Dublin Clubs Activities, 26 December 2025 - 04 January 2026

MASTERLY ROONEY!
Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) not only successfully defended his men’s over 35 title at the Dublin Masters and Intermediate Cross-Country Championships held St Anne’s Park, Raheny on Sunday, he raced away from the field from the start winning the 6km race in 17 mins 37 secs. That time put him well over a minute clear of the chasers led by Mathew Kane (Rathfarnham WSAF ACI who finished second in 19 :10 and Geoffrey Alexandre (Liffey Valley AC) third and first M35 in 19:24. Rooney, aged forty-two was also first M40. He first won this race in 2020 when he was in the over 35 age group. Finishing seventh and first M45 was David Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock AC) . With four finishers in the top fourteen, Raheny were comfortable winners of the team title ahead of Rathfarnham WSAF AC and Sportsworld AC.

A runaway winner in the W50 3km race which opened the master’s programme on the day, was Olympian and many times Irish champion Maria McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin AC) who moved into the over 50 age group a few months ago. McCambridge, who finished third in the over 35 race last year, raced away from the field to win the 3km race in 11 mins 21 secs. Finishing second and first W55 in 12:03 was Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock) , another athlete with a long and distinguished career. Third in 12:12 was Sinead Tighe (Brothers Pearse AC) clearly back in top form after a long injury break. In the team competition, Raheny Shamrock beat Brothers Pearse by just two points for the title. Dundrum South Dublin finished third.

Winning the W35 title in some style with a time of 11 mins 2 secs was Lisa Madden (Sportsworld AC). Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers) better known as an ultra runner, was second and first W45 in 11:23 and Louise Gaffney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) third in 11:35. Finishing fifth and first W40 was Rachel Murphy (Plant Based AC). Madden was also leading Sportsworld to a comfortable team victory, with Rathfarnham WSAF AC second and Clonliffe Harriers third.
Closest race of the day was the men’s over 50 6km, where defending champion Lea Fulcher (Plant Based AC) pushed the early pace although Bernard Geraghty (Donore Harriers) and Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) were never too far behind. When Fulcher dropped out, Geraghty took over in front with Fleming on his shoulder. Only on the final lap did Fleming pass Geraghty racing away for victory in in 19 mins 51 secs. Geraghty was second in 20 minutes exactly and Ciaran McCarthy (Raheny Shamrock AC) third. Finishing fifth and first M55 was Des Tremble (Donore Harriers) while seventh and first M60 was Sean McCreery (Rathfarnham WSAF AC). Donore took the team title from Rathfarnham WSAF with Raheny Shamrock third.

Winning the M65 3km race was Philip Doherty (Clonliffe Harriers) in 11 mins 44 secs. With just four seconds separating the top three, Tom Cuddy (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) was second in 11:46 and Tom O’Connor (Liffey Valley AC) third in 11:48. Rathfarnham WSAF was the winning team followed by Clonliffe Harriers and Tallaght AC. First M70 in the same race was Vincent O’Neill (Civil Service Harriers) Mick Carolan (Brothers Pearse) was second and Patrick McDonnell (Raheny Shamrock Thirds). First M75 was Pat Collins (Liffey Valley). Best of the over 60 women was Orla Gormley (Raheny Shamrock), with Fiona Byrne (Civil Service Harriers) not too far behind for second. Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) was first W65, Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock) first W70 and Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers) first W75.

In the Pat Hooper Perpetual Cup combined team event Rathfarnham WSAF AC won the Cup for the first time with 45 points, beating Raheny Shamrocks AC (38 points) into second place and Sportsworld RC third with 32 points.

Also taking place were the Dublin Intermediate Championships and winning the men’s 6km race was Adam Nason (Donore Harriers) in 18:22. Mahad Mohammed Egaal (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 18:42 and Daniel O’Brien (Lusk AC) third in 18:46. Clonliffe won the team title with Donore second and Raheny Shamrock third.  In the women’s 3km race, Edel McCreery (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) already the Dublin novice champion, was a clear inner in 10:53. Jesseka Gallagher (Clonliffe Harriers) was second in 11:01 and Eavan McLoughlin (Dublin City Harriers) third in 11:05. Clonliffe was first team with Liffey Valley second and Dublin City Harriers third.

