Dublin Clubs roundup, 08 - 09 February 2025

INDOORS - AWAY 

Dublin track performance of the week came from Sarah Healy of UCD AC who not only finished a fighting third in the women’s 3000m at the Millrose Games in New York on Saturday (February 8), but also knocked five seconds off the Irish indoor record she had set a week earlier when finishing in a superb time of 8 mins 30.79 secs. In Germany a day earlier, Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers) improved his best to 3 mins 37.58 secs when finishing fourth in the 1500m at the INIT Meeting in Karlsruhe, while in Ostrava, Czechia, on Tuesday evening (February 4), Jodie McCann of DCH finished ninth in the women’s 3000m in a personal best 8:55.71. All three are expected to compete in the National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown on February 22 - 23, when places on the Irish team for the European Indoors and World Indoors are at stake.

INDOORS - HOME 

Clonliffe Harriers were declared winners of the men’s National Indoor League title after the second of two rounds took place in Athlone on Saturday (February 8) on the date originally fixed for the final. No final was possible this year after the second round was cancelled because of Storm Eowyn. For Clonliffe, who had to battle hard for the title with Dundrum South Dublin, consistency over the two rounds paid off. On Saturday, Niall Allen won the weight, Sean Cronin was second in the 3000m, Rolus Olusa was third in both the pole vault and hurdles, Craig Duffy third in the 200m, Sean Carrigg fifth in the 800m, Eamon Fahey sixth in the triple jump while the the relay team finished fourth. That proved enough. Of the other Dublin clubs in the men’s competition, Raheny Shamrock finished sixth and Donore Harriers 12th. An impressive double winner of the 800m and 3000m was Juan Ignacio Pena for Raheny.

DSD also finished second in the women’s competition where Ratoath AC were the winners. Clonliffe Harriers finished fifth, with Raheny Shamrock 10th and Donore Harriers 12th. Highlight of the competition was a thrilling women’s triple jump where Daphni Doulapssi Teeuwen (Raheny Shamrock) was the winner with her 12.22 effort putting her just two centimetres clear of many times Irish champion Saragh Buggy (St Abban’s AC). Colm Burke made it a Raheny triple jump double with a winning leap of 13.77m. 

A number of open races were part of the programme and in the men’s open 60m, Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) clocked a time of 6.80 secs for second place, while Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC), still aged only nineteen, was third in 6.88. Aigboboh ran a faster time of 6.86 secs in a second race, when he also finishing second. Lawler proved the class of the field in the 200m, winning in an personal best 20.80 secs, which puts him top of the national indoor rankings. Junior athlete Donal Martin (Blackrock AC) was second in 21.79. Kate Nurse (UCD AC) won the women’s open 800m in 2:16.57 and her clubmate Molly Hourihan the open 400m in 56.39

CROSS-COUNTRY 

 At the at the All Ireland Masters Cross-Country Championships in Westport, Co Mayo on Sunday (February 9), Dublin champion Colm Rooney was not only a clear winner of the men’s 7km race but also led Clonliffe Harriers to team victory. Making up the team were Sergiu Ciobanu 7th, Cathal McHale 14th and Karl Nolan 16th. On a good day for Dublin clubs, Rathfarnham WSAF finished second with a team made up of Mark Ryan 5th and first M45, Mathew Kane 8th, Louis McCarthy 15th and David Power 21st.

In the over 65 4km race, Liam Lenehan of Sportsworld AC was the overall winner, with Tom Cuddy of Rathfarnham WSAF second. Rathfarnham WSAF proved best of the teams with Cuddy backed up by Donal Murphy 12th and John McHugh 13th. Dublin won the county title. In the women’s 4km race, Raheny Shamrock won team title and helped Dublin to county team victory. Leading Raheny home in third place was Kate Purcell, followed closely by Dublin champion Fiona Roche in fourth place. Annette Kealy, who was also first W55 was 16th and Zoe Quinn 36th. Sportsworld, led by Noreen Brouder in 12th place beat Galway City Harriers by just two points for second place. Making up the team were Aoife O’Leary 22nd Lorna Quinn 23rd and Crona Clohisey 46th. Dublin won the county team title with Purcell, Roche, Brouder and Caoimhe Kilroy of Metro St Brigid’s AC the counting four. In the over 50 team category, RathfarnhamWSAF finished fourth with Dublin runners-up behind Clare in the county category. In all, that Dublin won three of the four county team titles on offer.

Also taking place were national intermediate races, and in the women’s 5km race Clonliffe Harriers had four finishers in the top nine. Helena Butterly was the winner, Niamh Kelly second, Jools Hughes fifth and Julie Larkin ninth, making Clonliffe clear winners of the team title and also ensuring county victory for Dublin. Liffey Valley packed well to finish second team with Siobhan Nugent 8th, Ciara Broderick Farrell 10th, Cliodhna Tutty Bardon 11th and Mollie O’Donnell 14th. In a Dublin clean sweep, Sportsworld finished third, led by Elaine Kennedy in seventh place. Just four teams competed. In the the men’s 8km race, Ben Guiden of Clonliffe Harriers in sixth place was best of the Dublin athletes with his clubmate Sean Doran 9th, Christopher McLoughlin of Dublin City Harriers 13th and Cian Charlton of Raheny Shamrock 16th. Clonliffe finished runners-up in the team category, with Liffey Valley fourth and Raheny Shamrock fifth of the six teams entered.

MEET AND TRAIN 

Lisa Gaughran of Dundrum South Dublin AC made it a second win in the series at the third round of the Women’s Meet and Train Winter League hosted by Dublin Front Runners on a new course at the Marino Institute of Education in Dublin on Sunday (February 9). Gaughran finished the 3km course in 12 mins 45 secs with her clubmate Ruth Wilson just two seconds adrift for second place. Third in 13:13 was Sophie McGovern of Brothers Pearse. For fourth place, Dee Lyons of host club DFR held off DSD’s Jane Leonard for fourth place with the pair both given a time of 13:25. New to the event — and to cross-country! — was a team from Sanctuary Runners. The final round of the league take place at the National Cross-Country Course in Abbotstown on Sunday March 2 (11am). More pictures are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/.

ULTRA 

Donore Harriers had a good day out at the Donadea 50km in Co Kildare, with Wayne Waldron the race winner in 3 hrs 1 min 50 secs and Ian Fitzgerald third in 3:08.21. Anthony Brady (Coolock RC) finished eighth in 3:22.08, Derek O’Brien (Lusk AC) 19th in 3:39.17 , Trevor Lehane (Clondalkin Flyers) 20th in 3:42.18 andDerek Boland (Crusaders AC) 21st in 3:44.27. First W50 in 4:27.44 was Olwyn Dunne (Crusaders) while first W60 was Grainne Grennan (Blackrock AC) in 4:31.05. The race incorporated the National Championships.

ROADS 

At the Rathcoffey GAA 10km in Co Kildare on Saturday (February 8) Declan Power (Clonliffe Harriers) was first M50 in 34:16 and Mick Carolan (Brothers Pearse AC) first M70 in 47:44. Winning the associated 5km was Daragh Keegan (Donore Harriers) in 16:28.