Armagh Jobs

Ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland Final, Armagh I sat down with Dermot Kerr, owner of Armagh Sports and Trophies, to hear his thoughts on Sam coming home and how running will always be his first love.

Why did you choose to open Armagh Sports and Trophies?

I don’t even know how everything started, it really just fell into my lap. We started off as a running-only store and we were the first run-only store in Ireland. Today, we’re still recognised as the best running store in Ireland, by a long mile.

What are you most proud of in your career to date?

I am proud of the fact we’re still going 40 years later. If you look, a lot of independent sports shops have hit the wall in recent years and it’s so important to specialise in something to survive. To be truthful, in the past five years the sports industry has changed so much but we have gone from strength to strength.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

I like doing footwear and the trophy room. Being alone in the trophy room gives me a moment of peace and when I complete a trophy order, I get great satisfaction creating the inscription and ensuring it’s right.

What has been the biggest challenge in your job?

COVID was a boom time for us – we don’t sell online but we used our Facebook page to sell shoes and we delivered them to local people when the store was closed. At that time, the major challenge was that our suppliers where closed, so we struggled to get stock, but we were able to work around it.

A challenge for us also is that we don’t sell online and it could be something we’re missing out on. The trophy room almost collapsed over COVID because there was no events; sporting had ceased so that was a concern but again, we overcame it.

If you could choose anything else to do, what would it be?

Work is always hard, I wouldn’t say I’m living my dream, but I love it and there are days where I just want to go home and forget about the day, but I always knuckle down and get on with it.

We have a great team here, my wife and I, along with Sheena, who works unbelievably hard, and Stephen in footwear, is absolutely brilliant. We’ve got a great backup of staff too. It’s difficult to get good staff but we have had staff who stay with us for a very long time and don’t leave until they really have to move on, which makes me feel like we’re doing something right!

What do you think your best quality is?

Hard to say but when I put my head to it I can do most things. I’d say I’m a people person too, I love talking to everyone that comes through our doors.

Name three things that you like doing outside of work…

My whole life I’ve always been a runner and it will always be my first love, it kept me going. Now I cycle, as I can’t run anymore, and it’s the only sport that I have found similar to running.

I miss running so much, even now the Olympics are starting and not being involved is difficult. From my wife and I married in 1980, there’s always been an Olympic party in our house, for the night of the 10,000 metre pbs. I don’t think we will have a party this year but I could tell you everybody that’s won the 10,000 metre race from 1972.

I love getting out and cutting the grass too.

Tell us about a secret skill that we don’t know you have.

If I learn it, I can do it.

When I came out of athletics, I started coaching and still do a lot of coaching. In a few months time a group of 10 or 12 of us from Dublin Marathon Training Group will travel and train together. I’ll be there for backup. The runners know what they’re about and know what they’re doing but I will help coach them along the way.

What is your most prized possession?

My All-Ireland medals and my new bike.

What is your favourite food?

Potatoes. Every type. They’re a superfood!

What is your favourite book?

The Secret Race – you learn what training is about, drug use and how the body really works. It teaches you how power doesn’t come from our muscles, it comes from our cardiovascular system and our bloods. A great sports book; anybody that is into sports should definitely read it. It’s called the Secret Race but it’s the best book I have ever read.

What are you currently watching?

I don’t watch TV.

If you were to watch a band/singer live, who would it be?

Kevin Bridges, he is a great entertainer.

Dead or alive, who would you most want to meet and why?

You could meet someone you really want to meet and end up being disappointed but I would probably choose my favourite athlete.

An Ethiopian long-distance runner, Miruts Yifter, with legs up to his armpits. He won the 10,000 metre final in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He died the same week Muhammad Ali did and there wasn’t a word about him on the news, and I believe he was a better athlete than Muhammad Ali ever was.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming final?

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they do it this weekend. Everybody’s buzzing looking jerseys and tickets but what matters is that they can get it over the line on Sunday. Our stock has been flying off the shelves, it’s great to see everyone so passionate and shops in the town are getting really involved too.

Good luck to the boys and here’s hoping they do it!

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