LARK IN THE PARK FOR MAHAD! Mahad-Mohamed Egaal (Clonliffe Harriers) made winning look easy when taking the men’s title at a well supported Dublin Novice Cross-Country Championship, held in the Phoenix Park on Sunday (October 12). Egaal tucked in with the pack in the early stages of the 6,000m race around the Magazine hills before stretching away on the fourth and final lap to win with a time of 18 mins 15 secs. Ryan O’Neill (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) who had made some of the early pace, finished second in 18:15 with Adam Nason (Donore Harriers) third in 18:26. With four finishers in the top eight and seventeen finishers in all, Clonliffe Harriers were clear winners of the team title. Dundrum South Dublin, led by Jamie Byrne in fourth place, finished second and Raheny Shamrock AC led by Jordan McDonnell in fifth place, third. First home in the novice women’s 4000m race was Edel McCreery (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) . Mollie O’Donnell (Liffey Valley AC) moved through the pack to finish second in 14:33 with Jesska Gallagher (Clonliffe Harriers) third in 14:41. With four finishers in the top eight, Liffey Valley were comfortable team winners. Clonliffe Harriers, who had fourteen finishers in total, finished second while third was Sportsworld AC led by Rachel Calvey in seventh place. An impressive total of thirteen men’s teams and ten women’s teams took part in the races. More pictures are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720329624567/. A day earlier at the Irish Universities Cross-Country Championships Trinity Playing Fields, Santry on Saturday (October 11), Shane Spring of Raheny Shamrock AC running for Trinity College finished seventh in 24 mins 23 secs. University of Limerick dominated the men’s race, with many times winners DCU finishing a distant fourth, UCD seventh, Trinity College tenth and TU Dublin 14th. In the women’s race, DCU were the winners for a fifteenth time since 2003. Trinity was fourth and UCD fifth. ROADS At the re-scheduled Bear Races Fastlane 3/4 Marathon, held in Clondalkin, Co Dublin on Saturday (October 11). Ian Fitzgerald (Donore Harriers) finished second in 1:54.07. First woman in 2:28.509 was Shuang Shuang Wang (Lucan Harriers, W40). In the half marathon — the best supported race of the day —Michael Boyle (Raheny Shamrock AC, M50) was second in 83:09 and Deirdre Lyons (Dublin Front Runners, W40) first woman in 88:53. In Dundalk on Sunday October 12, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) won the FASN Charity 5km by well over a minute in 16 mins 2 sec SCHOOLS At the Leinster Schools Indoors Combined Events Championships in Abbotstown on Tuesday (October 7). Abigail Farrell (Donore Harriers/King’s Hospital) won the senior girls pentathlon, placing first in every discipline except the 800m and scoring 3046 points. Her Donore clubmate Zion Osawe, competing for St Paul’s Greenhills, scored 2601 points for third in the inter pentathlon. Finishing second was Marianne O’Farrell (Clongriffin AC/Institute of Education) with 2921 points, with her best points coming in the 800m. Finishing second of the junior boys with a score of 2444 was Conn McCluskey (DSD AC/St Benildus).

ROADS Sean Carrigg (Clonliffe Harriers) and Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based RC, W45) were the winners at the 134th Clonliffe 2-Mile, in Dublin’s Glasnevin on Sunday (October 5). Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) made the early pace with Carrigg tucking in behind him and sprinting home for victory with the Prospect Square finish line in sight. His time was 9 mins 56 secs. Doran clocked 9:59 for second and in a Clonliffe clean sweep, Malcolm Kiplagat finished third in 10:03. Murphy finished in 11 mins 7 secs, with Aine Cotter (North East Runners) second of the women in 11:11 and Alannah (Cooley (Clonliffe Harriers) third in 11:32. First in the U20 categories were Conor McGuirk (Lusk AC) who finished fifth overall in 10:13 and Sophie Kernan. At the Longwood 3/4 Marathon, in Co Meath on Sunday (October 5), Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished first woman in 2 hrs 11 mins 51 secs. Declan Power (Clonliffe Harriers) was eighth overall and first M50 in 1:59.10. One of the few races which went ahead on Saturday (October 4) despite Storm Amy still blowing was the Lusk 20 Mile, whee the winner was Arran Molloy in 2 hrs 13 seconds. Ronan Dunphy (Skerries AC) was second in 2:01.47 and Maurice McDermott (Lusk AC) third in 2:02.35. First woman in 2:33.38 was Sinead Kiernan (LSA AC) .Winner of the half marathon in 90 mins 6 secs was Derek