Local sporting hero Cyril Chaney has passed away in his 80s after a lifetime of community work and sporting achievements.
The 87-year-old Finglas man had ran 64 marathons as of 2019 and was previously thrown a reception in the Mansion House in recognition of his support for elderly people in his community.
Twitter users paid tribute to a “legend” who continued participating in sport and community advocacy up until recent years. His son Paul previously spoke about Cyril’s charity work for older people in Finglas and the impact it had on residents.
“He and his friends from the Drake Inn formed a community and held 3 events annually taking 250 old people out on day trip,” Paul told Dublin Live in 2020.
“It always ended in the Drake with a dinner and dance and a free raffle with everyone getting a prize, vouchers for free drinks and live entertainment, his achievements are so many it's hard to recount all of them but he's a local legend, and that's other people's words not mine,” Paul added.
Marathons were not his only sporting success. Cyril was also a previous boxing champion, as well as a keen cyclist and triathlon participant. He once completed a 125 mile canoe race in the UK despite never having sat in a canoe before.
Cyril was part of a 12 man group known as the Kavanagh Striders - a keen group of marathon enthusiasts who have competed in races in Boston, London, New York and even Berlin shortly after the fall of the communist regime.
His ceremony at the Mansion House was attended by local politicians including Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe, who said Cyril regaled guests with stories about his life on what was “a special evening.”
Cyril is survived by his family and wide circle of friends.
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