World Athletics Championships, Tokyo '25 - Irish team and schedule

2025-09-06T17:28:00.004+01:00

World Track and Field Championships, Tokyo, Japan, 13-21 September 2025
Irish team:
Women -
400m (48; 50.75) 34 Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) 50.71 (Aug ’24); Sophie Becker (Raheny ShamrockAC)
1500m (56; 4:01.50) 15 Sarah Healy (UCD AC) 3:57.15; 30 Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) 4:00.23 (Aug 24); Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC)
100m hurdles (40; 12.73); 23 Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) 12.69 (Aug 24)
Hammer (36; 74.0m) 22 Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC)
Marathon (100; 2:23.30) 45 Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC)
Heptathlon (24; 6500 points) 13 Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard’s AC)
Men -
800m (56; 1:44.50) 16 Mark English (Finn Valley C) 1:43.37; 41 Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) 1:44.19.
1500m (56; 3:33.00) - 34 Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 3:32.15; 42 Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) 3:32.84
5000m (42; 13:01.00) 36 Andrew Coscoran Star of the Sea AC) 40 Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) ; 42 Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC)
10,000m: Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers AC)
Shot (36; 21.50) 33 Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock AC)
Marathon (100; 2:06.30) 48 Hiko Tonosa Haso (Dundrum South Dublin) ; 67 Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers)
20km Walk (50; 1:19.20) 47 David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley)
35km Walk (50; 2:28.00); 33 Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers)

Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) Mixed 4x400m

Relays:
Women’s 4x400 (16) 12 Ireland: Mawdsley, Becker, Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Cliodhna Manning (Kilkenny City Harriers) , Michele Duggan (UCD AC),Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn AC)
Mixed 4x300 (16) 4 Ireland (Mawdsley, Becker, Rachel McCann (North Down AC). Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers), Conor Kelly (Finn Valley AC); Cillín Greene (Galway City Harriers)
Relays - Non-Travelling reserves: Erin Friel (Letterkenny AC), Ciaran Carty (Dundrum South Dublin AC)

World Athletics Championships: Who's likely to make the team?

2025-08-13T14:29:00.001+01:00

Just a few days remain for athletes to qualify for the World Athletics Championships next month from Saturday September 13 to Sunday September 21. The cut-off period is Monday, August 25.

So how is the Irish team shaping up?

Two big questions: where is Sophie O’Sullivan? And is Rhasidat Adeleke injured?

Current qualifiers:

Women -

200m (48 places; 22.57 qualifying time) 20 Rhasidat Adeleke (Tallaght AC) 22.52

400m (48; 50.75) 7 Adeleke 49.48 (Aug ’24); 34 Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) 50.71 (Aug ’24)

1500m (56; 4:01.50) 15. Sarah Healy (UCD AC) 3:57.15; 30 Sophie O’Sullivan (Ballymore Cobh AC) 4:00.23 (Aug ‘24); 53 Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers)

100m hurdles (40; 12.73); 23 Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC) 12.69 (Aug 24)

Hammer (36; 74.0m) 22 Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC)

Marathon (100; 2:23.30) 45 Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC)

Heptathlon (24; 6500 points) 13 Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St Gerard's AC)

Men -

800m (56; 1:44.50) 15 Mark English (Finn Valley AC) 1:43.37; 38 Cian McPhillips (UCD AC) 1:44.19.

1500m (56; 3:33.00) 34 Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 3:32.15; 42 Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) 3:32.84

5000m (42; 13:01.00) 36 Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) ; 40 Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC); 42 Darragh McElhinney

Shot (36; 21.50) 33 Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock AC)

Marathon (100; 2:06.30) 48 Hiko Tonosa Haso (Dundrum South Dublin AC) ; 67 Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers)

20km Walk (50; 1:19.20) 47 David Kenny (Farranfore Maine Valley AC)

35km Walk (50; 2:28.00); 33 Oisin Lane (Mullingar Harriers)

Relays:

Women’s 4x400 (16 teams) 12 Ireland

Mixed 4x300 (16 teams) 4 Ireland

Euro U23 Championships:full Irish results

2025-07-21T10:15:00.002+01:00

At the European U23 Track and Field Championships, in Bergen, Norway, Ireland took five medals in total, two of them going to American-born Annika Thompson of Leevale AC, whose mother comes from Cork.

On the second day of competition, Thompson won the women’s 10,00m in a national U23 record time of 32:32.47. Two days later, on the final day of the championships, Thompson finished third in the 5000m in 15:56.80.

Ireland’s other track medals went to Nick Griggs (CNDR AC) second in the men’s 5000m with a time of 13:45.80, and to Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC), third in the women’s 1500m in 4:09.54 on the final day of competition.

Ireland’s fifth medal, a silver, went to hammer thrower Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) — a first throws medal ever for Ireland at this level. Not a bad haul at all!

FULL RESULTS:

Thursday July 17- Sunday July 20

European U23 T-F Championships, Bergen, Norway - team of 36.

Women -

100m: R1, H2, 3 Lucy-May Sleeman (Leevale AC)11.57; SF2, 8 Sleeman 11.77

800m:R1, H2, 3 Maeve O'Neill (Doheny AC) 2:02.66 (PB); dnq; very close. R1, H3, 7 Emma Moore (Galway City Harriers) 2:05.32.

1500m: Rd1, H1, 9 Cara Laverty (Finn Valley AC) 4:23.66, R1, H2, 3 Eimear Maher (DSD AC) 4:14.84 Q (7th fastest), Final - 3 Maher 4:09.54 BRONZE

5000m: 3 Anika Thompson (Leevale AC) 15:56.80 BRONZE; Ava O'Connor (Tullamore Harriers) dns.

10,000m: 1 Anika Thompson (Leevale AC) 32:31.47 (NU23R) GOLD; 19 Heather Murphy (St Michael’s Portarlington) 35:07.29.

3000m Steeplechase: Rd1, H1, 11 Alexandra Joyce (Tuam AC)10:20.06; R1, H2, 2 Ava O’Connor 10:02.95 Q (Tullamore Harriers), 11 Ailish Hawkins (DCH AC) 10:44.45. Final: 8 O’Connor 9:54.35.

High Jump: QualGp B: 8 Aoife O'Sullivan (Liscarroll AC) 1.77

Discus Throw: QualA 5 Anna Gavigan (LSA AC; PB 54.20) 51.34 q; final 8th, 51.16.??

Hammer Throw: Qual A: 1 Nicola Tuthill (UCD AC) 71.33. final 2 Tuthill 33 70.90 SILVER

4x400m Relay: Rd1, H1, 6 Ireland 3:34.81.From: Emma Moore, Victoria Amiadamen (Dooneen AC), Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers) Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn AC) , Aoife Heron (Bandon AC),

Men:

100m: R1, H4, 3 Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) 10.58 Q; SF 2,dns

200m: R1, H3 5 Andrew Egan (Galway City Harriers) 21.77.

1500m: R1, H2, 5 Lughaidh Mallon (UCD AC) 3:46.73

5000m: 2 Nick Griggs (CNDR TC) 13:45.80 SILVER; 10 Callum Morgan (CNDR TC) 13:53.18; Abdel Laadjel (Donore Harriers) dns.

10,000m: 8 Abdel Laadjel (Donore Harriers) 29:14.65; 20 Niall Murphy (Ennis TC) 30:24.00

10,000m Walk: 25 Matthew Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) 44:47.96; 26 Jake O'Brien (Moy Valley) 45:30.46 (PB)

110m Hurdles: R1, H4, 6 Adam Nolan (StLOT) 14.16

400m Hurdles: R1, h2, 7 Fintan Dewhirst 56.24 (Tir Chonaill AC)

4x100m Relay: R1, H2, 5 Ireland 39.83. From: Sean Aigboboh, Craig Duffy (Clonliffe Harriers) , Max O'Reilly (Riverstick Kinsale AC), Darragh Murphy (UCD AC) , Emmanuel Akinrolie (Titans AC)

4x400m Relay: R1, H1. 5 Ireland 3:06.65 q . Final: 5 Ireland 3:06.91. From:Andrew Egan, Callum Baird (Ballymena and Atrim) , Joe Doody (UCD AC) , Adam Courtney (Ballymena and Antrim) , David Mannion (South Galway), Fintan Dewhirst (Tir Chonaill AC)

CONSTRUCTION WORKS: What are your rights as a neighbour?

2025-07-16T17:37:00.004+01:00

Look at any official documents relating to noise pollution and you will find plenty of mentions for environmental noise relating to traffic, airports and construction. Indeed, In 2011 the European Regional Office of the World Health Organisation published a document entitled ‘Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise’, pointing to the overwhelming evidence that exposure to environmental noise is bad for the health. Local authorities agree and in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Noise Action Plan 2018-2023, you will read:
‘Noise disturbance can contribute greatly to diminishing people’s quality of life. Unwanted sound (noise) of sufficient intensity and duration can cause temporary and/or permanent hearing loss. It can also interfere with speech communication, the transmission of other auditory signals, can disturb sleep and can act as a general source of annoyance or disturbance and interfere with the performance of complicated tasks and the opportunity for privacy'. Although traffic is considered the main source of noise, this document points out that people are exposed ‘to many various forms of noise from different sources’. Apart from traffic, noise can come from construction and industry, social and leisure activities (neighbours, bars restaurants) outdoors, and from ventilation systems, office machines, home appliances and neighbours indoors.
Directives have come from the European Commission to ‘identify a common approach aimed at avoiding, preventing or reducing the negative and harmful effects of exposure to environmental noise’. However, the directive does not apply to noise in the workplace or to noise caused by domestic activities or neighbours.
In Ireland, under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992, the relevant Minister has powers ‘to regulate noise that may give rise to a nuisance or be harmful to health or property’. That includes making an order ‘requiring that the person or body responsible for the noise takes steps to eliminate or ameliorate the noise in question’ at District Court level.
Environmental noise is considered under the Guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development and recognised as damaging ‘the quality of life which residents and visitors are entitled to expect’. Current Irish building regulations call for certain constructions to offer ‘reasonable resistance’ to the transmission of sound between adjoining residential dwellings, such as apartment blocks, or semi-detached properties.
So the problem facing those living in terraces and semi-detached houses are considered, if only in passing. No-where is the invasion of privacy and noise pollution caused by extensive ‘renovations’ to houses in long-established residential areas considered.

People living in such areas might well wonder whether they have any rights at all when a planning permission application makes its appearance on the site of a neighbouring house. They do have some rights: after a planning application is received, submissions or what are called ‘observations’ are accepted for up to five weeks afterwards. These the planner will assess along with the application before making a recommendation to grant or refuse permission.
So what can you do?