Browne (Coolock RC). Local athletes dominated the races, unsurprisingly given the stormy conditions. On Sunday (October 5), Angela Charlton (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished eighth overall and first woman at the Donegal East 3/4 Marathon in Ballybofey with a time of i2:10.36. RECORD NUMBERS FOR BRILLIANT BROTHER CROSS-COUNTRY Dublin schools dominated both senior races at the annual Brother Schools Invitational Cross-Country held at the Trinity College Sports Grounds in Santry on Wednesday (October 2). Close to 2,000 young athletes from schools all over Leinster plus a few from Ulster were in action. Winning the senior girls’ race over 2000m was Lily Clarke (Loreto Stephen’s Green). Lily Kate McCarthy (Alexandra College) was second and Eva Kelly (Loreto Foxrock) third. St Dominic’s Cabra proved best of the teams ahead of Holy Faith Clontarf and Colaiste Iosagain. In the boys’ senior races over 4000m, Liam Morris (Belvedere) his school mate Charlie O’Neill, who is still eligible to run at intermediate level and Charlie White (Blackrock College) pulled away from the pack early on. After some exchanging of the lead up front, they finished in that order. Belvedere was the winning team with Belfast visitors St Malachy’s second and St Aidan’s CBS third. St Malachy’s dominated the inter boys race when Cormac Lehany and Thomas Coy tied for the win. Dylan McCambridge Crossan (Colaiste Iosagain) was a fighting third. St Colman’s Newry finished second team behind St Malachy’s with St Aidan’s CBS third. A closely-fought girl’s intermediate race was won by Tara Rose Smith (Sutton Park) from Beth Reamsbottom (Santa Sabina) and Aoife Murphy (Loreto Foxrock) who finished second and third. Newbridge College beat Loreto Stephen’s Green and Santa Sabina in the team category. At junior level, Loreto Stephen’s Green were the girls’ team winners ahead of St Andrew’s Booterstown and Holy Faith Clontarf while St Colman’s Newry won the junior boys race from Belvedere College and Coláiste Eoin Stillorgan. At minor level, the St Colman’s boys and the Newbridge College girls were the winners. With two wins and a second in the intermediate race, St Colman’s finished best overall of the boys schools. Newbridge College, with wins in the minor and inter races, took the girls’ title. Best of the primary school girls teams was St Fiachra’s Beaumont with wins in the fourth and fifth class races. Belgrove NS Clontarf, with a win and a third place, proved best of the boys. WEST DUBLIN SCHOOLS ON THE RUN! Close to four hundred young athletes from schools all over west Dublin took part in the opening round of the MHC Donore Harriers Schools Athletics League held at Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin on Tuesday (September 30). Races for boys and girls in the minor, junior and intermediate age groups took place and dominating the girls’ races with team wins in all three age groups was Coláiste Bhride, although the Clondalkin school certainly didn’t have it all its own way. In the inter girls’ 2km, Agata Rychlik from Cabra Community College held off the challenge of Molly Nolan and Carol Whiting Byrne both from Coláiste Bhríde. Kylemore College Ballyfermot finished second team followed closely by Coláiste Eoin. In the junior race, which proved the closest of the day, Coláiste Bhríde was chased hard only beating local school Clogher Road by two points, with Oliwia Bardowska of Clogher Road the individual winner. Biggest girls race of the day was the minor girls with sixty-three finishers. In this, Coláiste Bhríde finished clear winners ahead of Kylemore College and Clogher Road, with St Seton’s Ballyfermot not too far behind. Topping the boys’ table with two wins and and a fourth place was St Declan’s with Charlie Franzani and Lucien Dollett McCann finished first and second in the inter race for the school. Drimnagh Castle finished second and CBS James’s Street third. St Declan’s came out on top in the minor race, followed by Clogher Road and Kylemore College, with O’Connell’s School fourth. In the boys’ junior race, with eighty-seven starters, Drimnagh Castle packed well for team victory with Cathal Downes of Coláiste Éoin the individual winner. Second team was Mercy Inchicore followed closely by Clogher Road. Just two points behind St Declan’s on the overall table is Drimnagh Castle, with Clogher Road lying third. Although Coláiste Bhríde, with three wins and seventy students lining out, is clearly the team to beat among the girls, all could change over the next two rounds of the league, with Kylemore College currently in second place and Clogher Road third. 

