RENOWNED Ballymena athletics coach Sean Kyle has died at the age of 88 after a long illness.
Sean and his wife, Olympic athlete Maeve Kyle, set up the Ballymena and Antrim club in 1955 and have helped guide a host of top local athletes.
Kyle met his wife, Ireland hockey international Maeve Shankey, in 1953 and within three years she had become an Olympic sprinter under his guidance.
The middle-distance specialist coached a host of other international athletes including Mark Kirk, James McIlroy, Sean O'Neill and Eddie King.
Dame Mary Peters, who achieved Olympic glory in 1972, had a stint at the Ballymena and Antrim club early in her career.
Both Kyles continued to coach international athletes well into their seventies and contributed to sport at the grassroots level.
During the Troubles in the early 1970s, the couple were involved in Top Towns meetings that saw urban centres from Northern Ireland and several from southern border counties compete in team competitions.
Athletics officials from across Ireland and further afield have expressed their condolences to Maeve Kyle and her family.
"Athletics Northern Ireland are very sorry to hear about the death of Sean Kyle, Ballymena & Antrim AC. Thoughts are with the family at this sad time," the sport's governing body said.
Athletics Ireland said that it had learned of the death of Sean Kyle "with great sadness".
