Basil Clifford

Basil Clifford won the Irish Youths mile title as a 19-year-old in 1957 when, as part of his training, he would run up and down the steps of the Dublin baker’s shop where he worked, with bags of flour on his back. He made his international début against Scotland the following year and between 1958-64 represented Ireland eight times.

Clifford enjoyed a memorable year in 1963 by winning the British Games 880 yards at the White City and also the AAUE (Amateur Athletic Union of Ireland) and IAAB (Irish Amateur Athletic Board) national titles. The following year, however, when Clifford finished third in the coveted Emsley Carr Mile behind Poland’s Witold Baran and John Whetton of GB, he became only the second Irishman after Ronnie Delany to run a sub four-minute mile with a time of 3:59.8.

Following a dip in form, Clifford moved to England and joined the crack Birchfield Harriers with a view to getting regular races against better opposition. He worked locally in a shotgun assembly plant at the Imperial Metal Industries munitions factory at Witton in Birmingham, where a tragic explosion in 1973 ended his life. Five other people were killed in the disaster.

In 2014, Clifford’s old club Donore Harriers presented the Basil Clifford Trophy to Athletics Ireland to mark 50 years since he ran Ireland’s second sub four-minute mile. The trophy was subsequently awarded to the men’s national 1500 metres champion.

Personal Bests: 1500 – 3:54.90 (1964); Mile – 3:59.80 (1964).