Unearthed: Clonliffe on Pathe News

As we head into the cross country season a couple of gems featuring our forefathers have been unearthed. These, one would assume, are the earliest motion pictures featuring Clonliffe Harriers. The first features Joe Peelo winning the 1922 Dublin junior cross country championships at Baldonnel racecourse. The caption says it is 1923 but Clonliffe historian Dominic Brannigan in his history of Clonliffe Harriers has it down as 1922. On the basis that in 1923 Joe Peelo scored on the Clonliffe senior team that won the nationals it would appear that Dominic is indeed correct. Regardless enjoy the race and count your lucky stars that you don’t have to race on a similar course!

The second is equally intriguing and is the 1925 national cross country where Clonliffe won the team gold led home in 3rd place by BH Bingham, Bingham had won national individual gold in 1921, silver in 1923 and bronze in 1925. Joe Peelo was 8th.