Martin Breheny: Ronnie Delany's name and achievements never faded - they became even more synonymous with greatness

"Ronnie Delany may not have known it, but he was the first sporting idol for so many Irish youngsters in the 1950s and 1960s. They didn't see his historic Olympic victory in Melbourne and had to rely on others to tell them about it, yet they still felt as if they were there."

"Listening to grown-ups marvelling at the wonder of it all, they knew the bare facts of his famous triumph, after which imagination took over, transporting them into a mystical orbit where they dreamed of emulating him."

Ronnie Delany became the first sporting idol for Irish youth in the 1950s and 1960s, despite most young people never witnessing his historic Olympic victory in Melbourne. Without direct access to the event, children relied on adults' accounts and descriptions to understand his achievement. Through listening to grown-ups marvel at his triumph, youngsters learned the basic facts of his famous victory. Their imagination then transformed these secondhand narratives into vivid mental experiences, allowing them to feel as though they had witnessed the event themselves. This imaginative engagement inspired many to dream of replicating Delany's sporting success.

Read at Independent