COURSE RECORD FOR GIDEY AT RATHFARNHAM 5KM Six years ago, a 19-year old Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers lined out in the annual Rathfarnham 5km at the end of September and came home a decisive winner in 14 minutes 18 seconds. On Sunday (September 28), Gidey, just home from the World Athletics in Tokyo, was back at the Rathfarnham 5km, and not only won the race but obliterated the course record with a time of 13 mins 49 secs. Finishing second in 14 minutes exactly was Michael Power (West Waterford AC), while third was Jame Battle (Mullingar Harriers) in 14:07. In a repeat of last year’s women’s race, Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC) saw off the challenge of Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC). She crossed the line in 15 mins 44 secs, with Nic Dhomhnaill fourteen seconds adrift in 15:40 — a wider margin that a year earlier when there was just a single second in it. Third in 16:04 was Nic Dhomhnaill’s sister Sorcha (also West Limerick AC) running her first race in some time and finishing in 16:04. Incoprorate in the race was the Dublin 5km Championships, withKate Crowley (Raheny Shamrock AC) , who was fifth overall, the winner followed by Niamh Kelly (Clonliffe Harriers) and Sadhbh Mohan (UCD AC). Finishing first overall of the twenty men’s teams entered was Clonliffe Harriers. Raheny Shamrock finished second and host club Rathfarnham WSAF AC third. Those three teams also took Dublin senior titles. In a double for the club, Clonliffe Harriers were also first of the women’s terms, led by Niamh Kelly in sixth place overall. Rathfarnham WSAF AC finished second and Metro St Brigid’s AC third, with these three teams also the Dublin champions and runners-up. As always the race was well supported by masters, with Paraic McKinney, of Inishowen AC, formerly a member of Civil Service Harriers, beating the Irish M60 record with his time of 16:46. Dublin championships winners in the age groups were Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC) M35, Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) M40, Patrick Marjolet (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M45, Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham WSAF AC), Sean Browne (Dundrum South Dublin AC) M55, Edwin Keville (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M60, Gerry Boyle (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M65 and Tony Kynes (Donore Harriers) M70 of the men. In the women’s age groups, the winners were Louise Gaffney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W35, Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based RC) W40, Alli Coll (Brothers Pearse AC) W45, Sinead Tighe (Brothers Pearse AC) W50, Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock) W55, Carol Dempsey (Civil Service Harriers) W60, Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W65 and Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers) W70; Eileen was celebrating her birthday on the day. Winners of the W35 Dublin Championships team category was Brothers Pearse. Lusk AC was second and Crusaders third. Raheny Shamrock won the W50 title from Civil Service Harriers and Brothers Pearse AC. Crusaders AC won the M35 category with Sportsworld second and Clonliffe Harriers third. Best in the M50 age group was Sportsworld, followed by Raheny Shamrock AC and Dundrum South Dublin AC. A record total of 1,288 completed the race. GRETA AND ORLA STRIKE GOLD IN NEW DELHI! Huge congrats from all at Dublin athletics to Greta Streimikite of UCD (and formerly Clonliffe Harriers) and Orla Comerford (Raheny Shamrock AC) on their gold medal winning performances in the 1500m and 100m at the World Paralympic Games in New Delhi, India. MOSTLY OFF-ROAD At the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain (Thursday September 25 to Sunday September 28). Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished second of the Irish and 53rd of 163 finishers in the classic 14.3km race. His time was 71 mins 30 secs. The Irish team finished 16th of the 31 teams. In the women’s classic race, over the same distance, Sarah Mulligan (also Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished second of the Irish and 62nd of 110 finishers, with the team 16th of 22 teams. In the uphill 6.4km race, Edel Monaghan (Dublin City Harriers) finished 70th, while in the 45km trail race, Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers) finished 94th. In the U20 women’s race, Sinead Farrell (LSA AC) was 43rd. Locally, at the annual Eco Trail based in Bray and taking in routes around the Wicklow hills on Saturday (September 27), . Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchards RC) finished second in the 80km ultra with a time of 8 hours 30 seconds. In the 10km race Alejandro Cavallo (Liffey Valley AC) finished second in 52:47. BHAA IN BALLYCOOLIN At the inaugural Keypoint BHAA 5km at Rosemount Business Park, Ballycoolin Road on Thursday evening (September 25), Sean McCreery (Accountants/Rathfarnham WSAF AC) finished third in 16: 59, while Vanessa Sallier (Aon/Rathfarnham WSAF) was third woman. SIXTY YEARS OF SHAMROCK WOMEN! Sixty years ago, in 1965, a small notice appeared in a Dublin newspaper inviting women to join the newly-established women’s section of Raheny Shamrock Athletics Club. A few months earlier, the all-male membership of Raheny Shamrock, founded in 1958, had voted to let women join the club and among the first intake were Therese Burke, Moya Carroll, Margaret Corcoran, Grace O’Leary, Mary McDonald, Ann Keating, Ursula Kennedy, Amy Barry and sisters Siobhan and Mary Lynch. They were inspired by a rising interest in women’s athletics and the victory of the UCD women at the first intervarsity cross-country held in 1963. Mary, in particular, went on to have a stellar career, winning the national cross-country title in 1972 when