Half marathon is a big step in new life for Cork man, 42, who was in prison just six months ago

A CORK man who spent close to half of his life going in an out of prison is celebrating after he completed the Cork City half marathon over the weekend.

John O’Driscoll, aged 42, ran 13 miles in a time of 1 hour and 57 minutes on Sunday. 

He told the Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM, that he was delighted to have achieved such a good time especially in light of the fact that he was in custody just six months ago.

“I got help and things are going well. I had enough of it all. I am in and out of it [prison] for 20 years. Just drinking and drugging and wasting my life away to be honest. I was fed up and overweight.”

Mr O’Driscoll said that he saw the prison counsellor three times in the three months he was most recently in prison. However, in the meantime he started to work on himself and his new found faith has also helped him since his release from custody.

He says that his “drinking and drugging” had ruined his life.

“All my relationships were done except my partner. My family…kids…they all had enough of it. I had enough of it.”

However, he said he got proper help and got out of prison, and now he has a “great relationship” with his kids.

“I got help from Cork Alliance. I started running with my best mate. He is like my sponsor. He said he was entering the marathon. I was only training six weeks and I said I would have a go off the half marathon.

“It is 13 miles. To be quite honest I never in my life ran it in an hour and 57 minutes. It was brilliant. Now I am fit and healthy but it takes a lot of work.”

John says that the prison life can involve a vicious cycle of a person being incarcerated, being released and ending up on the streets and then committing a crime and going back in to the system.

But, John is now committed to a life of sobriety.

“People say ‘oh the new you is brilliant’. It is not the new me at all. This is the old me that was always inside that was dying to get out but society had a leg on top of my head because I come from a travelling background. And at a young age when you are being bullied it is hard to take.”

John advises other people who are trying to start a new life to take it “day by day.”

He hopes to serve as an inspiration to other inmates who have gone down the same path as himself in terms of being in and out of custody.