GET PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

If neighbours are about to start building and have applied for planning permission, here are a few pointers:
- Get a solicitor’s advice particularly on likely damage to the party wall. The Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 contains provisions dealing with party wall matters. It entitles the adjoining owner to have the cost of reasonable professional advice paid for by the party who are proposing to do the works, so you may recoup fees.
- Make a ‘Schedule of Condition’ including a photographic record of the current state of your house and its boundaries before any work begins. This can be used as a reference for the state of the properties if problems arise later on.
- If you feel any aspect of the proposal will affect your property, put in an objection or ‘observation’ for a fee of just €20 to your local council. Too many architects these days seem incapable of coming up with simple and less disruptive improvements when it comes to older houses and your appeal might persuade the owners to re-think their plans. Ask for a 3-D model of the proposed work from the architect or builders — it’s impossible to tell what’s going on from a flat drawing and a small alteration to a design could reduce the impact on your house.
Insist on an exact timetable for the work. Any job going on for more than three months is unacceptable in quiet, residential areas especially when people are working from home.
- Request that no work take place before 8.30am. It’s worth noting that builders aren’t allow work until after 6pm in projects near work places. No such rules apply in areas where people are working from home. Should residents whose working routine is disrupted by such works be compensated financially?
- Asked for regular notification on the project from all contractors concerned, particularly when noisy days — or weeks — are expected.
- Request a full weekend off — ie, no work on Saturdays. If you are planning major works on a house in a long-established residential neighbourhood, here are a few matters worth considering.
1 Is the house semi-detached or part of a terrace? If so, you may own the house, but you are part of a larger building.
2 How long will the works take? Add at least one month to your estimate.
3 Do you ‘know’ your house? Have you lived in it, ideally for at least a year? Is it north facing? Does it have a pitched roof?
4 Is there any point turning a solidly-built three-bedroom semi-D into an open plan A-rated eco house when you could buy one of those ready made for the same price? ?
5 Do your neighbours work from home? Have they got small children? Are they elderly?
6 Can you provide a 3-D plan of your proposed works so that neighbours can have a good idea of what to expect and whether it will affect their house, for instance, in matters of light?
7 Are you prepared to live in the house while the construction are going on? If the answer is no, then why should you expect your neighbours to endure the noise, distress and disruption you’re escaping? They have no choice in the matter.
8 If possible, ensure that the design of your renovation is in harmony with neighbouring houses.
9 After consulting the neighbours, draw up a work plan for the contracting firm. Ensure that they keep noise to a minimum (that includes no loud radios or shouting) and inform residents in nearby houses of particularly noisy days, or of days when skips and building materials are arriving since this will affect parking.

AN APPEAL TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES: REGULATE THIS!

If you’re a local authority, perhaps it’s time to examine the entire matter of large-scale and inappropriate ‘renovations’ of established houses in quiet residential areas? These regularly break environmental noise abatement regulations and affect the physical and mental health of residents.
In an ideal world, bye-laws might insist on:
- No work at weekends.
- No work before 8am on weekdays
- No such work to last more than three months
And consider financial compensation for much-put upon neighbours when a ‘job’ goes over three months.PS: Dermot Bannon has a lot to answer for!

Kerry students take top award at Dare to Believe PExpo '25

2025-04-13T14:12:00.003+01:00

Students from CBS The Green, Tralee, in Co Kerry took the top senior award at the 11th annual Dare to Believe PExpo held at the National Indoor Arena, at Abbotstown on Thursday (April 10).
Karl Cronin, and Philip Brosnan’s project on ‘The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People’ also won the top prize in the Well-being, Physical, Mental and Social category as well as a special STEM award.

Winning the overall junior award was Tate Tamkin Beddy of Blackrock College in Co Dublin for a project on ‘How the Loft of a Golf Club affects a Golf Ball’. Beddy’s project also came out tops in the Physical, Psychological and Tactical Demands of Performance.
A Kerry school took a second award in the Olympic Ideals and Values category, where Yvonne Finnegan, Tommy O’Connor, Abbie O’Leary from Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, in Rathmore were the winners for a project on Social and Economic Impact on a Nation Hosting an Olympics’,
Prizes were awarded in eight categories with a further eight special awards.
Taking an impressive three awards was the Loreto school from Balbriggan. Lucy O’Brien, Phoebe Macken, Aoibhinn Malone took a senior award for their study of the impact of sleep on recovery, while Lily Russell, Mya Lynch won the Young Coach Award for a project on burn-out. In the diet and nutrition category, Gemma Curran and Molly O’Toole were the winners for a study of the diet of champions called ‘Plate to Performance’.
Mount Temple and St Joseph’s Portrane won two awards apiece. For Mount Temple, Dylan Leggatte won the Sport for Business award for his ‘AI-powered analysis of water polo match sheet for player use’, while Aoibheann Ryan took a junior award for her examination of taekwon-do for young people.
Winners for St Joseph’s were Doireann McGuinness and Caoimhe Burns, who took the inaugural award for their Personal Physical Activity Programme which is now part of the second year curriculum. Their school-mates Sarah McKeown, Chloe Greene and Molly Carty came out on top for an intriguing study of pink Himalayan salt as a possible key to preventing muscle fatigue,

Delighted to receive the Best New School award was Educate Together Galway with the school submitting a number of projects. Taking the prestigious Peer Award was Katie Carey of St Wolstan’s, in Celbridge, Co Kildare for a study of women and girls in Irish football.

Visitors to Dare to Believe PExpo ’25 included double Olympic boxing champion Kellie Harrington, Olympic Rower, Philip Doyle and Paralympian Orla Comerford. A number of sporting bodies, and businesses related to sport also attended.

Awards -
Overall:
Senior - ‘The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People’, Karl Cronin, Philip Brosnan (CBS The Green, Tralee, Co Kerry).
Junior - ‘How the Loft of a Golf Club affects a Golf Ball’, Tate Tamkin Beddy (Blackrock College, Co Dublin)
Category awards (8):
Physical, Psychological and Tactical Demands of Performance
Junior: How the Loft of a Golf Club affects a Golf Ball’, Tate Tamkin Beddy (Blackrock College, Co Dublin)
Senior: ‘Impact of Sleep and Recovery’, Lucy O’Brien, Phoebe Macken, Aoibhinn Malone (Loreto Balbriggan, Co Dublin)
Power of Sport
Junior: ‘Taekwon-do Kidz’ Aoibheann Ryan (Mount Temple, Dublin)
Senior: ‘Understanding Co-operation Ireland Through Sport’, Emily Whelan Ward (Trinity CS, Ballymun, Dublin)
Well-being, Physical, Mental and Social
Junior: “A nursing home residents health’, Anabella Joseph (Colaiste Muire Crosshaven, Co Cork)
Senior: The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People Karl Cronin, Philip Brosnan, CBS The Green, Tralee
Technology and Media
Junior: ‘E-Sport vs. Physical Sport’, Lucy Nguyen, Mia Murphy, Matipa Mangwende (Donahies CS, Dublin)

Senior: ‘Cúl-Play’, Thaddeus McCarthy (Dunshaughlin Community College, Co Meath)
Nutrition and Diet
Junior: ‘Pink Himalayan Salt: The Key to Muscle Fatigue Prevention?’, Sarah McKeown, Chloe Greene, Molly Carty (St. Joseph's Secondary School Portrane, Co Dublin)
Senior: ‘Plate to performance’, Gemma Curran, Molly O’Toole (Loreto Balbriggan)
Olympic Ideals and Values
Senior: ‘Social and Economic Impacts on a Nation Hosting an Olympics’, Yvonne Finnegan, Tommy O’Connor, Abbie O’Leary (Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, Co Kerry).
Personal Physical Activity Programme (2nd Year CBA) - “Developing a Fitness Strategy with Test-Driven Goals’, Doireann McGuinness, Caoimhe Burns (St. Joseph's Secondary School, Portrane, Co Dublin)
My favourite Olympian (1st years only) - ‘Katie Ledecky’, Cadhla O’Connor (St Wolstan’s,Celbridge, Co Kildare)

Special Awards (9):
Best New School - Galway Educate Together
Best Project in Irish - ‘Demands Pregnancy has on woman's sporting careers’, Aibhe Nic a Bhaird (Gairmscoil Chú Uladh, Donegal)
Women in Sport - ‘Rhythm and Results’, Orla Brennan, Sara Guzovski, Caoimhe Kealy (Presentation,Loughboy Co Kilkenny
Sport for Business - ‘AI-powered analysis of water polo match sheet for player use’,
Dylan Leggatte (Mount Temple, Dublin)
Peer Award - ‘Girls and women's football in Ireland, the past, present and future’, Katie Carey (St Wolstan’s, Celbridge, Co Kildare)
STEM Award - The Benefits of Sports on Neurodivergent People Karl Cronin, Philip Brosnan, CBS The Green, Tralee
Young Coach Award - ‘Burnout without a doubt’, Lilly Russell, Mya Lynch (Loreto, Balbriggan, Co Dublin).
As well as Dare to Believe and the Physical Education Association of Ireland, other supporters of PExpo included Allianz, Sport Ireland, Active Cities, Leave No Trace, Sport for Business, Juand Trinity Comprehensive School.

Note:
PExpo, developed in association with the Physical Education Association of Ireland, was first held in 2015 giving secondary school students the opportunity to show off their knowledge of sport, physical fitness and related topics at an annual exhibition - and to win valuable prizes.
PExpo’s principal aim is to promote a better understanding of PE, sport, fitness and health among second level school students. With obesity levels skyrocketing, ‘lifestyle’ illnesses putting severe pressure on hospitals, and youngsters spending far too much time scrolling through screens, the need to promote improved fitness in all our citizens is increasingly urgent.
Modelled on the Young Scientists and other similar exhibitions, PExpo invites students to undertake projects on topics that showcase their knowledge of the science behind sport and related subjects, including diet, psychology and technology. These projects are then submitted for judging at the annual PExpo.
PExpo moved to DCU in 2018 and in 2024, with the support of title sponsor Dare to Believe, it took place for the first time,at the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown.
For further information, contact Paddy O’Reilly at 086 1743836 see www.pexpoireland.com

More PExpo pics at www.flickr.com/lindie

Now for the Substack!

2025-01-09T22:22:00.002+00:00

New substack now at https://lindienaughton.substack.com. Expect articles on Dublin city, athletics, history, music, books and other topics that catch my attention - like Irish women artists of the 20th century, the life and work of Michael Davitt, a history of ultra running in Ireland, the rise of the female bass guitar player and Sir Walter Scott's visit to Ireland in 1825. A broad range - and maybe a few photos thrown in!

* Good news: biography of Irish artist Sarah Purser on the way. Watch this space!

Review: Frank O'Mara's 'Bend Don't Break'

2024-03-30T21:57:00.004+00:00

Bend Don’t Break: A Memoir of Endurance by Frank O’Mara (O’Brien Press, 2024)

In his youth, Frank O’Mara from Limerick had the world at his feet with his prowess on the athletics track seccuring him an athletics scholarship to the University of Arkansas. He would go on to win US collegiate and American titles, five Irish national titles and two world indoor titles over the 3000m distance. As well as that, he would qualify for three Olympic Games and, with Eamonn Coghlan, Marcus O'Sullivan and Ray Flynn, at the UCD track in Belfield , set a world record for the 4 x mile in 1985 which stands to this day.

