His experiences in the running battle that became a long sporting career have now been turned into a book, ‘The Irishman who ran for England’, which he completed with the help of PJ Brown.

Jim first began training with well-known hurler and cross country runner, Mick Potter, and after six weeks, realised that he might have a talent as well as a taste for the sport.

He went on to win virtually every major regional and Irish title in several categories including the 2,000m and 10,000m.

“It got to the point where there was nowhere else to go and at the same time, I wanted to get a job so I headed for England around 1960. I started with the Polytechnic Harriers in London and there were a lot of guys who were better than me there. I was still running for Ireland. I just qualified for the European Championships in 1962 but was badly injured. I ran well in 1963 and was lucky to be picked to go to the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. Unfortunately I didn’t win anything.”

He qualified for the World Cross Country Championships in Belgium in 1965 but the Irish athletics body would not pay his airfare, forcing him to go by boat and simply watch the events he should have been competing in. It was a turning point.

“I just couldn’t afford it and I started running for England and Great Britain. I don’t think it caused a huge reaction in Ireland but then again, I wasn’t living there anymore. The set-up was much better. I’d have loved to win a medal for Ireland but I felt I had been treated badly. I broke a world record that year.”

He said that he went to Hungary in 1966 determined to win and clinched the gold in the marathon event like a man possessed.