The Irish in Britain: A Conversation with the Diaspora - John Treacy

John Treacy is Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council. A native of Villierstown, County Waterford, John became known nationally and internationally when winning the World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh in 1978. He retained the title the following year at Limerick Racecourse.

A highlight of his distinguished athletics career, which included victories in the Los Angeles Marathon (1992) and the Dublin Marathon (1994), was the Silver medal he won in the marathon at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

John studied at Providence College, Rhode Island, qualifying with a BS in accountancy and an MBA. Following on from his role as Chairperson of the group which prepared “Targeting Sporting Change”, the first national policy on sport, John was invited to become the Executive Chairperson of non-statutory Irish Sports Council from 1997. He was appointed Chief Executive of the statutory Irish Sports Council on its establishment in 1999. The Council is the agency responsible for the promotion and development of sport in all its many forms in Ireland.

John is a member of the board of Sports Campus Ireland and he also served as Chairman of the National Taskforce on Obesity.