Looking back, O’Mara was part of a golden era in Irish distance running, which looks unlikely to be repeated.

Yet he admits that despite his great talent, he didn’t have that single-minded commitment to his sport, which his friend Sonia O’Sullivan has argued is the difference between the good and the great; he would agree with Sonia that you need to be somewhat ‘unbalanced’ to join the ranks of the truly great. While at college, he opted to take on the onerous task of studying for a civil engineering degree and when not studying, would prefer to spend time with his future wife Patty than travel to athletics meets. His industry paid off and after his retirement from athletics, he would forge a solid career in the US wireless industry which was then in its infancy.

All changed at the age of 48, when O’Mara noticed with some alarm that he could no longer control his left leg muscles. Soon after, he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects the body’s nerve system and its ability to control muscles.

‘You know everyone can see your tremor which further compounds your anxiety. You try your very best to shut it down but you simply can’t… Other times my entire body becomes tense, as if on the starting line waiting for the gun. You try to relax but you body will not heed the command,' he writes of those early days after diagnosis.

His life became a process of coping with his condition depending on ever increasing doses of drugs to calm the Parkinsonian symptoms of shaking and sudden cramping. He learned quickly that during what he called his ‘Off Periods’ making decisions would prove impossible until the next dose of drugs kicked in.

Yet although O’Mara’s descriptions of his Parkinson’s condition are graphic, not a hint of self-pity is evident and in the early years he even managed set up and then sell on a profitable business. After the initial tentative chapters, once O’Mara concentrates on his condition, the pace of the book quickens with the reader now very much on his side.

Helping are the anecdotes of his early life and of his athletics and corporate careers that sprinkle the text. Among these are tales from his time as a boarder at St Munchin’s College in Limerick and from the early days of professionalism in Irish athletics. He also tells an entertaining story from his days of pace-making for the Moroccan athletics legend Saïd Aouita which included an unlikely flight on the Concorde supersonic airplane!

Ten years after his first symptoms, with his condition worsening by the year, O’Mara opted for deep brain stimulation. This radical procedure involved painstakingly drilling holes into his skull while he remained fully awake. Although the procedure didn’t cure O’Mara, it greatly relieved his symptoms and gave him back some semblance of normal life.

A long-time hero of O’Mara is Thomas Crean the Antarctic explorer from Co Kerry. At the end of the book, O’Mara, with the staunch support of his friend Marcus O’Sullivan, finally makes it to Antarctica himself where he manages to climb two snow-covered peaks. His description of how he did that will leave you with a tear in your eye.

Expore the Dublin of Herbert Simms

2023-11-08T16:39:00.008+00:00

Want to explore the Dublin of city housing architect Herbert Simms? Here are two maps to help you!

Download at https://www.amaliaetc.com/free#herbert-simms-maps

Simms book - Launch day is November 7

2023-07-15T18:06:00.011+01:00

It's here! Official launch/signing at Dubray's (my local book shop), in Blackrock, Tue Nov 7, from 6.30pm. Come along and say hello!

We'll have another signing at the Ballymun Awards Night in Trinity Comp on Wednesday November 15 (time tbc).

World Masters Indoors - Irish finish seventh on medals table

2023-04-04T20:17:00.008+01:00

Ireland finished seventh overall on the medals table at the World Masters Indoors (and Non-Stadia) Championships held in Torun, Poland

Gold
W40 60m Avril Dillon (DSD AC)
W45 400m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W45 800m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W45 1500m Mary Leech (Drogheda and District AC)

W80 3000m Ann Woodlock (Donore)
W65 3000m Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W60 High Jump Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Herriers)
W35 Weight Throw Rachel Akers (Ennis Track)
W35 Hammer Rachel Akers (Ennis Track)

W65 6km Cross-Country Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W60 6km Cross-Country Kay Byrne (Finn Valley)
W55 8km Cross-Country Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock AC)
W45 8km Cross-Country Zoe Quinn (Raheny Shamrock AC)
W60 6km Cross-Country Team (Pauline Moran, Kay Byrne, Nuala Reilly)
W50 8km Cross-Country Team (Annette Kealy, Yasmin Canning, Mari Johnston)
W45 8k Cross-Country Team (Zoe Quinn, Catherine O'Connor, AM Kenny)
W40 8km Cross-Country Team (Fiona Gettings, Michelle Kenny, Michelle Cox)

W45 10km Zoe Quinn (Raheny Shamrock AC)
W65 10km Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W50 Half Marathon Cathy McCourt (North Belfast Harriers)
W60 Half Marathon Mary Slocum (Ward Park Runners)
[W65 Half Marathon Christine Kennedy (Galway City Harriers) - running for USA]

M35 800m Joe Warne (Doheny AC)
M70 800m Joe Gough (West Waterford AC)
M70 1500m Joe Gough (West Waterford AC)
M35 3000m Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers)

M65 8m Cross Country Team (Tommy Payne, Eugene Moynihan, William Tyrell)
M50 10km Declan Toal (North East Runners)

Silver (23)
W45 200m Annette Quaid (Leevale AC)
W60 400m Edel Maguire (Clonliffe Herriers)
W45 800m Maria Dunne
W55 3000m Annette Kealy (Raheny)

W55 8km Cross-Country Mari Johnston (Sligo AC)
W45 8km Cross-Country Catherine O'Connor (Wicklow)
W40 8km Cross-Country Fiona Gettings (LongfordAC)
W35 8km Cross-Country Edel Gaffney (Trim AC)
W65 6km Cross-Country team (Pauline Moran, Noreen Bonner, Nuala Reilly)

W50 10km Cathy McCourt (North Belfast Harriers)
W60 10km Mary Slocum (Ward Runners)
W45 Half Marathon Catherine O’Connor (Menapians AC)
W60 Half Marathon Irene Clements (Clones AC)
W65 Half Marathon Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W65 Half Marathon team (Pauline Moran, Noreen Bonner, Nuala Reilly)
W50 10km Race Walk Sinead McConnell (Finn Valley) 

M35 Hammer John Dwyer (Templemore)
M75 3km Walk Sean McMullin (Mullingar Harriers)

M65 8km Cross-Country Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC)
M60 8km Cross-Country Team (Pat O'Grady, Philip O'Doherty, Tom O'Connor)

M55 8k Cross-Country Team (Pat Malone, Francis Marsh, Dominic Horan)
M60 Half Marathon Patrick O’Grady

X55 4x200m (David Hayde, Shane Sheridan, Moira Groome, Carol Kearney) 1:50.62
X45 4x200m Relay (Brian Boyce, Carlton Haddock, Leanne Wellings, Clare Quinn) 
Bronze (24)
W45 1500m Caitriona Devine (Finn Valley AC)
W55 400m Carol Kearney (Lucan Harriers)
W80 1500m Ann Woodlock (Donore Harriers)
W50 3000m Michelle Lannon (Carrick AC)
W45 3000m Mary Leech (Drogheda & District AC)
W50 3000m walk Sinead McConnell (Finn Valley AC)
W40 2x200m (Snezina Behtina, Kathryn McDevitt,Bernadette Spillane, Sinead O’Regan)
W55 2x200m((Edel Maguire, Finola Moore, Moira Groome and Carol Kearney) 
W40 8km Cross-Country Michelle Kenny (Leevale)
W50 8km Cross-Country Yasmin Canning (Drogheda & District)
W65 8km Cross-Country Nuala Reilly (Drogheda & District)
W70 6km Cross-Country Eileen Kenny (Athlone)
W35 10km Edel Gaffney (Trim AC)
W60 10km Irene Clements (Clones AC)

W50 Half Marathon Breda Gaffney (Mallow AC)

M35 Hammer John Dwyer (Templemore AC)

M75 6km Cross-Country Richard Mullins (St Abbans AC)
M45 8k Cross-Country Team (Paul Smith, Niall Sheil, Ray Kenny)
M65 10km Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC)
M45 Half Marathon Paul Smith (Drogheda & District AC)
M45 Half Marathon Team (Paul Smith, Ronan Donohue, Sean McDermott)

Irish Masters Athletes off to a flying start in Poland.

2023-03-28T09:37:00.004+01:00

With thanks to Ronan Gately of the Irish Master
Ann Woodlock and Annette Kealy

s Athletics Association.

The largest Irish masters team ever to travel descended on Torun, Poland three days ago for the 9th World Indoor Masters Championships. In total, 135 Irish athletes ranging in age from 35 to 84, are competing during the week. Oldest member of the team is 84-year-old Ann Woodlock of Donore Harriers who took the first Irish gold medal of the championships in Sunday's W80 3000m; she will later compete in the 1500m.

After just two days of competition, the Irish team lies fourth on the medals table, just below the might of the USA, with hosts Poland first and Germany second. Athletes from a total of eighty-eight nations are competing.

By Monday evening, Team Ireland has won an outstanding total of 32 medals. Most of those came in the cross-country races (yes - those are outdoors!)

Ann Woodlock's gold was quickly followed by victory for Pauline Moran in W65 3000m putting Ireland- briefly- on top of the medals table. On Monday, Moran was one of four individual and five team medals in the cross-country races. As for the men. Eoin Everard of Kilkenny City Harriers led the way with victory in the M35 3000m.

* Worth noting that Christine Kennedy of Galway City Harriers, three times Irish marathon champion and also Irish 10,000m and cross-country champion, was second in the W65 cross-country, competing in an American vest.

