The Cornafean hilltop farmhouse where Catherina McKiernan spent her childhood is mostly tranquil these days. Her birth into a family of seven children saw her introduced to her home two days later, not venturing away until she had the means to traverse the hill on her own.
This upbringing was traditional for all the McKiernan children, a 90-acre farm, approximately 10 miles from town of Cavan, quickly became their playground. The estate offered ample room for freedom and instilled a sense of order, anyone reticent to accommodate the schedule of a Saturday evening bath was not tolerated.
An episode of controversy in school occured in the early months of 1988, following her victory in the Ulster Schools Cross Country in Belfast — she aced the competition, as people in her field often state. This victory created friction at Loreto Cavan, where McKiernan was preparing for her Leaving Cert and also bore the position of the school’s camogie team captain.
Disturbances arose when the notion was proposed that camogie should be her primary focus, or she faced the potential of suspension from all sport-related activities. This idea was met with opposition from both her and her father John, prompting the school to backtrack. McKiernan won the All-Ireland title a fortnight later, annihilating the competition.
From this humble yet unwavering beginning, McKiernan began to create waves in Irish athletics. Her numerous ‘firsts’ include: the first Irish woman to clinch a medal at the World Cross Country Championships, where she won the first of four consecutive silvers in Boston in 1992, becoming the first Irish woman to win a senior global athletics medal, surpassing Sonia O’Sullivan, who came in seventh that day.
In 1994, McKiernan claimed the maiden European Cross Country victory; she made history as the first woman to win the Berlin Marathon in 1997; in 1998, she also became the first Irish woman to secure the London Marathon. The record of 2:22:23 from her win at the Amsterdam Marathon in 1998 still tops the all-time list in Ireland. It’s staggering to think of her potential performance with Vaporfly shoes.
In spite of several setbacks, including injuries, her deep affection for running remains unchanged. Her remarkable accomplishments on the World Cross Country platform may have gone somewhat unnoticed, yet they continue to hold a special place for many.
Catherina McKiernan, who isn’t too bothered about these accolades, says she doesn’t dwell on her four World Cross Country silver medals when she experiences difficult times.
Recently, during a visit to her mother Kathleen in Cavan, McKiernan was brought back to the reality of her past glories. Kathleen, only a year shy of becoming 91, has a weak memory of recent happenings, which led them to reminisce about the old times. This unleashed the anecdote about how Kathleen used to pray for Catherina during races, unable to sit and watch them due to her fiercely competitive spirit, being envious of her husband’s ability to do so.
Ahead of the 45th edition of the World Cross Country in Belgrade, these memories surfaced, illuminating McKiernan’s enduring humble disposition, which would rarely be found in most athletes.
She candidly remarks that the World Cross Country competitions offered greater competition back then because of the lack of indoor or road races, leading to more participant involvement across varying distances from 800m to marathon, thereby making the races extremely challenging.
McKiernan’s initial silver, won in Boston during March 1992, was indisputably tight. Believe me, considering I was present, meeting McKiernan for the very first time on the gleaming marble staircase outside the side entrance of the Copley Plaza Hotel in the city centre of Boston. Despite her young age of 22, several individuals predicted she might make a significant impact. I was a couple of years her junior and a university sophomore studying in Rhode Island, disembarking a Bonanza Bus from Providence with a 20-dollar note and a stashed away copy of the Dharma Bums in my pocket.
During the home stretch of the race’s final lap, she left the entire group, including the east Africans, absolutely awestruck as she briefly sprinted ahead, only for Lynn Jennings, the defending champion for two successive years and local from west Massachusetts, to overtake her just before the finish line.
I felt absolutely fine following that race. I was slightly naive, not really anticipating myself to be leading as far as I did. I still recall staying with John Treacy along with Joe Doonan, my trainer, a few days before the race. Joe had to depart early due to his mother’s illness. His parting words to me were ‘you have the potential to secure a medal’. That motivated me greatly. Despite tough weather conditions, the race seemed effortless. The following ones surely weren’t. That was potentially my chance to move forward. It’s easy to see in retrospect, but given she was a better sprinter, like most athletes, I should have proceeded at my own pace. However, I lacked the confidence.
Originating from Cornafean, McKiernan’s achievements were also largely domestic, aside from occasional warm-weather or high-altitude training. The silver she claimed in Durham in 1995 was equally as close, as McKiernan was narrowly beaten by Derartu Tulu, Ethiopia’s double Olympic 10,000m champion, who would proceed to claim victory in 1997 and 2000.
McKiernan’s professional progression coincided nearly perfectly with O’Sullivan, which was always agreeable to her. They were born two days apart and later represented their country together on various international platforms, such as the 1997 World Cross Country, where the Irish team secures bronze medals. However, McKiernan preferred life outside of the limelight.
Originating from modest roots in Cornafean, McKiernan’s achievements were predominantly home-based apart from sporadic periods of warm-weather or high-altitude training. Even 32 years after her initial successful race in Boston, she continues to advocate a straightforward approach towards running.
Her advice to the athletes venturing to Belgrade was to be committed to their current capabilities, push their limits, and not harbour any disappointments. She also encouraged them to brace themselves for the inevitable hardships. According to her, accepting life’s realities is half of the struggle.