He left us in 2006, quietly and with little fuss as was his nature. At 54, too young, too early. It shook Raheny Shamrock to its foundations.
He had always been one of the Club’s go to men. Stewarding, fixing, cleaning, and volunteering. In the promotion and execution surrounding the Raheny 5 he was heroic.
Any problem, get on to Pat Quinn. Most of all he loved to run, the longer the distance, the tougher the conditions, all the better.
And of course he left us with the tradition of the 8am Sunday morning run. The ritual, the uncompromising sheer discipline of it, the bonding it created and continues to create are all classic Pat Quinn.
According to Ray McCormack, the origin and birth of the Sunday morning 8am run was all about suiting The Drake. A renowned early riser, John Fitzsimons insisted he had to be home and hosed in time for his work at the Drake Inn which commenced at 12-noon.
His way or the highway. Quinner, medals and an increasing army of philosophers bowed to the great persuader. Sunday morning lie-ins were confined to the history books.
Saturday night outs came with a health warning. The 8am Sunday run was born. Be there on time or the train left without you.
In time Quinner was the one who called the shots. What route they took, how far, where water could be taken on board!
Born and reared in Meelick, four-miles west of Swinford in Co. Mayo, Pat Quinn landed in Raheny via a working sojourn in London. There he met and married his wife Eileen, originally from Stradone in Co. Cavan.
They set up home in Rathmore Park, a stone’s throw from the Raheny Shamrock old school clubhouse.
It was the 1980’s, the first running boom, inspired by the Dublin Marathon; Pat Quinn jumped on board.
Quinner, found he liked it. Loved the work ethic part of it, the more he trained the better he got. He toddled on down to Raheny Shamrock and in his relatively short life became one of the all-time great clubmen. Commitment, generosity and inclusivity are the legacy he has left us with.
This Sunday, over 100 Raheny Shamrock athletes will toe the line in the 45th Dublin Marathon. A further 50 Raheny Shamrock members will spend long hours stewarding along the route.
Many, many more members will turn up at various points on the 42K journey to cheer our heroes on their journey. Other competitors will feel envious of the support the Raheny athlete running beside them is getting.
Call it tradition, call it a sense of belonging. Whatever, the Marathon and the suffering one must embrace before the overwhelming sense of satisfaction it delivers is incredibly personal.
Pat Quinn knew all those emotions so well. He loved the Marathon, Dublin was his favourite. He ran it year after year.
Fitting then that on his passing, “The Quinner Trophies”, awarded to the first male and female finishers in the Dublin Marathon annually has become the Club’s way of keeping the legacy and spirit of Pat Quinn alive and relevant in the Club he loved so well.
On, Sunday morning many of the Raheny athletes will have half an eye on their prospects of being the first club person home. All politics is local. History loves conflict. For the record herewith the previous winners.
| Male | Female | |
| 2006 | Shane McDermott | Barbara Sanchez |
| 2007 | Matt Milner | Helena Corcoran |
| 2008 | Cormac Delahunty | Annette Kealy |
| 2009 | Simon Reede | Annette Kealy |
| 2010 | Frank Mangan | Barbara Sanchez |
| 2011 | Mick Boyle | Lorraine Manning |
| 2012 | Brian Leahy | Barbara Sanchez |
| 2013 | Bernard Roe | Fiona Stack |
| 2014 | Daragh Bell | Fiona Stack |
| 2015 | Freddie Sittuk | Annemarie Woods |
| 2016 | Mark Kirwan | Tara Kennedy |
| 2017 | Freddie Sittuk | Tara Kennedy |
| 2018 | Mick Clohisey | Tara Kennedy |
| 2019 | Mick Clohisey | Shirley Coyle |
| 2020 | Graham Ahearne | Mary Walsh |
| 2021 | Martin Kelly | Liz Keary |
| 2022 | Mark Kirwan | Kate Purcell |
| 2023 | Kevin Moriarty | Fiona Stack |
On Sunday evening when the Marathon’s mastered and the bath has been soaked in we will retire to The Beachcomber in Killester for the celebration and analysis.
The Quinner Trophies for 2024 will be presented. As an addition and evolution this year’s 8am leaders, disciples of Pat Quinn, have added some more awards all relevant to the great day.
To find out who, how and more be there from 7:30pm.
The night is once again sponsored by Hamill Auctioneers who are providing the food on the night.
So come early and a little bit hungry. It’s an event for all runners, stewards, clubmates, supporters.
