While searching through old Strabane Council archives, Harkin discovered that the two streets were named in Delany’s honour just a few months after his stunning Olympic achievement in Melbourne.
“I would imagine there were housing estates being built and somebody came up with the name,” added O’Callaghan.
“Probably nobody ever thought of letting Ronnie know and he was living in the States at the time.”
Changing the street name will not just be a simple matter of putting up a new street sign, but the Derry City & Strabane mayor has vowed that it will be done.
“They are going to have to go through the whole postal system and change the whole network but it’s going to be done and they want Ronnie to go up to the unveiling.”
Some 64 years on, Delany remains the last Irish track and field athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.
“Ronnie Delany is the greatest Irish [track and field] athlete that ever lived,” added O’Callaghan.
“He won the Olympic 1500m title which was the blue riband event of the Games in Melbourne way back in 1956. He really is the elder statesman of Irish sport.”