it was held in the muddy fields of Mountmellick. Her older sister, Siobhan, sadly no longer with us, had helped the Raheny women to a first ever national cross-country team title in 1968. The women won a second title in 1971. Mary became a trail blazer for Irish distance running at a time when the 800m was the longest track race on offer to women. She would set an Irish 3000m record of 9 minutes 38.4 seconds in 1973, and also clocked times of 2:10.3 for 800m and 4:22.5 for 1500m. She attributes her fitness in those days to running home for lunch from Holy Faith Clontarf with her older sister, along with more formal training under the guidance of Paul O’Connor in a field at St Anne’s Park. Moya Carroll, like Margaret Corcoran, had a father involved in athletics. She remembered how difficult it was to get athletics gear for women, especially shorts. In the buttoned-up Ireland of the time, many of the women would wear tights under their shorts to avoid causing offence! The women were brought together last Wednesday (September 24) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the women’s section, with club president Paddy Noonan welcoming them to the club’s new headquarters at St Assam’s church. Development of the project is continuing with securing the roof well underway, as Dick Hooper, former Irish marathon champion and club coach, explained. In 1971, when I joined, the club had forty-five members. Now we have 868 and only last summer we closed the deal on this building. Looking around this room, it is apt to say that we are standing on the shoulders of giants.’ 

FIGHTING FOURTH AND IRISH RECORD FOR UCD’S MCPHILLIPS Cian McPhilips from Longford , a maths student at UCD since 2021, set a new Irish record of 1:42.15 when finishing just outside the medals in the men’s 800m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Saturday (September 20). McPhillips, who had already broken the Irish record two days earlier when winning his semi-final with a time of 1:43.18, moved from eighth place to fourth in the chase for the line. Other notable performances from members of UCD AC in Tokyo came from Nicola Tuthill who threw 70.70 to qualify for the women’s hammer final where she finished 11th and Sarah Healy who made the women’s 1500m final where she finished a fighting tenth in 3:59.14.. CLOSE TO 6,000 AT DUBLIN HALF MARATHON Clare athlete Jake O’Regan from the St John’s club led home close to 6,000 finishers at the Irish Life Half Marathon in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, on Sunday (September 21). O’Regan’s time of 67 minutes 19 seconds put him over a minute clear of the chasers led by Gavin Curtin of local club Donore Harriers who finished in 68:33. Third in 69:47 was David Glynn (Waterford AC). Eoin Hinchy (Brothers Pearse AC) was fourth and first M40 in 71:57. A large group from the Belfast-based Road Runners club had travelled for the race, with Caitlyn Harvey finishing first woman in 78.44. Harvey is a ‘regular’ in the Irish Life Series and finished second in the Frank Duffy ’10-Mile last month, a race she had won a year earlier. Finishing second woman was Maebh Brannigan (Galway City Harriers) in 78:57 while third and first Dublin athlete was Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC). She finished in 81:30 and was also first W40. In the age categories, Mick McMahon (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M45 followed by Nigel Roy (Skerries AC) in third place. Alan Fairbrother (Brothers Pearse was first M55; Donal Murphy (Rathfarnham WSAF) first M65, and Tony Kynes (Donore Harriers) first M70 with David Byrne (Raheny Shamrock) second. Of the women, Sinead Ward (Dundrum South Dublin) was first W45, with Katherine Duff (Blackrock AC) second. Bernadette Bruen (Raheny Shamrock) was third W50 , while in the W55 age group, Jacqui Swan (Artane Beaumont RC) was second W55, and Carol Cunningham (Love2Run) third. In the W70 age group, Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock AC) was the winner and Colette Shannon (Ballymun AC) second. THREE BREAK FOUR MINTES AT GRIFFITH AVENUE MILE For the first time in recent memory, the top three at the Griffith Avenue Mile in Marino, Dublin on Sunday afternoon (September 21) all broke the four minute barrier. In perfect conditions for the race, Cormac Dalton (DCU ), Philip Marron (Dublin City Harriers) and American visitor John Paul Benner, who finished first, second and third, were all given a time of 3 minutes 59 seconds. Fourth in 4:06 was Fintan Kerins (Clonliffe Harriers). First woman in 4:32 was Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC). Mary Horgan (UCD AC) was second in 4:35. First under 17 was Drew Donoghue (Crusaders AC) in 4:17. Age group winners included Lea Fulcher (Plant Based AC) first M50, Rachel Murphy (Plant Based AC) first W40 and Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers) first W70. CORPORATE WIN FOR MCILHINNEY Eoin McElhinney (A&L Goodbody) won the A&L Goodbody 5km Corporate Team Challenge, at City Quay, Dublin on Tuesday (September 16). Chasing him hard was Fintan Kerins (Arthur Cox) with the pair given times of 15:27 and 15:28. First woman was Aedín Corr (St Vincent’s Private Hospital) in 17:48. The run was dominated by teams from Ireland’s financial and legal sectors. DUBS AT BERLIN MARATHON Michael Barry (Raheny Shamrock AC) was first Irishman home at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday (September 21) finishing in a time of a. Time of 2 hrs 20 mins 30 secs. Other Dublin club athletes in action included Kieran Regan (Brothers Pearse, M35) 2:32.33, Michael O’Connor (Blackrock AC, M40) 2:43.04, Daniel O’Sullivan (Dundrum South Dublin C):44.19, Alan Kelly (Donore Harriers, M45) 2:47.39, Daragh Keegan (Donore Harriers) 2:48.40 and Maurice McDermott (Lusk AC, M40) 2:48.43. Pictures courtesy Lusk AC and Crusaders AC Facebook sites.

