Willie Boy Poem by Francis Duggan

Willie Neenan from Millstreet
What a marvellous athlete
Twenty years in time have gone
Since he won a world silver medal in San Juan.

Munster and All Ireland's by the score
And other medals many more
Willie Boy was always best
Neenan first forget the rest.

Seventy years and still going great
And still a name to celebrate
More than two tousand races won
By Willie Neenan number 1.

What was he like in his prime
And that's going back a long, long time
He was something special then
And he outpaced the fastest men.

He's not one for self conceit
And he doesn't boast he just compete
Never ever heard him brag
Willie Boy is no windbag.

He'll remember eighty three
What a pleasant memory
Ireland's best and Millstreet's pride
With the World's best matched stride for stride.

And with that his greatest success far away
Some say he should have called it a day
But has he reached retirement stage
when he still beats fellows half his age?

Running he will never stop
And he'll keep running till he drop
And he'll retire that's when he die
The one and only Willie Boy.