Blackrock Athletic Club has travelled an epic Journey since 1944. From its small beginnings during World War II, Blackrock AC has grown to be one of the biggest running clubs in the country and now proudly counts a double European champion among its ranks.

The club evolved from a volunteer military unit and started out with fewer than 20 members – all men – who became involved in athletics through inter-service competition. Joe Hodgins brought the club its first national title in 1950 and since then it has gone from strength to strength.

After 25 years in existence, the club finally admitted women, as attitudes to their participation in physically demanding competitions began to change. In the intervening years, the women’s section has brought great success to the club, winning at both national and international level.

This charming history of the Blackrock AC brings together the voices of many past and present members. They recall the club’s various homes over the years, including a haunted house; they tell of the Christmas Day toy run to the local orphanage; and they remember trips to competitions all over the country on furniture and chicken lorries.

A must-read for anyone interested in the history of Irish athletics, Blackrock Athletic Club: An Epic Journey 1944–2019 will delight and fascinate in equal measure.