DOUBLE FOR TEAM RAHENY AT RATOATH Representatives of almost every running club in Dublin headed to Fairyhouse Racecourse in Co Meath on Saturday (September 13) for the increasingly popular Ratoath Half Marathon. Dublin clubs dominated the team categories with Raheny Shamrock winning both the men and women’s categories, while Clonliffe Harriers finished second of the men and Crusaders AC second of the women. Dublin athletes filled all five places from seventh to 11th with David Power (Rathfarnham WSAF) seventh and third M40 in in 72.54, followed by Mark Cassidy (Brothers Pearse) 74:00, Anthony Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) 74:28, Anthony Reilly (Civil Service Harriers) 74.30 and Karol David Cronin (Sportsworld AC) 74:48. All were in the over 40 category. First woman was Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock W40) in 80:31. Kathryn Gibbons (Crusaders AC) was third in 85:42. In the over 50 age group, Ruben Bartelink (Dundrum South Dublin AC) won the men’s prize. In the women’s category, the winner Mary Walsh (Raheny Shamrock AC) wasfollowed home by Freda O’Mara (Portmarnock AC) and Caroline Murphy (Brothers Pearse AC) for a Dublin clean sweep. Also on Saturday, mountain running specialist Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was a comfortable winner of the The Lakes 10km in Blessington, Co Wicklow with a time of 31 mins 8 secs. Next up for Mooney is the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain, starting on September 25. Finishing fourth and second M40 was Graham Ahearne (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 34:06. First W50 was Carmel Brennan (Blackrock AC) in 52:54. A day later, at the Charleville International Half Marathon, Co Cork on Sunday (September 14) , John Travers finished third man in 67:12, with his Donore Harriers clubmate Kane Collins sixth in 69:45. Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) finished eighth and first M40 in 71:15.. One place behind and second M40 was Alexey Marchenko (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) in 71:52. Finishing third woman in 79:22 was Alex Murphy (UCD AC). The race was the final round of this year’s Peugeot Series. At the Eamon Harvey Donegal 10km, also on Sunday, Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) finished second in 32.38. Two days earlier ,on Friday evening, Kelly had finished fourth at the Dromiskin 5km in Co Louth in 14:54 where Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) finished fifth in 15:36. Winner of the second round of the Clane 4-Mile Series in Donadea Forest, Co Kildare, on Friday evening (September 12) was Kieran Little (Blackrock AC) in 20 mins 46 secs. Enda Clarke (Crusaders AC) was second M40 in 22:27m, with his clubmate Donatas Jocius just one place behind in 22:25. * Ireland’s oldest road race, the Clonliffe 2-Mile, take place for a 134th time on Sunday October 5 (10.30am) in Glasnevin. The race is organised by Clonliffe Harriers and generously sponsored by the Kavanagh family of John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’ pub of Glasnevin. Info www.clonliffeharriersac.com SMYTH BACK ON TRACK! Making a welcome comeback to racing at the Stratford Speed Grand Prix in London on Sunday (September 14) was Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC). In the first round of 100m races, Smyth won his heat (one of thirty-one!) in 10.64 secs. In the second round of races, he finished third in a slower time of 10.69. Also racing was Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) who clocked a time of 10.67 in his heat. WEST DUBLIN SCHOOLS SIGN UP FOR NEW-LOOK ATHLETICS LEAGUE Thanks to generous sponsorships from legal firm Mason Hayes Curran, schools from west Dublin have signed up for the first ever Donore Harriers Schools Athletics League this winter season. First round, a cross-country, will take place at Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin on Tuesday September 30 (1pm). Races will take place for boys and girls in minor, junior and inter age groups. The minors will run one lap of the mostly flat kilometre course and the juniors and inter students two laps, with the first six from each school to score for their team. Medals will go to the top three in each race. ‘The purpose of the league is to introduce young people to athletics who may not otherwise be found to