Irish medal winners (so far)

Gold
W80 3000m Ann Woodlock (Donore)
W65 3000m Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W65 6km Cross-Country Pauline Moran (Mayo AC)
W60 6km Cross-Country Kay Byrne (Finn Valley)
W60 High Jump Edel Maguire (Clonliffe)
W55 8km Cross-Country Annette Kealy (Raheny)
W45 8km Cross-Country Zoe Quinn (Raheny)
W35 Weight Throw Rachel Akers (Ennis Track)
W60 6k Cross-Country Team (Pauline Moran, Kay Byrne, Nuala Reilly)
W50 8k Cross-Country Team (Annette Kealy, Yasmin Canning, Mari Johnston)
W45 8k Cross-Country Team (Zoe Quinn, Catherine O'Connor, Annemarie Kenny)
W40 8k Cross-Country Team (Fiona Gettings, Michelle Kenny, Michelle Cox)

M35 3000m Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers)
M65 8k Cross Country Team (Tommy Payne, Eugene Moynihan, William Tyrell)

Silver
W55 3000m Annette Kealy (Raheny)
W55 8km Cross-Country Mari Johnston (Sligo AC)
W45 8km Cross-Country Catherine O'Connor (Wicklow)
W40 8km Cross-Country Fiona Gettings (LongfordAC)
W35 8km Cross-Country Edel Gaffney (Trim AC)

M75 3k Walk Sean McMullin (Mullingar Harriers)
M65 8k Cross-Country Tommy Payne (Tinryland AC)
M35 Hammer John Dwyer (Templemore)
M60 8k Cross-Country Team (Pat O'Grady, Philip O'Doherty, Tom O'Connor)
M55 8k Cross-Country Team (Pat Malone, Francis Marsh, Dominic Horan)

Bronze
W70 6km Cross-Country Eileen Kenny (Athlone)
W65 8km Cross-Country Nuala Reilly (Drogheda & District)
W50 3000m Michelle Lannon (Carrick AC)
W50 8k Cross-Country Yasmin Canning
W45 3000m Mary Leech (Drogheda & District)
W40 8k Cross-Country Michelle Kenny (Leevale)

M75 6km Cross-Country Richard Mullins (St Abbans)
M45 8k Cross Country Team (Paul Smith, Niall Sheil, Ray Kenny)

Live stream here

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ltW8KFRKUgM

Live results and medal table here.

https://wmaci2023.domtel-sport.pl/?seria=&runda=&konkurencja=M60_60&dzien=&impreza=6

Big Win for Cathal Byrne - plus Irish Running Round-up - on track, roads and hills

2022-06-28T18:45:00.003+01:00

* This report was written for www.fastrunning.com, but for some reason, didn't make it.
An eventful men’s 1500m closed out the National Track and Field Championships at Santry on Sunday (June 26) bringing the crowd to its feet.
For the first two laps, Paul Robinson and Kevin Kelly of St Coca’s AC along with Louis O’Loughlin of Donore Harriers headed the pack, which was still intact at 800m, passing through in a pedestrian time of 2 mins 21 secs.
A final burn-up over 200m between the big names was looking inevitable — until Mitchell Byrne of Rathfarnham WSAF AC decided enough was enough, sprinting to the front and quickly building up a lead of about ten metres.
Sadly, there was to be no reward for his brave move and with 200m to go, Byrne was caught by Cathal Doyle of Clonliffe Harriers who then pulled away for a first national senior title in a time of 3:59.36.
Behind Doyle, pre-race favourite Luke McCann of UCD AC found himself passed first by Shane Bracken of Swinford AC and then by Robinson. Finishing fifth was junior sensation Nick Griggs of Mid-Ulster AC.
In an equally tactical women’s 1500m, Carla Sweeney of Rathfarnham WSAF AC took over in front at the bell and went on to win in 4:37.96, with Maisy O’Sullivan of St Abban’s AC catching Niamh Markham of Ennis TC in the battle for second place.
Earlier, in the 800m finals, Leevale’s Louise Shanahan proved the class of a women’s race, showing her experience when she went to the front and slowed the pace before injecting her signature burst of speed in the chase for the line to win in 2:10.90. Jenna Bromell of Emerald AC was second, Claire Mooney of Naas AC third and Sarah Healy of UCD AC, running below her specialist distances, fourth.
In the men’s race, Mark English of Finn Valley AC continued his decade long dominance of this distance, pulling away from the defending champion John Fitzsimons of Kildare AC for an eighth national title in 1:48.46. Mark Milner of UCD AC was third and the 2020 champion Harry Purcell of Trim AC fourth.
For a second time, victory in the men’s 5000m went to Darragh McElhinney of UCD AC, who took his first title at this distancer in 2020; he finished in 13:53.84. Defending champion Hiko Tonosa of Dundrum South Dublin AC was second and Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers, who had led at the bell, third.
A day earlier, Fionnuala McCormack of Kilcoole AC took the women’s 5000m title in a time of 16:07.75, beating the Nic Dhomhnaill sisters, Sorcha and Ide, from Donore Harriers. In a thrilling finish to the men’s steeplechase, Jayme Rossiter of Clonliffe Harriers regained the title he had won in 2019 when he out-sprinted Sligo AC’s Finley Daly to win in 9:26.43. Just two women lined out for the women’s steeplechase on Sunday, where Leevale’s Michelle Finn nailed down her eighth national title in an untroubled time of 9:57.71.
Elsewhere, Thomas Barr of Ferrybank AC was taking his tenth national title in the 400m hurdles, while Sophie Becker of Raheny Shamrock AC toppled many times champion Phil Healy of Bandon AC to win the 400m title.

ON THE ROADS - QUARTER WIN FOR CIOBANU

Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers continued his result streak of good runs when he won the quarter

marathon event at the Viking Marathon, Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon in Waterford on Sunday (June 26). Ciobanu completed the 10.5 km distance in 34 mins 37 secs.
Second in 34:58 was Craig O’Brien on Ferrybank AC in 34:58, while third in 37:41 was Tony Quinlan of Waterford AC. First woman was Ferrybank’s Louise Morgan in 41:30.
A clear winner of the half marathon in 70:11 was Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC. Pauline O’Callaghan was first woman in 88:39.
Clonliffe’s Tudor Moldovan was the winner of the marathon in 2:30.04, followed by Waterford AC’s Noel Murphy in 2:34.13. Martina McGrath of Kilkenny City Harriers finished third overall and first woman in 2:35.44 .Former Irish marathon champion Mary Jennings of Waterford AC was first W65 in 4:04.08. A total of 1,382 were in action between the three races.

James Budde was the winner of the Ards Half Marathon on Saturday (June 24) in a time of 74:08. First woman in 84:55 was Sarahjane Cooke. Just shy of 500 completed the race.
In Co Louth, also on Saturday, Maurice McMahon of North East Runners was the winner of the Paddy Cheshire Memorial 5km in Dundalk.
His time of 16:22 saw him hold off the challenge of David Redmond, who finished in 16:26. First woman was Aine Cotter of North East Runners in 18:17.

Ian Guiden and Mary Mulhare were the winners of the annual St Coca’s 5km, held in Kilcock on Friday evening (June 24).

Guiden, of Clonliffe Harriers AC, who has notched up a series of fine runs on the roads over the past few weeks, proved the class of the men’s field finishing in 14 mins 12 secs.
For second place, Brian Conroy of Clane AC was caught with just metres to go by junior athlete Cathal O’Reilly of Kilkenny City Harriers. The pair were timed at 14:47 and 14:49. In fourth place was Alex Cunningham of Brothers Pearse AC, another promising junior athlete, who finished in 14:52.
First M40 in sixth place overall was Robert Murphy of Donore Harriers in 15:06.
In the women’s race, Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise AC was collecting her first win in a while, clocking a time of 16:37. Kate Purcell of Raheny Shamrock AC was ten seconds behind for second place, followed closely by Sheila O’Byrne of Sli Cualann AC in 16:49 and Maria McCambridge of Dundrum South

Dublin AC who was first W40 in 16:56

Also on Friday evening, the Offaly road running league continued with Paul Buckley of Ferbane AC first home in the Clara 5km. In a close-run race, his time of 16:28 saw him just head off the challenge of Jonathan Dunne from Tullamore Harriers who was three seconds behind in 16:31, with Michael O’Brien, also Tullamore Harriers, third in 16:35.
First woman in 17:54 was Denise Egan of Ferbane AC. Catherine Donnellan of Edenderry AC was second in 18:23, with junior athlete Heather Murphy of St Michael’s AC third in 19:17.
In the team competition, Tullamore Harriers won both men women’s titles, with Ferbane AC second, also in both categories.

Still on Friday, Sean Doyle of North Cork AC was the winner of the Shandrum 4-Mile in Newtownshandum, Co Cork, setting a new course record time of 19 mins 31 secs.
Over a minute behind for second place in 20:49 was Nick O’Donoghue of East Cork AC, while third in 21:25 was Leevale AC’s Donal Coffey.
Nadine Forde, also of Leevale AC, was first woman in 24:39, followed by Annette O’Reilly of Kilfinane AC in 25:03 and Eileen O’Keeffe of Doneraile AC in 27:21
Also in Co Cork, Fionn Harrington was the winner of the Courtmacsharry 10km in 32:14, with Hannah Steeds the first woman in 36:37.

A thrilling finish to the Docklands 5km in Dublin on Thursday (June 23) saw Rathfarnham WSAF veteran Kevin Donagher just edging it from Willowfield Harriers junior Noah Watt with only two seconds in it.
Donagher crossed the line in 16 mins 5 secs and Watt in 15:07. Third in 16:23 was Graham O’Dwyer of Raheny Shamrock AC.
First woman and first W40 in 17:22 was Ciara Toner of City of Derry Spartans, followed by Megan Roberts of Piranha Tri Club in 18:36 and Aisling O’Connor of Rathfarnham WSAF AC in 18:38.
Raheny Shamrock took the men’s team title with Sportsworld, led by Ciara Brady, best of the women’s teams. Over a thousand finished the race, which included a corporate team category.

On the same evening in Co Meath, Peter Somba of Dunboyne AC proved the class of the field in the Clonee 10km, winning in 31 mins 23 secs. Second in 34:29 was Marc Augustin of Le Cheile AC and third in 35:27 Pauric Ennis of Tullamore Harriers.
Dunboyne AC dominated the women’s race with Laura Buckley the winner in 38:16, followed by Mairead Hogan second and first W40 in 40:04 and Bonnie McFeat third in 42:06.
In Co Cork, John Meade of St Finbarr’s AC was the winner of the Cooolagown 10km in 33:14 and was also first M40. Leevale’s Donal Coakley was second in 33:18 and Kieran McKeown of Grange Fermoy AC third and second M40 in 34:40.
Eirene Eighan of St Finbarr’s AC was first woman in 40:51, followed by Linda O’Connor of Cork Tri Club who was also first W45, and Lily Murray of Bride Rovers.

Conor Gallagher of St Malachy’s AC led home over seven hundred finishers at the Lisburn Half Marathon on Wednesday (June 22). Gallagher had over two minutes to spare when winning in 69 mins 12 secs. Second in 71:34 was Christopher Madden of City of Lisburn AC while third in 72:51 was James Hamilton of Ballymena Runners.
First woman in 84:14 was Karen Alexander of Christian Runners UK. Leanne Gibson of Victoria Park and Connswater AC was second in 85:40 and Fiona McFall of Road Runners Club third in 89:44. All three women were also over 40.
In the associated 10km, Gareth Lyons of North Belfast was the winner and first M45 in 33:18; Tom Baird of City of Lisburn AC was second in 33:11 and Stephen Wylie of Annadale Striders third in 34:21. Gemma McDonald of Ballycastle Runners was first woman in 39:08, followed closely by Martsje Hell of North Belfast Harriers in 39:13 with Elisoa [Elisoa] Crawford of Seapark AC third and first W50 in 39:27. Over nine hundred completed the race.