GOOD TURN OUT FOR TOM BRENNAN 5KM
Dublin-based Mayo-man Hugh Armstrong was the winner of the New Year’s Day Tom Brennan Memorial 5km in the Phoenix Park with a time of 14 mins 44 secs. Second in 14:58 was Ben Brunton (St Brigid’s AC), while third was Christopher Keenan (Drogheda and District AC). Fourth and first Dublin was Adam Nason (Donore Harriers) in 15:09. Nason was one of many finishers using the race as a warm-up for the Dublin Masters and Intermediate cross-country championships title a few days later. He would win the men’s inter title. His clubmate Charlie O’Neill was second Dubliner and also second junior when finishing sixth in 15:10. First master was Pierce Geoghegan of host club Liffey Valley AC in 15:18. Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers) was first woman in 16:27 followed by Sheila O’Byrne (Parnell AC) in 16:53 and Helena Butterly (Clonliffe Harriers) in 17:02. Raheny Shamrock AC, led by Anthony O’Brien in ninth place, narrowly beat Liffey Valley for the men’s team prize. Donore Harriers finished third. Liffey Valley took the women’s title, led by Ellie O’Driscoll in eighth place. Crusaders AC was second and Raheny Shamrock AC third. Dublin winners in the age categories were Fiona Clinton (DSD) W35, Deirdre Ní Chearbhaill (Crusaders AC) W45, Bernadette Bruen (Raheny Shamrock) W50, Orla Gormley (Raheny Shamrock) W60, Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W65, Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock ) W70, Geoffrey Alexandre (Liffey Valley ) M35, Lea Fulcher (Plant Based AC) M50, Nathan Pearce (Clonliffe Harriers) M55 and Paul McEvoy (Civil Service Harriers) M70.

OTHER HOLIDAY ROAD RESULTS
Dubliner club athletes travelled in force to the Fields of Athenry 10km, Co Galway on St Stephen’s Day, where Will Boyle (Raheny Shamrock AC) in tenth place was first Dubliner in 32:34. His Raheny clubmate Cian Charlton was 15th in 33.30, Karol David Cronin (Sportsworld AC) third M40) in 33.32, Brian Regan (Crusaders AC) 19th in 33:49 Simon O’Toole (Donore Harriers) was 20th and Michael O’Connor (Blackrock AC) fifth M40. Elle O’Driscoll (Liffey Valley) was fifth woman in 37.00 and Doireann Hughes (Crusaders) sixth woman in 37;36. Lucan Harriers, Clonliffe Harriers, Dublin Front Runners and Lusk AC were also represented among the 2,323 finishers at the race, which was won eight times by Mick Clohisey of Raheny Shamrock between 2012 and 2021.

David Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock AC was the winner of the 14th Fat Turkey10km at Suttonians RFC, Sutton, on December 27. Kirwan, also a winner in 2023, finished in 34 mins 34 secs.

A day later, on Sunday December 28, Lee Duddy (Clonliffe Harriers) won the D15 Suicide Awareness 5km held at Sports Campus Ireland, Abbotstown, in 15:56. Noah Ferron (Donore Harriers) finished third in 16:01. Roisin McDonald (Castleknock RC) was second woman in 20:02 and Aoife Donaghy (Dublin City Harriers) third woman in 21:41.

SHELAKE WINS WATERHOUSE-BYRNE-BAIRD 10-MILE HANDICAP.
Taking place on St Stephen’s Day was the 129th Waterhouse-Byrne-Baird 10-Mile Handicap, organised annually by Donore Harriers and run on a two-mile loop in the Phoenix Park. This year’s winner was Kishor Shelake, who started with a 15 minute handicap and finished in 88 mins 54 secs. Second was Andrew Stanley, off seven minutes, in 88.54, while third was Aidan Kelly, off 14.00 in 89.09. First woman was Sorcha Loughnane, off eight minutes, in 92.04.

Captions
Kishor Shelake, winner 129th Waterhouse-Byrne-Baird 10-Mile Handicap. Photo Donore Harriers
Dublin Masters Cross-Country Championships - Maria McCambridge (DSD AC) winning eh W50 race.
Dublin Masters Cross-Country Championships - Lisa Madden (Sportsworld AC), winning the W35 women’s race.

Dublin Masters Cross-Country Championships - Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers), winner M35 men’s race
Dublin Masters Cross-Country Championships - midway through M35 race.

Further photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/