the sport,’ says organiser Gerry Naughton, club development officer with the Donore Harriers club in Chapelizod. Donore, one of the oldest clubs in Ireland, attracts members from Ballyfermot, Crumlin, Drimnagh, Cabra, Castleknock and Palmerstown as well as from inner city areas such as the Liberties and Stoneybatter. So far, thirteen schools have signed up for the league, with two further rounds scheduled — a road relay race on November 5 at John Paul II Park in Cabra and a track and field meet at the Donore Harriers 300m track to be split between two dates — March 5 and 12. The league is supported by the Dublin City Sports and Wellbeing Partnership. After the three rounds of the league are complete, the top girls school will be presented with the Ann Woodlock Trophy and the top boys school with the Cyril White Trophy. Both Woodlock, a world masters athletics champion from Walkinstown, and the late great race starter Cyril White are longtime Donore Harriers stalwarts. Further information, Gerry Naughton 086 562390; mhcdh.schoolsleague@gmail.com 

ROONEY LEADS CLONLIFFE TO TEAM VICTORY IN LUCAN 5-MILE Not only did Colm Rooney win the Lucan 5-Mile in some style on Sunday morning (September 7) , he led Clonliffe Harriers to a comprehensive victory in both the open and the Dublin Championships team categories. Rooney, also first M40, finished almost a minute clear of the chasers in 24 mins 9 secs. Second in 25:07 was Robert Murphy (Donore Harriers, M40), while third in 25:14 was local athlete Dylan Wright (Lucan Harriers) in 25.14. With Sean O’Leary fifth, Stephen Cashin sixth and Cathal McHale seventh, Clonliffe were clear winners of the Dublin Championships team title. Donore Harriers were second and Lucan Harriers third with eleven teams entered. Those three teams also finished in that order in the open team category where only the top three finishers counted. First woman in 29:15 was Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers), who was followed home by Orna Dignam, second and first W40 in 30:54. In third place with a time of 30:57 was Alicja Kowalszyk, who was leading the home club Lucan Harriers to team victory in the Dublin Championships, ahead of Civil Service Harriers and and Love2Run AC. In the open team category, Lucan was also first with Rathfarnham WSAF AC second and Civil Service Harriers third. Age category winners, outside the top three men and women, in the Dublin Championships were Orla Gordan (Liffey Valley AC) W35, Gemma Treacy (Civil Service AC) W45, Breda Smyth (Lucan Harriers) W50, Laura Cunningham (Love2Run AC) W55, Margaret O’Freil (Liffey Valley AC) W60 , Catherine Dunne (Lucan Harriers) W65, Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers) W70, Cathal McHale (Clonliffe Harriers) M35, Wesley Nolan (Metro St Brigid’s AC) M45, Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M50, Gerry Dore (Tallaght AC) M55, Sean Ryan (Civil Service Harriers) M60, Sean Doyle (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M65 and Vincent O’Neill (Civil Service Harriers) M70. Junior winners were Pearl Clarke and Bobby Laycock. In the age-group team categories, Brothers Pearse won the Dublin men’s over 35 title from Civil Service Harriers and Lucan Harriers. Best of the women’s over 35 teams was Liffey Valley, ahead of Civil Service Harriers and Love2Run AC. In the over 50 age group, the winners were the Dublin Front Runners women and the Balbriggan and District AC men. Over 700 had signed up for the race, while a further 150 underage runners turned out for the children’s races held earlier in the morning. DUBLIN DOUBLE AT NEWBRIDGE 5KM Josh O’Sullivan Hourihan (Donore Harriers) was the winner of the Newbridge 5km in Co Kildare, on Saturday (September 6) in 15 mins 5 secs. Lex Murphy (UCD AC) was first woman in 17:25, with Louise Gaffney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) second in 18:02. In Kerry, Robert Switzer (Brothers Pearse) finished fourth of 733 finishers with a time of 2 hrs 43 mins 57 secs at the Dingle Marathon. Finishing first woman in the Dingle half marathon was Lisa Madden (Sportsworld AC) n in 84 mins 58 secs. Her clubmate Gareth Murran finished tenth and first M40 in 81:39 REMEMBERING JOE COOPER Clonliffe members and their friends turned out in force for the inaugural Joe Cooper Memorial Night of Miles at the Morton Stadium, Santry on Thursday (September 4). Five races were held, with Sean Doran’s winning time of 4 mins 28 secs in the opening race proving the fastest of the night. Second in 4:33 was Sean Carrig while third was Stephen Cashin in 4:34. In the second race, Alannah Cooley clocked 5:50 for the fastest women’s time of the evening. Overall winner of the race in 4:46 was master athlete Colm Rooney. Winner of the third race in 5:21 was junior athlete Jack Quinn in 5:21. First woman was Rachel McFadden in 5:28. Katie Halpin beat all the men to win the fourth race in a time of 5:50, with David Dineen second and first man. Finally, in the fifth race, Kieran Murphy came home first in 6:16, with Siobhan McCarthy second and comeback kid Jeremy Chapman third. The race was also round 11 of the annual Grand Prix Series, with the Joe Cooper Memorial Trophy presented to Dave Connolly by Joe’s wife Gladys. * The late and much lamented Joe Cooper was Clonliffe club captain for eighteen years. He had stewarded the club to eleven inter-club cross-country titles and ten track and field league titles before his untimely death in December 2020. Members of the Cooper family based in the USA, Wexford and Cavan travelled to Dublin specially for this event. BRONZE FOR LOUISE Louise King (Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished third in the women’s heptathlon at the Home Nations Combined Events Championships, held at Mary Peters Track, Belfast over the weekend. In his debut international athletics competition, former Irish basketball international, Lorcan Murphy, also from the Dundrum South Dublin club, finished fourth overall, with his best points coming in the 100m where he clocked 10.71 - the fastest time of the competition. He was also first in the high jump soaring over the bar at 1.96m.

100M MAN OLATUNDE BACK IN FORM Track highlight of the weekend was a new national 100m record of 10.08 secs from Israel Olatunde (Tallaght AC) set at the Lee Valley track in London on Saturday (August 30). Olatunde was running at the Be Fast Today Track Academy sprint series and, in the first round of races, had run a time of 10.27 secs - a nice warm-up for his second round race, when he not only blazed his way to the finish runner-up behind Eugene Amo-Dadzie of the Woodford Green club who clocked a 9.87 secs personal best, putting him among the top three British sprinters ever. All times, helped by a favourable +2.0 following wind, are subject to ratification. Olatunde’s previous best was 10.12 sec, set last year, also in London. He set his first Irish 100m record of 10.17 secs in 2022 when he made the final at the European Championships. Now based in Florida, USA, where his training grooup includes Olympic champion Noah Lyons, Olatunde has struggled with injury this season and withdrew from the 100m final at the National Championships last month. At the Danish Team Championships in Koge on Saturday, Niamh Fogarty of Raheny Shamrock, competing for Hvidovre Atletic and Motion won the women’s shot with a 14.10 effort. Fogarty won both discus and shot titles at the Irish Championships last month, as well as setting an Irish discus record earlier in the season. On Thursday evening, in a dramatic women’s 1500m at the final Diamond League round in Zurich, Switzerland, Sarah Healy (UCD AC) finished eighth in a time of 3:59.90. Race winner was Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir who pipped Jessica Hull of Australia on the line. It meant that Chepchirir overtook Healy at the top of the women’s 1500m rankings giving her the Diamond League trophy and a cheque for $30,000. MASTERS TAKE OVER DSD TRACK A great day was had by all at the inaugural DSD Masters League Da at the Tibradden Road track in Dublin. Despite tough opposition from twelve other teams, the host club took the spoils, picking up points in all eleven events on offer - 100m, 200m, 800m,1500, walk, shot, discus, high jump, long jump, and mixed 4x100 and 4 x400 relays, with the top eight results to score. Points were awarded not just on finishing places but also on age groups and while DSD ended up comfortably head on 116 points, St Laurence O’Toole AC from Carlow weren’t that behind on 104 while the battle for third place changed at least team teams before Clonliffe Harriers edged ahead on 90 points. Galway County on 87 points and Tullamore Harriers on 82 points finished fourth and fifth. A