TRACK - SCHOOLS

For the first time, the Tailteann Games for schools athletes under17 was held in Tullamore, not its usual home at Santry, and on a Friday (June 24), not the usual Saturday.
Places on the Irish schools team for the annual British and Irish International were at stake and competition was hot. In the girls’ 3000m, Annabele Morridon of Enniskillen Royal just made it to the line ahead of Claire Crowley from Kinsale CS; times were 10:05.58 and 10:06.02. Darragh Mulrooney of J &M Enniscrone had a more comfortable time of it in the boys’ race winning in 8:545.12.
In the girls’ 1500m, Jennifer O’Leary of St Mary’s Nenagh was the winner in 4:34.30, while in the boys’ 1500m. Oliver Hopkin of St Declan’s Cabra took thr title in 4:03.79. Winners of the 800m races were Saoirse Fitzpatrick of Lucan CC in 2:14.74 and Senan O’Reilly of St Colman’s Fermoy in 2:00.16.
No records were broken - although Sean Aigboboh of the High School Rathgar came close in the boys’ 100m, with a time of 10.71 secs.
*The SIAB Schools T-F International takes place on Saturday, July 16 at the Mary Peters Track, Belfast.

MOUNTAIN RUNNING 

Teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland competed at the International U18 Mountain Running Cup, Saluzzo, Italy, where the best result came from Luke Duffy of the Republic’s tema.
Duffy finished 23rd in the 4km men’s race with a time of 17 mins 59 secs. Race winner was Maciej Lachowski of Poland with a time of 16:16.

Best for Northern Ireland was Joshua Muckian in 40th place. The Republic’s team finished 12th with Northern Ireland 13th. Winners were Italy, with the Italian B team second and France third.
In the women’s race, Eimear McCarroll of Finn Valley AC finished 28th for Northern Ireland in 21:09. In a thrilling finish to the race, the USA’a Alyssa Sauaroa just beat Rebecca Falherty of England to take gold in 18:03. With three finishers in the top seven, England won the team title from France and Italy.
Best for the Republic’s team was Emily Rowe in 40th place. The Northern Irish team finished 11th and the Republic’s team 12th.
(Ends)

Irish at World Indoors Belgrade March 18-21

2022-03-17T17:10:00.011+00:00

Irish team World Indoors, Belgrade, March 18-20

Women:

60m: Molly Scott (StLOT AC)

400m: Phil Healy (Bandon AC). Sophie Becker (Raheny Shaamrock)

800m: Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD AC)

1500: Sarah Healy (UCD AC)

60m H: Sarah Lavin (Emerald AC)

4x400: P Healy, Becker, Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport AC) Roisin Harrison (Emerald AC) , Catherine McManus (DCH AC). Non-travelling reserve: Rachel McCann (Nth Down)

Men:

60: Israel Olatunde (UCD AC)

800m: Mark English (Finn Valley AC)

1500m: Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), Luke McCann (UCD AC)

3000m: Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC)

4x400: English, Cillin Greene (GCH AC) , Robert McDonnell (GCH AC), Cathal Crosbie (Ennis TC), Chris O’ Donnell (Nth Sligo AC), Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Hrs). Non travelling reserve: Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Hrs)

TIMETABLE (Irish time)

Friday Mar 18 - Day 1

9.15: W 60m H3, 5th, Molly Scott 7.26 secs (q)

10.41: W 400 H1, 1 Phil Healy 51.75. (Q) H3, 5 Sophie Becker 53.47

11.20: W 1500m H2, 5 Sarah Healy 4:12.44

11.50: M 800 H2, 5 Mark English, 1:51.35

12.25 M 3000m, H3, 9 Darragh McElhinney 8:06.31

17.06 :W 60 SF1, 7 Scott 7.23

17.35 : W 400m SF2, 6 P Healy 52.40

Saturday Mar 19 - Day 2

8.50: W 60m H1, 3 Sarah Lavin 8.03 (PB (Q)

9.45: M 60m H2, 4 Israel Olatunde 6.66

10:45: W 800m H2, 5 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner 2:06.99

11:15: M 1500m H1, 7 Luke McCann 3:44.03. H4, 5 Andrew Coscoran 3:40.53.

1515: W 60 H SF3, 2 Lavin 7.97 (PB)

20.08: W 60m H Final, 7 Lavin 8.09

Sunday Mar 20 - Day 3

10:10: M 4 x 400 , H2, 3 Ireland (Greene, Crosbie, Gregan, O'Donnell) 3:08.63 (Irish rec)

10.45: W 4 x 400m, H2, 3 Ireland(Becker, Harrison, Mawdsley, P.Healy) 3:30.97 (Irish rec) heats

Senior titles for Fagan and Maher at Leinster Schools cross-country in stormy Santry

2022-02-16T17:03:00.005+00:00

Irish junior international athlete Scott Fagan of Castleknock Community College was the runaway winner of the boys’ senior race at the Leinster Schools Cross-Country Championships, held in Santry on Wednesday (February 16)on a course that was shortened to three laps because of the stormy conditions.
Fagan led from early on and finished with sixteen seconds to spare over his team mate Louise Woodger in a time of 14 mins 25 secs for the 4.5km distance.
A close third was Adam Condon of Ard Scoil Rís. With Finn Woodger fifth and Traian Rebega 22nd, Castleknock CC took the team trophy ahead of Ard Scoil Rís and Belvedere College.
Eimear Maher of Mount Anville, also an Irish junior international, won the senior girls race, which was shortened to a single lap. Maher finished in 5 mins 13 secs — just a second clear of Emma McEvoy of Loreto Stephen’s Green, with Meabh Eakin of Ballymakenny College third in 15:17.
Loreto Kilkenny finished best of the teams just three points ahead of Scoil Mhuire Trim, with St Dominic’s Cabra third.

Top three inter girls

At intermediate level, with the race held over 3.5km, Anna Watson of St Joseph of Cluny was the winner in 13 mins 57 secs. Second was Caoimhe Kilmurray of Loreto Mullingar while in third place, Holly O’Brien was leading St Andrew’s College from Booterstown to team victory. Loreto Mullingar was second and Sacred Heart Tullamore third.
Cormac Dixon of HFCS Rathcoole was the winner of the boys’ 4.5km inter race in 14 mins 45 secs. Five seconds behind for second was Oliver Hopkins of St Declan’s. In the battle for third place, Ross Killelea of Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar out-sprinted Finn Harris from Colaiste Raithin Bray.
Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar were clear winners of the team competition, with Wesley College second and St Aidan’s CBS third.
Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar was having a good day and in a closely fought junior boys 3km race, Jamie Wallace was the winner ahead of Rhys Johnson of Piers Hill College Naas. Conor McGuirk of Lusk CC was third and St Mary’s Drogehda the team winners ahead of Colaiste Mhuire and Coláiste Chillian.
Emily Botton of Mount Sackville won the junior girls’ 2km race from Dearbhla Alan of St Mary’s Dundalk with Eimear Cooney of SH Drogheda third. Castleknock CC were the team winners with Presentation Kilkenny second and Loreto Wexford third.
Presentation Kilkenny were also the team winners in the minor girls’ race where Sholah Laurane of Greenhills was the individual winner. In the minor boys’ race, George Sevastopulo of Mount Temple was the winner and Naas CBS was best of the teams.
The top fifteen in each race and the top three teams qualified for the All Ireland Schools’ Cross-Country Championships to be held in Belfast on Saturday, March 5.

Review of Laura Dodsworth's "A State of Fear " - better late than never!

2021-11-09T21:52:00.007+00:00

A State of Fear: How the UK Government Weaponised Fear During the C0vid-19 Epidemic by Laura Dodsworth (Pinter and Martin, London, 2021)

C0v!d 19 - a c0rona virus — one of the common cold family of infections — has become one of the many endemic “viruses” we must learn to live with. It was known from the beginning to be a “very mild illness” for nearly all of us, said the UK’s Chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance on 13 March 2020.
     So what happened? Why are people still terrified? Do they honestly believe that we need government guidance on whether we can sit beside a friend? Or hug family members? Or show our smiling faces?
      What we need to be afraid of is how easily we can be manipulated by lies and subterfuge coming from the very people we elect to protect our interests.
      From the start of the so-called “pandemic”, people vastly over-estimated how many would die. In Britain, they expected around 6-7% of the population, which was about a hundred times the actual death rate.
      That was largely a result of the doom-laden daily reports from the Government, uncritically reported by the media. Never had a relatively mild disease been given such a high profile. At no previous point in our history have we had daily bulletins announcing the number of daily deaths from heart disease, dementia, cancer and respiratory illnesses.

