BARRY, John Joe. The Ballincurry Hare. The Life and Times of a Champion.

Illustrated. Dublin: Athletic Publications, 1986. pp. 111, [3]. Pictorial wrappers. A good copy.
John Joe Barry (1925-1994), known as “the Ballincurry Hare,” was an Irish middle-distance runner renowned for his speed and achievements in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Born in Joliet, Illinois, USA, to Irish immigrant parents, he moved to County Tipperary, at age three and began his athletic career there during World War II, competing for Ballincurry AC and later Clonliffe Harriers. Barry represented Ireland at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he placed eighth in the 1,500 meters heat and did not finish the 5,000 meters. At the peak of his career in 1949-1950, Barry dominated middle-distance events, winning sixteen Irish national track titles across distances including the mile, 880 yards, and 3 miles, as well as the Irish senior cross-country championship in 1945. He also claimed the English AAA 3-mile title (14:11.0) and Scottish AAA 3-mile title (14:18.2) in 1949, and became the first Irish athlete to win the US indoor mile at Madison Square Garden in 1950 with a time of 4:11.5, holding national titles from Ireland, England, Scotland, and America simultaneously.

[CAT 163]