Dublin County team finished sixth with Lucan Harriers, DSD’s second team and Rathfarnham WSAF in the next three places. Also in action were teams from Enniscorthy AC, St Coca’s in Kildare and Louth County. DUBLIN ATHLETES TO TAKE ON WORLD Congrats to all Dublin club athletes selected for the World Athletics Championships, starting in Tokyo on Saturday August 13 - Sarah Healy 1500m, Nicola Tuthill hammer, Cian McPhillips 800m and Michele Duggan 4x400m (UCD AC); ; Brian Fay 5000m, Eric Favors shot put and Sophie Becker 4x400m (Raheny Shamrock AC); Hiko Tonosa marathon and also Ciaran Carthy 4x400m non-travelling reserve (DSD AC); Cathal Doyle 1500m (Clonliffe Harriers) and Jack Raftery 4x400m (Donore Harriers). ROADS - HAT-TRICK OF TITLES FOR LIFFEY VALLEY Matthew Keane (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) finished third and first M40 in a time of 70 mins 48 secs at the Tullamore Half Marathon, which incorporated both Irish and Leinster Championships and was held on Saturday (August 30). Finishing third woman and second W45 was Noreen Brouder (Sportsworld AC) in 81.43. Fourth and second in the senior category was Sarah Grace Breen (Crusaders AC) in 81:43. Other Dublin club members taking national championship medals were Tara Kennedy (Raheny Shamrock, 2nd W50; Anne Whelan (Lucan Harriers) 3rd W60; Grainne Grennan (Blackrock AC) 2nd W65, Joan McTernan (Donore Harriers) 3rd W65; Des Tremble (Donore Harriers ) 2nd M55; Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) 1st M60, Gerry Boyle (Rathfarnham WSAF) 2nd M60 and Ronan Ward (Civil Service Harriers) 2nd M70. In the team categories, Liffey Valley took a trio of title — the open category for teams of four, plus national and Leinster titles for teams of three. Making up the team were Mollie O’Donnell, Ciara Broderick Farrell, Cliodhna Tutty Bardon and Jennifer Preston Raheny Shamrock, led by Graham O’Dwyer finished third in the men’s open category and sixth in the national championships. In the age groups, Donore Harriers’ trio of Darragh Keogh, Alan Kenny and Des Tremble won the M35 national team title. Blackrock AC, led by Brian Lenihan, was third. Raheny Shamrock AC was second in the M50 category and Lucan Harriers second W50. At the Greenway Half Marathon from Kilmacthomas to Ballinroad, in Co Waterford, also on Saturday, David Power (Rathfarnham WSAFAC0 finished first M40 in 75:56. His clubmate Denis Daly was fourth M44, while Paul Mac Gabhann (Sportsworld) was first M60. Winning the Oylegate 10km in Co Wexford on Sunday (August 31) with a time of in 33 mins 5 sexcs was Colm Turner (Brothers Pearse AC)1 Sean Doran (Harrier Products/Clonliffe Harriers) was the runaway winner of the BMS BHAA 5k, held on the cross-country track at Abbotstown, on Wednesday evening (August 27). Doran’s time of 16mins 30 secs put him well clear of Paul Fleming (Ornua /Rathfarnham WSAF AC, M50) who finished in 18:07. Third in 18:21 was Ian Comerford (ESB). First woman was Caoimhe Kilroy (Teachers/Metro St Brigid’s AC) in 20.10. Emily Kane was second in 20:31 and Monica Holmes third in 20.57. First home for host club Bristol Myers Squibb was Mark Graham in seventh place. The race was the final round of the BHAA Summer League. After the thirteenth and final round of the annual Lord Mayor of Raheny 2-Mile Series, on Tuesday evening (August 27) , Giovanne Salvatore and Zoe Quinn were declared champions. For Quinn, it was a fourth win in the series. Finishing second woman was Ciara Brady, while second of the men was juvenile athlete, James Smyth. MOUNTAIN TITLE FOR CONROY Finishing first M40 in the uphill race at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships, in Meduno, Italy on Friday was Ian Conroy of Raheny Shamrock AC. His time for the 5km with over 800m of climb was 34 mins 50 secs. . Friday August 29-Sunday August 31 Mountains: World Masters Mountain Running Championships, Meduno, Italy. Uphill (5km, +800m climb), long distance (34km, 1850m climb); classic (14km, 735m climb). www.meduno2025wmmrc.org/ RAHENY SHOT PUT CLASSIC - ‘STREETS’ STYLE! Shot putters of all ages are invited to the inaugural Raheny Shamrock Streets Shot Classic in Rectory Park on Saturday September 6 (1pm). Entry is just €5 adults and €2 juveniles; registration is in Raheny Shamrock’s clubhouse at St Assam’s Church, Howth Road, D05 T8N8. Further details www.rahenyshamrock.ie .