A major contributor to the scaremongering was Neil Ferguson’s wildly over-pessimistic modelling now slated as “the most devastating software mistake of all time” because of its huge influence in shutting down the world. Ireland's NPHET was just one government advisory group to follow Fergusons’s model slavishly.
     Ferguson’s “model” assumed no exiting immunity to the new virus, and yet 20% to 50% of people were later show to have T-cell immunity thanks to their exposure to previous coronaviruses, in other words, the common cold. Never were people told the figures of how many had recovered from this supposedly deadly disease. The average age of death was 82.3 years- one year more than average life expectancy. Younger people who died were unhealthy and often obese.
    As the former British prime minister Theresa May put it, it looked as it the numbers were “being chosen to support the policy, rather than the policy being based on the figures”. Even the UK Statistics Authority expressed concerns over the use of out-of-date graphs and over-estimated deaths.
       Like most of us, Laura Dodsworth had heeded the warnings early on but soon became uneasy. From the start, coverage of the so-called pandemic was one-sided. All other diseases — and indeed aspects of human life — were ignored, with sensationalist headlines and images used by the BBC and other news sources stoking the fear. Dodsworth realised that she was more frightened by what was going on behind the manipulative messaging than she was by the “illness”.
     One graphic example was the video of army lorries transporting coffins in Bergamo, Italy. Because of the imposed quarantine, undertakers couldn’t work and so — just once — the army was drafted in to transport sixty coffins. Yet because the images were relayed all over the world without clarification or fact checking by the news agencies on which the mainstream media depends, the idea of a plague with almost unmanageable numbers of corpses was planted in people’s minds.
      TV, radio and newspapers know very well that the sensationalism sells — “if it bleeds, it leads” — with TV in particularly regaining much of its audience because so many people were staying at home. In the UK, Public Health England became the county’s biggest advertiser; as did the HSE in Ireland. It meant that the struggling media, grateful for the injection of cash, became mouthpieces for government policy. Not once did a single broadcaster or newspaper query the extraordinary measures being taken, the random facts quoted, or the effects of lockdown policies on broader society. All were happy to do their bit in terrorising the nation. Later on, not one media outlet was prepared to look at the example of Sweden, where life continued pretty much as normal.
     As an 85-year-old Sarah, interviewed by Dodsworth for the book, pointed out, people should have been encouraged to be stoic and strong. Spreading fear did not achieve that objective.
      A major drawback was the unwillingness of governments to acknowledge the essential mystery of viruses. We cannot “fight” them like we would a war. Not helping was a dysfunctional attitude to death. A population primed to fear death will believe any old nonsense which claims to offer “safety”. Yet people die every single day; in Ireland that’s around 31,000 a year so about 84 every day.
     The massive over-reaction to what was a pretty ordinary winter infection was caused by the NHS - followed by the HSE in Ireland - knowing that it didn’t have enough critical care beds for a serious epidemic. That was because the infrastructure for dealing with a likely pandemic had been disbanded at the same time as wards were closed, staff problems were becoming endemic and the privatisation of the health services was continuing apace.
     While a certain amount of caution was forgivable in the early days, when it became obvious that C0vid-19 was far less lethal than feared, and that the health services were not overwhelmed, policies did not change. We were quarantined and denied our human rights to wander freely around our country and the globe, to shop, to attend school and to maintain vital human relationships. Lockdown, as Dodsworth points out, is itself prison terminology. Most crucially, we were not allowed to raise any doubts about the official narrative.
     Never before have the healthy considered “infectious” until proven otherwise, using a lab technique that through magnification allowed tiny amounts of RNA to be detected. Unfortunately, the PCR “test” gives little further information; for a start, it cannot tell whether that RNA is infectious or not. It also requires absolutely pristine and sterile laboratory conditions for any degree of accuracy. And yet, administered as it is in car parks and sports stadiums, the PCR “test” has become the “gold standard” for detecting the novel infection making sizeable sums of money for the various labs contracted to analyse the samples.
      By the summer of 2020, the virus had peaked, as all viruses do when the evening get longer and the weather became warmer. Yet, with hospitals empty and the curve definitely flattened, governments brought in mask mandates. Was it to protect our heath? No — it was because those in charge of our welfare decided that people might be happier shopping if everyone was masked up.
    Masterminding this frankly insane public policy were behavioural scientists skilled in using what they call “nudge” theory; those subtle suggestions that influence our decisions even when we are unaware of them. Or as Dodsworth puts it: “clever people in government making sure the not-so-clever people do what they want”. Among those were Susan Leavy of UCD, whose PH.D was on detecting bias in political views. Her husband is the current Minister For Health Stephen Donnelly. There was also Kate O'Flaherty in charge of the behavioral change sub-group of NPHET and Mairin Ryan, deputy chief executive and director of health technology and assessment at HIQA.
     In the UK, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE ), whose every move was mirrored by Ireland’s own NPHET, was instructed to “look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainly”.
    One method of hyping up the danger was calling “positive” test results “cases”. Even if you weren’t sick, you could be “asymptomatic” and make other people sick. At no time was it made clear that the vast majority of people who ended up in hospital with respiratory infections were — as ever — already seriously ill or quite old. A large percentage were either obese or smokers.
        In her book, Dodsworth lists a bewildering number of departments in the British administration fomenting and encouraging fear. Like the members of NPHET or the HSE in Ireland, not a single member of any of these departments need fear the wrath of the voting public. Another issue she highlights is the group-think evident in academia and among certain groups of scientists, many of them financed by pharmaceutical companies, or supposedly philanthropic NGOs like the Gates and Wellcome foundations. With straight faces, they expect us to believe that their “findings” are entirely neutral and not influenced by their pay masters. What is truly shocking is that they may even believe that themselves.
       Then we come to the mRNA injection, presented to the public as a “v@ccine” that was the only way back to “normal” life. About six months into this public health fiasco, politicians must have realised that they had got it very, very wrong; not that they were ever going to admit it. It was at this point that the magic jab appeared as a possible solution. Inject everyone and then we can end the fear and all go back to normal. That was the argument. And so although it had yet to be properly tested, the mRNA injections were given a pass for “emergency” use. Because a cold-related infection from which 99.8% of the population recover requires such drastic measures, right?
    Not that the politicians cared; they thought that the jab was their get-out-of-jail card. So in late 2020, the introduction of the “miracle” injection in northern hemisphere countries was carefully planned to coincide with the end of winter. When spring arrived and infections dropped, as they always do when the days get longer and warmer, politicians could claim this was the result of their inspired decision to inject everyone. By then, most people had forgotten that a similar drop had taken place in April 2020.
    Everyone had to be persuaded that rolling up the sleeve was vitally necessary for the salvation of the world. Emotional manipulation was used; you could save a life by rolling up that sleeve.
     Strangely, the pharmaceutical companies seemed unaware that members of the public could easily research and read up on the dodgy “trials” which showed the negligible benefits of these injections; they could also predict possible side-effects.
     When the injecting campaign began, the effects of the jab were laid bare — nausea and headaches at the less severe end of the scale and healthy young people dying from heart attacks at the other. Those becoming the most ill after the jab very probably had prior immunity; but nobody bothered checking for this at the jab centres and anyway the benefits of prior immunity were shouted down by the usual suspects. Particularly alarming was the discovery by doctors that the injections possibly damaged T-cell immunity leaving those injected open to further infection and also vulnerable to more lethal diseases.
      Most cynical was the claim from our health “czars” that their top priority was protecting the elderly and vulnerable. Older people, who had not long to live anyway, were given the highly toxic jab. And it killed them. Many death occurred in care homes, and while most people in care homes are unlikely to leave them alive, the statistics failed to convince, especially since the symptoms of the new infection mirrored those of other coronaviruses, flus and respiratory illnesses. In the UK, 40.5% of first wave infections were caught in hospitals, ill prepared — as they are every winter — for the onslaught of any winter virus.
     Lockdowns were imposed without any exit strategy or any consideration of the possible consequences of such a drastic social experiment. Among those were a horrifying number of excess deaths from heart disease, cancers and suicide. Long-term problems will include serious psychological problems in young people, who have been robbed of vital formative years.
     People did begin to wise up. “Test and Trace” considered a cornerstone of the recovery strategy in the UK proved an abject failure, with few people bothering with the guidelines on self-isolation and quarantine. At some level they knew it didn’t make sense.
     Unfortunately, in the world of “public health”, there are no penalties for getting it wildly wrong in the interests of “safetyism”; as both Ferguson and Tony Holohan of NPHET know all too well. Both have survived disastrous errors in their careers with no repercussions. There’s also the problem of advisory panels which are rarely broad enough; the civil service “lifers” heading them tend to pick people who think like themselves, who are risk-averse by their very nature. Because it’s for our own good, they have no problem “forcing” their view of good health on us all.
     Something that was seen as a “conspiracy theory” — that Covid was an excuse to impose a digital ID system — looked increasingly likely as 2021 progressed. Meanwhile the rich got richer and the poor suffered; t’was always thus of course. While two thousand of the world’s wealthiest billionaires increased their wealth by 27.5% in between March 2020 and January 2021, overall labour income dropped by 10.7% globally.
      In the grey are between conspiracy and simple cock-up lie conflicts of interest and converging agendas thanks to lobbying, a supine mass media and high level contracts.
     Patrick Vallely, the UK’s Chief Scientific Advisor has financial links with GlaxoSmithKline. Dozens of health contracts were awarded without competition after March 2020, with many of those allegedly “managing” the crisis making out like bandits. Cashing in on chaos has always been capitalism’s way.
        There are precedents. In times of weak government and social uncertainly, rationality is displaced by mass hysteria, such as happened during the Salem witch trials of 1692-93. A few years earlier, during the Glorious Revolution in England and Wales, false reports that Irish soldiers were burning English towns and massacring all around them prompted a mass panic, with thousands arming themselves and preparing to resist non-existent groups of marauding Irishmen.
          Surely the role of government in challenging times should be to reassure, not to stir it up?The governments of the UK and Ireland don’t seem to realise that rhetoric and finger wagging breed not trust but anger and frustration. It’s going to take countries a long time to recover from probably the worst public health management disaster in history.
          Fear will wear thin as it dawns on people that they have been lied to and manipulated. What will happen then is anyone’s guess; in a fair world, some of the main actors in this drama would face long stretches in jail for the disastrous consequences of their greed, their lust for power and their incompetence.
       With that in mind, politicians should never forget that they are public servants. They are answerable to us, the people they allegedly "represent", and we have the right to demand that they do indeed represent us and and that they stand up for us in the face of tyranny.

A Few Questions that Need Asking About the Current Crisis

2021-10-28T14:48:00.003+01:00

And here here they are:

At any point did Holohan or any member of NPHET consult Anders Tegnell, state epidemiologist in Sweden, on his alternative approach to the infection?

Why is a middle-ranked civil servant allowed direct access to the public via a daily press conference? Surely it’s the job of a politician? Why is it necessary to hold a daily press conference anyway?

How were the members of NPHET selected? And why did it consist of 45 civil servants?

Given his dubious role in the swine flu and cervical cancer scandals, was Tony Holohan an appropriate choice to head NPHET?

Pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer have been based in Ireland for decades. What influence have they at Government level?

How many public servants, academics, and doctors are compromised by their links with the pharma companies?

Why has the mass media shut down free discussion on the “pandemic”?

How many “behavioural scientists” have been employed to “nudge” the public into “compliance”?

Why is the Government unwilling to publicise the true facts about this “pandemic” with the public? Those facts after all are freely available to anyone who cares to look them up on Govt websites such as hpse.ie.

At what point will the dangers of the current medical interventions be made public?

Ireland - a free and independent state?

2021-09-28T14:26:00.011+01:00

Ireland today is little more than a vassal state of Big Ph$rma and the faceless transnational corporations that are attempting to take over the world.

Let us lay out the problem: from the start, the Irish Free State, with its best leaders dead, suffered from poor management. Fearful of anti-Treaty rebels, it eviscerated local councils which it saw as hotbeds of dissent.

It began a long tradition of outsourcing - in particular, health and education to the Roman Catholic religious orders, and even sport and physical fitness to the GAA. Because of its increased power, the Catholic hierarchy could interfere with everything from housing policy (proposed flat schemes with many families living together could lead to immoral behaviour), health (public health services would undermine the role of the family), women’s rights (women had to give up civil service jobs when they married) and culture (anything they didn’t like was censored).

Artists, writers and free thinkers fled the country with good reason. There was no place for them in this new Ireland.

Power was centralised with the government and its (unchanged) civil service in Dublin. Local communities had little power over planning, health, education, energy needs, road building, telecommunications, fishing rights, and much else; many of them "managed" by that unique Irish entity - the "semi-state body".

Rather that managing the great matters of state, such as protecting our natural resources and putting in long-term plans for the development of communities and towns,in Dail Eireann, the TD became an advocate for problems that should have been sorted out locally.

The best TD was the one who could bring the most “goodies” from the public purse back to his constituency.

The result of all this? Short term policies that have resulted in a chaotic health system, poor public transport, badly built housing (mica anyone?), and education so badly funded that schools depend on running road races to fund essential equipment and repairs. There are also the universities who now rely on renting expensive campus accommodation to wealthy foreign students to stay afloat. Then there’s the selling off of natural resources, most notoriously oil and natural gas and fishing rights in our coastal waters. Look at what Norway did in that regard.

At administration level the huge duplication of services and a culture of micromanagement is driving people - literally - mad with frustration. But, sure, doesn’t it keep people in a job? Especially if their parents are staunch FF/FG voters.

That’s the Ireland of today. Managed not by politicians more interested in petty squabbles and making sure their friends are “looked after” but by power hungry public “servants” with an authoritarian bent who’ve realised that they can get away with anything.

