The ‘thank you’ gesture Liam Miller’s old athletics coach treasured

By Larry Ryan

Liam Miller made a swift impact at Celtic through his running ability. And when the club won the Scottish Premier Division title in 1998 — stopping fierce rivals Rangers’ 10-in-a-row bid — Miller wasn’t about to forget his old athletics coach back in Kilmurry, Co Cork, dispatching a gesture she would always treasure.

Miller hadn’t yet played for Celtic’s first team but already the club’s youth coach Willie McStay had been taken aback by the power of his engine.

“His fitness levels were unbelievable. We’d monitor the players in terms of speed, agility and endurance and, as a young 15-year-old going on 16, Liam broke records.”

Soon he had broken Celtic’s much-prized senior record for the eight-minute run. Nobody would have been surprised back at Kilmurry Athletics Club, where Liam helped put the blue singlet on the map.

“Liam joined the club aged eight, winning his first gold medal in the ball throw, under 10,” says his mother Bridie.

“He took part in the javelin, high jump and shot putt, winning all at Munster and All-Ireland level from 12 to 14 years.

He ran the 100m sprint, the 3,000m and the hurdles, also 12 to 14, again winning gold medals at All-Ireland level. And he won gold in Munster and silver and gold in All-Ireland relays.

“The late Mrs Hinchion, may she rest in peace, was a fantastic coach.”

Eileen Hinchion, Nell to everyone, was Liam’s coach. She was in her 70s when Liam left for Glasgow but still had plenty of years left in coaching.

“They used train here on the land in our field in Clonmacow, Crookstown,” says her son Richard.

“That was the official training venue. We are farming here, a mile from Kilmurry village. There was a flat field behind Lynch’s cottage, as we used call it. The field next door was the car park.

“My mother never ran herself. She grew up through the war years, different times, there weren’t the opportunities. But she had great interest. She was self-taught as a coach. Just reading books, seeing what other people are doing and trying it. She wouldn’t have gone on any high-powered coaching courses.

“But she was very active and still involved in her late 70s and early 80s.

Liam was one of those people who went through her training regime so we were very proud of him. We were grateful he was involved with us and we were delighted he went on to bigger and better things from humble beginnings. And hopefully some of the grounding he got here helped him.

“My mother was a modest woman but she was very proud when Liam went on to Celtic.”

So she was particularly moved when a special delivery arrived from Glasgow in 1998.

Settling in at his first club, Liam marked a landmark title win by getting a plaque made in honour of Nell Hinchion.

It read: “1Ø in a row. League Champions 1997-98. Mrs Hinchion, No 1 Coach. You’ll never walk alone. Best wishes from Liam Miller and all the Bhoys at Parkhead. Thinking of you always.”

The plaque was treasured until Nell Hinchion died in 2014, aged 89. And is still treasured.

Her son says: “It had pride of place in her house. When she knew her end was coming, she had strict instructions where different things were to go to. My father’s county medals and tug of war cups and her earrings and wedding bands.

“And there were instructions given that the Liam Miller picture was to be handed on to the next generation, to Padraig my youngest, who would have been heavily involved in sport. So it’s up in his bedroom now on display.

“We can be slow to say thank you in life, but that gesture from Liam meant so much to my mother.”