Cathal Dennehy: The impact Ciarán Ó Lionáird created in life means he will never be forgotten

Ó Lionáird and I knew each other, having been one-time rivals and friends amid the small world of Munster juvenile athletics.

NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN: Ciaran O’Lionaird was sadly found dead on Tuesday morning. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Back in 2020, when Ciarán Ó Lionáird was plotting his course out of retirement, the Cork athlete reflected on the void he’d felt in the years prior when running was no longer the sun around which his world orbited.

The title of a docu-film about his journey back, Not Dead Yet, was inspired by US rock band Grateful Dead. “One thing I took away personally was how death is perceived – the idea that one is not really dead unless they’re forgotten,” he said.