Meanwhile, faceless technocrats ultimately controlled by the Vanguard and BlackRock investment funds (aka high level gamblers) look on and rub their hands in glee. And let's not forget the Chinese quietly investing in resources (UCD) and buying up land (Longford) in Ireland as elsewhere in the world.

On the plus side, they can’t possibly be worse than the pathetic shower in charge at the moment. #ashamedtobeIrish

Tokyo Olympics: Irish in action

2021-07-30T15:14:00.009+01:00

Irish athletes at the Tokyo Olympics

30 July
Women 800m R1
H2, 7 Nadia Power 2:03.74
H3, 7 Louise Shanahan 2:03.57
H4, 7 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner 2:04.62
Men
400m hurdles Rd 1,
H3, 2 Thomas Barr 49.02
Mixed Rd 1 (3 to q; 2 fastest)
4x400m Ht 1, 2 3:12.88 (Cillin Green, Phil Healy, Sophie Becker, Chris O’Donnell - in that order)
31 July
Men
800m Rd 1, H5, 4 Mark English 1:46.75
Women
100m Rd 1, H2 H 7 Sarah Lavin 13.16.
Mixed
4x400m - final, 8 Ireland 3:15.04
1 August
Women
3000m SC Rd 1,
H1, 9 Michelle Finn 9:36.26
H3, 12 Eilish Flanagan 9:34:86 (PB)
Men
400m H, SF, 4 Thomas Barr 48.26
2 August
1500m R1
H1, 10 Ciara Mageean 4:07.29 (27th)
H3, 11 Sarah Healy 4:09. 78 (34th).
200m R1
Rd 1 h6, 5 Phil Healy 23.21
3 August
1500m Rd 1,
H3, 8 Andrew Coscoran 3:37.11 (q)
200m Rd 1 and SF
H6, 6 Marcus Lawler 20.73
Ht 7, 5 Leon Reid 20.53 q; SF3, 7 20.54.
Women
400m Rd 1,
H5, 4 Phil Healy 51.98
4 August
No Irish in action

5 August
Men
1500 SF
SF1, 10, Andre Coscoran, 3:35.84
20km walk
29 David Kenny 42.24.

6 August
Men
50km walk
10 Brendan Boyce3:53.40
29 Alex Wright 4:06.20

7 August
Women
Marathon
25 Fionnuala McCormack 2:34:09
DNF Aoife Cooke
Also:
10 Sinead Diver (Australia) 2:31.14

8 August
Men
Marathon
58 Kevin Seaward 2:21.45.
71 Paul Pollock 2:27.48
DNF Stephen Scullion

Closing ceremony

European Indoor Championships, Poland March 4-7 - Schedule/Results

2021-03-05T19:58:00.017+00:00

Irish results:

Thursday March 4

Women’s 3000m, Rd 1, H1, 9 Michelle Finn 9:05.04

Men’s 1500m, Rd 1, H2, 3 Andrew Coscoran3:39.0 (Q); H3 5 Luke McCann 3:41.25; , H4, 3 Paul Robinson 3:40.07 (Q).

Friday March 5

Women’s 400m, Rd 1, H2, 3 Sophie Becker 53.31; H5, 1 Phil Healy 52.00 H7, 5 Sharlene Mawdsley 53.68.

Women’s 1500m, Rd 1, Ciara Mageean - withdrawn.

Women’s 800m, Rd 1, H3, 4 Síofra Cléirigh Buttner 2:04.47; H5, 2 Nadia Power 2:03.16; H6, 4 Georgie Hartigan 2"04.72.

Women’s 400m, SF1, 1 Phil Healy 54.41.

Men’s 800m, Rd 1, H2, 3 Mark English 1:47.99; H3, 2 Cian McPhillips 1:49.98; H4, 5 John Fitzsimons 1:51.00,

Men’s 1500m final, 6 Coscoran 3:40.38, 9 Robinson 3:40.74.

Saturday March 6

Men’s 60m, Rd1, H5, 5 Leon Reid 6,75; H8, 4 Israel Olatunde 6.79; H8, 7 Dean Adams 6.89.

Men’s 3000m, Rd 1, H1, 7 John Travers 8:05.96; H2, 5 Sean Tobin 7:47.71 (PB, q); H3 7 Brian Fay 7:56.13.

Women’s 60m H, Rd I, H5, 3 Sarah Lavin 8.06 (PB, Q),

Women’s 800m, SF3, 4 Nadia Power 2:04.4

Men’s 800m, SF2, 4 Cian McPhillips 1:48.06 (Eur U20 rec); SF3, 4 Mark English 1:48.99.

Women’s 400m final, 4 Phil Healy 51.94 (PB)

Sunday March 7

Women’s 60m, Rd 1, H1, 4 Ciara Neville 7.37 (Q), H3, 7 Molly Scott 7.37. H4, 8 Joan Healy 7.45

Women’s 60m, SF1, 7 Neville 7.35.

Women’s 60m H, SF3, 4 Sarah Lavin 8.07

Men’s 3000m final, 11 Sean Tobin 7:58.11

"Lady Icarus" - sold out!

2020-11-25T09:42:00.001+00:00

Thank you to everyone for nice comments on the repeat showing of Donal Byrne's film on the Limerick aviation pioneer Mary Heath shown on RTE's Nationwide last night.

Thanks to all the publicity this year, the first printing of "Lady Icarus" is now sold out at this end, although I believe some copies are surfacing on the dreaded Am*zon.

If any publisher out there is willing, I'd be very happy to produce a second edition!

Copies of both "Markievicz - and Outrageous Rebel" and "Markievicz - Letters and Rebel Writings published by Merrion Press are still available. As indeed are copies of "How to Mow the Lawn" and "Faster, Higher, Stronger - A History of Irish Olympians".

Phil Knight's Shoe Dog memoir- does it tell us anything about Nike?

2020-03-02T08:30:00.005+00:00

Picked up "Shoe Dog " by Nike co-founder Phil Knight on the bargain table at my local Eurospar and thought I'd give it a go.
Read the book quickly; wanted to understand how Nike had become the company that is currently destroying everything I know and love about athletics.
Its win at all costs philosophy means that it has not only condoned but financed training programmes that include doping and, in the past few years, introduced a shoe with a carbon fibre insert that can take between 3–5 minutes off an elite marathon runner’s time. Other companies are starting to catch up of course but that’s not the point. No-one in our sport called a halt to this craziness.
What did I get from the book? “We were the kind of people who simply couldn’t put up with corporate nonsense”; we were trying to create “not a brand but a culture”. For Knight “losing was death”. What he’s really saying is that normal rules didn’t apply to him and his company. He’s right - and now we’re paying the price for not standing up to his anti-social megalomania.
It's an easy read; the words flow. But ultimately you end up knowing nothing. Phil Knight and Nike - hiding in plain sight.

Irish at European Cross-Country Championships, Lisbon

2019-12-08T16:27:00.003+00:00

Two individual and two team medals; plus two 4th places (M20 team and Fionnuala). Not bad.

U20 Men: 3 Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) 19.01; 12 Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC) 19.21, 24 Thomas McStay 19.32, =25 Keelan Kilrehill 19.33, 28 Jamie Battle 19.34, 76 Shay McEvoy 20.26. Teams – 1 Great Britain 25, 2 Norway 38, 3 Portugal 39 (4,14,21), 4 Ireland 39 (3,12,24)

U20 Women: 46 Jodie McCann 15.28, 62 Aoife O Quill 15.48, 77 Sarah Kelly 16.10, 84 Danielle Donegan 16.24, 85 Eimear Maher 16.3093 Maeve Gallagher 18.08. Teams – 1 Great Britain 29, 2 Italy 29, 3 France 38...11 Ireland 185.

U23 Men: 22 Brian Fay 25.25, 25 Jack O’Leary 25.32, 26 Peter Lynch 25.31, 49 Cormac Dalton 26.0571 Cathal Doyle 27.07, 72 David McGlynn 27.13. Teams – 1 France 17, 2 Italy 29, 3 Germany 45....7 Ireland 73

U23 Women: 3 Stephanie Cotter 21.15, 9 Eilish Flanagan 21.47, 17 Roisin Flanagan 22.06, 38 Fian Sweeney 22.52, 47 Claire Fagan 23.16, 57 Sorcha McAllister 24.55. Teams – 1 Netherlands 17, 2 Ireland 29, 3 Great Britain 40.

Senior men: 18 Sean Tobin 31.11, 52 Conor Bradley 32.28, 61 Eoin Everard 32.55, 64 Liam Brady 33.01, 71 Damien Landers 34.11, dnf Kevin Maunsell. Teams – 1 Great Britain 36, 2 Belgium 38, 3 Spain 45.....13 Ireland 131.

Senior Women: 4 Fionnuala McCormack 27.45, 17 Aoibhe Richardson 28.52, 20 Ciara Mageean 28.58, 35 Mary Mulhare 29.44, 37 Una Britton 29.59, 47 Fionnuala Ross 30.50. Teams – 1 Great Britain 26, 2 Ireland 41, 3 Portugal 43

Mixed Relay: 1 Great Britain 17.55, 2 Belarus 18.01, 3 France 18.05... 7 Ireland (Nadia Power, John Travers, Amy O’Donoghue, Eoin Pierce) 18.40

Irish at World Athletics Championships, Doha - Results

2019-09-23T11:18:00.001+01:00

Mark English (UCD)

World Athletics Championships, Doha, Qatar.
28 September - October 6
Irish results -

Friday September 27
Women’s 3000m steeplechase. H2, 9 Michelle Finn 9.45
Men’s 400m hurdles heats. H1, 2 Thomas Barr 49.
Saturday September 28
Men’s 800m h4, 7 Mark English 1:47.96; 32nd
Men’s 400m H sf2, 4 Thomas Barr 49.02 (SB) 10th fastest.
Men’s 50km walk, 6 Brendan Boyce 4:07.46 (PB)
Monday September 30
Women’s 200m heats,h1, 5 Phil Healy23.56; 37th
Wednesday October 2
Women’s 1500m, h1, 5 Ciara Mageean 4:04.18(Q)
Thursday October 3
Women’s 1500m sf1, 5 Ciara Mageean 4:15.49 (Q)
Friday October 4
Men’s 20km walk, 31Alex Wright 1:37:33
Saturday October 5
Women’s 1500m final, 10 Ciara Mageean 4:00.15 (PB)
Men’s marathon, 43 Stephen Scullion2:221.31.

GOLD ON FINAL DAY OF MASTERS FOR KEALY AND MORAN (updated)

2019-09-15T18:20:00.000+01:00

Annette Kealy and Paul Moran added two more gold medals to the Irish haul on the final day of the European Masters Championships in Venice.
Kealy of Raheny Shamrock AC won the W50 10km in 37 mins 34 with Cathryn Brady of Dundrum South Dublin AC finishing third in 42:15. It was a second medal for Kealy who had won the 5000m on thr track earlier in the week.

