Irish Olympian and Kerryman Tom O'Riordan dies aged 84

O'Riordan represented Ireland multiple times at cross country, while he also competed at the 1966 European Championships and at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo

Tom O'Riordan leads the field through water during the 1966 Amateur Athletic Union & NACA Championships, Gormanston, Dublin. Picture credit: Connolly Collection/Sportsfile

He was an athlete, an Olympian, a journalist and – to so many in Irish athletics – an icon. But for all those who knew Tom O’Riordan, and for the sport itself, the news of his passing on Monday at the age of 84 leaves a deeply painful void.

But few will leave behind such a rich legacy, with the Kerryman’s contribution to his beloved sport running just as deep off the track as it did on it – where he entertained, inspired and illuminated across a decorated career.