage leads to Conlin Road.

John Sweeney, the father, entered local history in 1920 during the Troubles when he refused to take charge of the Donegal–Killybegs train because four armed British policemen were travelling as passengers. He was dismissed for his refusal and forced to return to Donegal as a passenger. His replacement as Guard was subsequently refused lodgings in Killybegs.

Young Jack attended the Niall Mór School and later St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny. His sister, Eithne, won a scholarship to the Loreto Convent, Letterkenny, in 1932, valued at £12 per year for two years. In his youth, Jack was a regular member of the Killybegs Emeralds football team. He later studied at UCD and went on to become a mathematics master at the James Street Christian Brothers’ School.

Sweeney had an enduring passion for athletics. He devoted all of his spare time—and often his own money—to helping young athletes develop their careers. In addition to Delaney, he coached Brendan O’Reilly, Eamonn Kinsella, Gerry O’Gorman, Val McCann, and many others. He came to be regarded as one of the finest athletics coaches ever produced in Ireland.

Jack’s father was a brother of Charlie Sweeney, grandfather of Dr Charles, Nuala, Eddie, and Deirdre Sweeney of New Row, Killybegs.

Among Jack’s closest friends was Paddy Haughey of Teelin, an outstanding distance runner who represented Ireland on many occasions.