Noel Carroll, who died suddenly in Dublin yesterday at the age of 57, will be remembered as the man who set the standards for subsequent generations of Irish 800 metres runners.

At his peak, he was one of the great stylists of the track, a tall, impressive proportioned athlete who thrilled crowds in stadiums around the world with his ability to deliver decisive late runs off the final bend.

An erudite man, who spoke with authority on his chosen sport, he made the transition from life as a private in the army to an outstanding student at Villanova University in 1961, with an ease which bespoke a sharp intellect and a capacity to adapt to new challenges.

Later those qualities would serve him well, first as a forthright and highly efficient public relations officer with Dublin Corporation and, later, as chief executive of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

His was an enormous input into the successful launch of the Dublin City Marathon, an event which, coincidentally, will be staged through the streets of the capital on Monday.

In his time, when the sport in Ireland hadn't yet gone metric, he won no fewer than 14 national titles at 440 and 880 yards in a marvellously protracted career which extended into his late 'thirties.

The greater achievements were attained overseas, however, after he decided to accept a scholarship at Villanova and follow in a line of great Irish athletes which included such as John Joe Barry, Jimmy Reardon, Ron Delany and Frank Murphy.

At home, his career had prospered under Frank Duffy, an astute coach who saw in the gangling youngster from Annagassan, in Co Louth, the raw material of an outstanding half miler. Later, those same qualities would be nurtured at Villanova by Jumbo Elliott, the man who had launched Delany to his imperishable success in the Olympic 1500 metres championship in Melbourne in 1956.

Within two years, Elliott had refined that talent to the point where Carroll established an European 880 yards record and captured the imagination of the British public by winning the AAA title with a spectacular run in 1 minute 50.3 seconds in the old White City stadium.

He would repeat that success twice, in 1966 and '68, in addition to finishing second to his arch rival John Boulter on three other occasions. In 1964, he was a member of the Villanova squad which set a world record for the 4 x 880 yards relay and, in so doing, became the first Irish athlete to receive the IAAF plaque for world records.

By now, Europe was a fertile ground for his emerging talent and a sequence of impressive performances on his summer vacations from Villanova brought his talent to the notice of an even wider public.

Building on the traditions set by Ron Delany, Carroll proved himself equally adept in indoor competition, winning the European championship on no fewer than three occasions, starting in Dortmund in 1966 and retaining the title in Prague and Madrid in consecutive years.

He twice competed in the Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico City in 1968 but, on his own admission, under achieved in each instance. Explaining his problems in the rarified atmosphere of Mexico, he said: "It was like running into a brick wall - I've never known anything like that in my career."

Even when the first, full flush of youth had left him, his enthusiasm remained constant and progressing to veterans' competition, he became European and world champion in his age group at 800 metres.

When at last, his competitive instincts were finally stilled, he devoted himself to coaching and in that capacity he had the satisfaction of watching his two UCD proteges, David Matthews and James Nolan, compete in the European championships in Budapest two months ago.

As a broadcaster and contributor to newspapers, his message was always cogent and precise and his publications included Sport in Ireland and the Runners' Book.

That he should die in harness at Belfield, a venue he had come to love in his latter years, was at once poignant and wholly appropriate. Nobody gave of himself more generously in ensuring that athletics was always on the agenda of Irish sport.

It showed in different ways, not least in his decision to spend his honeymoon with his wife, Deirdre, competing in Europe with an Irish team, at a time when he was regarded as indispensable to the success of the squad.

It showed, too, on those wet, uninviting days which asked pertinent questions of the inner man and attendance at athletics meetings taxed the commitment of even the most dedicated.

Carroll never shirked the inconvenient in a lifetime's service to his sport, never departed from the image of the convivial, gentle spirit who had given us so much pleasure in his time in the sun.

He was the role model who gave us, of his generation, the encouragement to go out and meet challenges head on, to believe that with commitment and courage, nothing was ever impossible. In that, his untimely passing leaves a huge gap.

Speaking of Noel Carroll's contribution to the sport, Nick Davis, president of BLE, said: "It was in many ways incalculable. As an athlete, he never shunned the unpopular meeting, was always prepared to run wherever there was a crowd to watch him.

"At times when athletics needed a voice, he was never found wanting, a fine ambassador who projected an enviable image for the sport on and off the track.

"To many of us, he was indestructible. Now he is gone and all of us will feel a deep sense of loss."