Irish W35 4x100m team - silver

In the half marathon, Paul Moran of Rathfarnham WSAF won the M55 title in 77:20.
There was silver for Pauline Moran of Mayo AC who finished second in the W60 10km in 42.26, while the W60 team of Noreen Bonner, Donna Evans and Nuala Reilly, baked up by Gloria Donaghy and Julia Galea took bronze.
A day earlier, Ross Alexander finished second in the M35 20km walk, while the W35 team took silver in the 4x100m behind Poland.
At the last count, Ireland was ranked 15th on the medals table with 32 medals - 12 gold, 12 silver and eight bronze medals. A total of 35 countries won at least one medal.
*A few things in here I don't understand; such as anything with "associated" after it and on disqualification? All insider info welcome.

European Masters Athletics Championships, Venice 5-15 September

100m:
W35 Michelle Metcalfe dns
W40 Sinead O’Regan, h3, 2 13.42 (-2.0); final 8th, 13.44.
W45 Leanne Wellings, h2, 2 13.97
M40 Thomas Moran h5, 3rd, 12.14 (q); SF 1, 7th, 12.63.
M45 Martin O’Donnell. h4, 3rd, 12.44(q); SF1, 13.03 (-4.9); 13th.
M50 David Hayde,h4, 1st 12.06; SF1, 1st, 12.40 (-2.5); 2nd 12.17 (-1.7)(SILVER)
M50 Finbarr Whelan dnf
M55 Niall Kelly, h5, 6th, 13.85 (-1.9)
M60 Shane Sheridan h3,12.89 , SF2 13.36(-3.1); final 4th 13.40 (1.9).

200m:
W35 Snezana Bectina, h3, 1st, 26.54 (Q); final 3rd, 26.43 (BRONZE)
W35 Kathryn McDevitt, h1, 5th 28.29.
W35 Michelle Metcalfe, h2, 5th, 29.43.
W40 Sinead O’Regan h3, 2nd, 27.66(Q); final, 8th, 28.17.
W40 Annette Durkan, h2, 4th, 28.64; 11th.
W45 Leanne Wellings, h1, 3rd, 29.26 (q); SF1, 7th, 29.40; 13th.
W50: Carol Kearney h3, 3rd, 29.83 (q); SF1, 5th, 29.91; 9th.
M40: Brian Boyce, h1, 5th,24.92.
M55: Patrick Crossan ,h7, 3rd,26.33(q); SF1, 5th, 26.26; 12th.
M55: Niall Kelly, h7, 6th,28.54
M55: Tim Ryan h2, 2nd, 26.59 (Q); SF3, 7th, 26.54;19th

400m
W40 Annette Quaid h1, 1st, 59.71 (fastest); final, 2nd, 59.82 (SILVER)
W50: Carol Kearney, h2, 3rd, 67.55 (Q); final, 5th, 65:95.
M40 Shane Kenny dns
M45 Kevin Lynch h1, 1st, 54.97(Q);SF2, 2nd 53.39 (Q); final, 1st 52.03 (GOLD)
M45 Jim Phelan h6, 2nd, 53.63(Q);SF1, 1st, 53.85 (Q); final 5th, 53.23.

800m
W40 Annette Quaid, h2, 1st, 2:18.34(Q)l; final 2nd, 2:13.16 (SILVER)
W40 Denise Toner, h1, 1st 2:17.89(Q); final 1st, 2:12.60 (GOLD)
W40 Maria Dunne, h2, 6th, 2:25.01 (q); final 10th, 2:23.17.
W60 Pauline Moran 4th, 2:51.89
M40 Ronan Kearns, h1, 7th, 2:06.71.
M45 Sean McDermott, h1, 6th, 2:12.99 (q); final 11th, 2:13.63
M65 Joe Gough, h3, 1st, 2:27;63 (Q); final , 1st 2:20.73 (GOLD)
M70 Edward Connolly, h2, 2nd, 2:52.67 (Q); final 5th, 2:40.53.

1500m
W80 Ann Woodlock, 2nd 8:16.90 (SILVER)
M40 Ronan Kearns, h1, 9th, 4:31.86
M45 Sean McDermott, h1 6th, 4:36.26 (q); final, 10th, 4:32.81.
M55 Patrick Malone, h2, 4th 4:43.21(q); final 5th, 4:38.01.
M60 John Healy, h1, 4th, 4:52.56 (q): final 5th, 4:45.49.
M65 Joe Gough, h1, 3rd 5:14.80; final 1st, 4:54.14 (GOLD)
M65 Brian Lynch, h2, 1st, 5:11.74; final 2nd 4:55.21 (SILVER)
M70 Gerard O’Reilly, 13th, 6:15.31

5000m
W40 Anne Marie Kenny, 7th, 18:57.96
W40 Grainne Brinkley 13th, 22.19.66.
W50 Annette Kealy , 1st 18:15.20 (GOLD) won by half a minute from Nicole Weijling Diddel of Ned.
W60 Pauline Moran disq (FC?) 20:42.39 (2nd fastest time) wrong confirmation?
W65 Eileen Kenny 5th 23:07.28
W80 Ann Woodlock, 1st 32:04.53 (only one) (GOLD)
M45 Maurice McMahon, 2nd, 15:48.29 (SILVER) 30 starters in two races.
M45 Declan Toal, 9th, 16:25.04
M50 Ian O’Leary, 14th, 17:53.20
M55 Fergal Dunne, 25th 22:30.39
M65 Brian Lynch, 1st 19:15.64 (GOLD)

10,000m
W35: Patricia Wlodarczyk (Pol) 37:11.63
W70 Evelyn McNelis, 5th, 56:14.44
M55 Paul Cowhie dnf
M70 Gerard O’Reilly

110m H
M55 Niall Kelly, h1, 5th, 19.91 (+2.4); 9th overall.

400H/300m
M55: Patrick Crossan, h2, 3rd, 70.89(q); final 8th. 70:79

Long jump
M40 Ger Cremin,15th, 4.80m
M40 Adrian McGinley 14th, 4.94m

High jump
W60: Dannea Herron 7th, 1.14m.
M35 Francois Kulik , 4th, 1.80

Shot
W60: Lucy Moore 3kg, 14th, 7.28.
M70 Thomas Farragher, 11th, 9.93.

Discus
M50 Paul Herron, 11th, 29.45.
M70 Thomas Farragher dns
M75 Patsy Conboy dns

Javelin
M70 Thomas Farragher, 9th, 25.21.

Hammer
W60 Lucy Moore 3kg; 19th 21.88
M70 Thomas Farragher, 7th 37.29
M75 Patsy Conboy dns

Weight
W60 Lucy Moore (5.45kg) 15th, 9.23 (Irish rec)
M70 Thomas Farragher, 5th, 16.55
M75 Patsy Conboy (7.260 kg), 11th 7.13

Throwing pentathlon (HT, SP, DT, JT, WT)
M55 James Herron 23rd, 2355 points. (HT 22.89, SP 7.31, DT 24.33, JT 17.32, Wt 10.22)
M70 Thomas Farragher 8th , 2348 points (HT 40.11, SP 10.61, DT27.82, JT 22.57 Wt 14.83)

4x100m
W35 (Leanne Wellings, Kathryn McDevitt, Annette Durkan, Sinead O’Regan) 2nd, 52.07 secs (SILVER)
M40 (Kevin Lynch, Ger Cremin, Brian Boyce, Jim Phelan) 3rd, 45.48 (BRONZE)

4x400m
M40 (Adrian McKinley, Ger Cremin, Kevin Lynch, Jim Whelan) 2nd, 3:33.64

Walks -
M35. Ross Alexander, short, 5th, 49.17. 20km, 2nd , 1:56.37 (SILVER)
M40 Brian O Domhnaill 10km, 7th, 46.29; 20km, 6th, 1:48.52; 1st 10km Road Walk Associated 46.29 (GOLD); 1st 20km Road Walk Associated 1:48.52 (GOLD)
M55 John Laste 10km, 20th, 65.24; 20km, 12th, 2:27.48; 5th 10km Road Walk Associated 65.54
M70 John McMullin, short road walk, 6th, 56.59
W55 Anne Gormley - 20km RW, 6th, 2:54.27; short RW; 12th,71:24; 5000m track, dns
Teams: Men’s 10km, BRONZE

Cross-Country 4km-
W40 Michelle Kenny 4th, 14.17
W45 Aoife Cowhie, 13th, 19.42
W45 Ashling Smith 7th, 15.21; 2nd 4km C-C Associated (SILVER)
W50 Annette Kealy 5th, 14.38; 1st 4km C-C Associated (GOLD)
W60 Pauline Moran, 2nd 15:26 (SILVER); Rosa Mota the winner in 15.14.(gold Seoul 1988 marathon)
W65 Eileen Kenny, 6th 17.46’; 1st 4km W60 C-C Associated (GOLD)
W70 Evelyn McNelis 6th 20.56; 2nd 4km C-C Associated (SILVER)
M45 Maurice McMahon, 1st 12.07 (GOLD)
M45 Declan Toal 4th, 12.28
M50 Ian O’Leary, 16th 13.40
M50 Ian Egan, 19th 14.01
M55 Patrick Malone, 1st M50 Associated (only one!) 13.41 (GOLD)
M55 Philip O’Doherty, 1st M45 Associated, 14.38 (GOLD)
M65 Brian Lynch , 1st 14.18 (GOLD)
M65 Paul Elliott 6th 14.34
M65 Michael Jordan 11th 15.24
M65 Matt Alexander 13th 15.39

M65 Michael Richard Kavanagh dns
Teams - M50, 4th, 41.22. M65 2nd behind Italy (SILVER); 44:26
W40: 3rd, 44.16. W60, 3rd, 54.08 (2xBRONZE)

10km
W50 Annette Kealy 1st, 37:34; (GOLD)
W50 Cathryn Brady 3rd, 42.15 (BRONZE)
W60 Pauline Moran, 2nd 42.26 (SILVER)

Half Marathon
W35 Jennifer Montague, 12th, 93.35.
W40 Catherine O’Connor, 12th, 94.40.
W40 Anne Marie Kenny, 23rd, 1:44.17
W40 Joanne McClafferty, 25th, 1:48.30.
W50 Donna Evans, 10th, 99.13.
W60 Noreen Bonner, 5th, 1:40.00
W60 Nuala Reilly, 8th, 1:50.00
W60 Gloria Donaghy, 12th, 2:14.29
W60 Julia Galea, 13th, 2:15.45.
M35 Conor McAuley, 4th, 70.58.
M35 Tim Twomey, 12th, 80.29
M45 Sean McDermott, 13th, 82.39.
M55 Michael Cornyn, 35th 1:44.12
M55 Philip O’Doherty 20th, 90.30.
M55 Paul Moran, 1st 77.20 (GOLD)
M65 Michael Richard Kavanagh 8th, 97:19
M70 Michael Ferry, 8th, 1:56.35.

Teams - M35 4th; M55 7th; W40 5th; W60 3rd (BRONZE);

Half Marathon 10km Associated
5 Brian McDermott M45 82:39

Lindienaughton

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