Dublin Clubs Roundup, 04 - 08 March 2026
INDOORS - HOME AND AWAY
Cillian Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock AC) ran a personal best 1:47.59 to win the men’s 800m at the sixth and final Track & Field Live meet in the NIA, Abbotstown on Wednesday (March 4). In the women’s 800m, junior athlete Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers) was second in a personal best 2:06.66.
On the same evening Bori Akinola (UCD AC) was at the ISTAF meet in Berlin where he ran 6.57for third place in the 60m final having run 6.65 in the heats.
In the Be Fit Today Track Academy graded meet at Lee Valley in London on Sunday (March 8) Mollie O’Reilly (Dundrum South Dublin AC) won her first round 100m in 11.79 secs, with Orla Comerford (unatt) fourth in 12.13. In the second round, O’Reilly ran a faster time of 11.75 for second in her heat. Comerford won another heat in 12.04.
In the USA, Hannah Segrave (Clonliffe Harriers) ran 2:01.82 for 800m in Philadelphia on Saturday (March 7) which is inside the B standard for the World Indoors in Torun. At the same meet, Ronan McMahon Staggs (Dublin City Harriers) ran a personal best 3:38.81 in the 1500m.
DCU’s long domination of the women’s competition at the Irish Universities Indoor Championships ended on Saturday where for the first time since 2006, University of Limerick were the winners. DCU had won every year since — that’s seventeen years. UL picked up points in every event except the 3000m for a total of 84 points. DCU just got the nod over UCD for second place with the teams tied on 68 points, although UCD finished ahead of DCU on the medals table.
UCD won the 200m (Cara Murphy), 800m (Renee Crotty), 3000m (Kate McCrystal) pole vault (Aoibhín McDonald) and 4x200m, DCU won the 60m hurdles (Okwuchukwu Backari), 400m (Aisling Stafford, with Daisy Walker second) and triple jump (Daphni Doulaptsi-Teeuwen). In the men’s competition, it was business as usual for DCU with the team picking up points in 15 of the 17 events. They ended up on 72 points, putting them nine points clear of SETU on 63 points with UCD third on 53 points. Since 2006, only UL in 2022 has managed the break the DCU men’s winning streak.
Wins for DCU came in the 800m (Finn Woodger in a new meet record of 1:51.30), high jump (Emanuel Osas) and weight for distance (Coil Ó Muiri). UCD won the 60m (Jesse Osas), 1500m (Jonas Stafford), 3000m (Lughaigh Mallon) and long jump (Sean McCabe), which put them top of the medals table ahead of DCU and UL. The third Dublin university, TU Dublin took its only win of the day in the 4x200m relay beating UCD and UL, with DCU fourth.
SCHOOLS - MHC-DONORE HARRIERS SCHOOLS LEAGUE
Just three and a half points separated the top four boys’ teams after the third and final round of the inaugural MHC-Donore Harriers league held at the Donore track on a very wet Thursday morning (March 5). After wins in the cross-country and road relay stages, St Declan’s Cabra held on for overall victory in the league. Picking up maximum points for the school were Charlie Franzoni and Lucien Dollet-McCann who finished first and second in the inter 1500m and helped the school to second place in the 4 x 300m relay. Ashton Smith added more valuable points when winning the junior high jump. Kylemore College Ballyfermot, with strong performances in the field events, finished top of the track and field table, which was enough to see them jump from fourth place to the runners-up spot overall. In the long jump there was a clean sweep for the school with wins for William Kelly minor, Charlie Abbey junior and Matty Bancerz inter. Also taking maximum points were Lucas Ngola inter high jump and Piotr Szkwara inter shot. Drimnagh Castle finished just one point behind Kylemore College for third place overall. A close fourth was Clogher Road Community College, with wins for the twins Michael and Reuben Phillips in the minor boys long jump and high jump respectively, and for Max Amadai in the junior shot. On the track, Donore Harriers member Mike Mok of Mercy Inchicore won the inter boys’ 100m and later anchored his school to victory over St Declan’s in the relay. Winning the minor and junior 100m races were Samson Olszewki and Daniel Kostin, both from Pobalscoil Iosolde Palmerstown. Other winners in the 1500m were Jaden Fox (CBS James’s Street) minor and Gregory Hryhorii (Pobailscoil Iosolde) junior. In the relays which rounded out the day, Kylemore College won the junior race with St Seton’s Ballyfermot second, while CBS St James’ Street beat Clogher Road in the minor race. In all, twelve schools competed in the boys’ league, among them Synge Street CBS who joined for the track and field leg and finishing second behind Kylemore College on the day. The school will clearly be a force next season. The girls’ track and field round is yet to take place.
Points totals - 1 St Declan’s Cabra 52.5 (20,20,12.5); 2 Kylemore College 51.5 (14.5,17,20); 3 Drimnagh Castle 50.5 (18,18,14.5); 4 Clogher Road CC 49 (17,16,16; 5 CBS James Street 42(14.5, 15,,12.5); 6 Pobalscoil Iosolde Palmerstown 41.5 (16,11, 14.5); =7 Mercy SS Inchicore 37 (11,9,17)/St Setons SS 37(12.14,11); 9 Cabra CC 32 (10,12,10); 10 Colaiste Eoin Crumlin 26 (13,13,-); 11 O’Connell SS 19 (9,10, -); 12 Synge Street CBS 18 (-,-, 18)
More photos from the Donore meet are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720332362731.
CROSS-COUNTRY
At the All Ireland Schools Cross-Country Championships, in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim on Saturday (March 7), Belvedere College packed brilliantly to win the boys’ senior team title by a single point. Leading the team home in sixth place was Charlie O’Neill, backed up by Liam Morris 11th, Daniel Hughes 45th and Edward Blaque 49th. Blackrock College, led by Charlie White in tenth place and James Foot 12th, finished third team. Other good runs came from Conrad Latham (St Paul’s Raheny) a fighting fourth and Conor McGuirk (Lusk CC) seventh. In the inter boys race, Adam Noon (Templeogue College)was fourth and his team mate Sam Redmond sixth. In the girls’ races, Dublin schools finishers runners-up in three of the team races. Winning the junior girls’ title and helping Loreto Stephen’s Green to team silver was Aibhe Finucane, while in the inter girls’ race, Santa Sabina, led by Beth Reamsbottom in eighth place, also finished second team. In the minor girls’ race, Aisling Hegarty of Skerries Community College finished second, with her team also finishing second.
ROADS
Big race of the weekend was the Bohermeen Half Marathon, Co Meath on Sunday (March 8) where James Hyland (Raheny Shamrock AC) finished third in 67 mins 41 secs and a large number of clubs from all over Leinster and Ulster battled it out in the team competitions. A surprise winner of the women’s race in 70:50 was British international athlete Alice Wright, who was running in Dublin Track Club colours. Aoife Cleary (Crusaders AC) was fourth in 78:10 and Noreen Brouder (Sportsworld AC) fifth and first master (W45) in 79:42. Women’s category winners were Freda O’Mara (PortmarnockAC) W50 and Sheila Verdon (Portmarnock AC) W65. Joan McTernan (Donore Harriers) was second W65, and Mary Lynch (Raheny Shamrock AC) second W70. Of the men, Eoin Hinchy (Brothers Pearse AC) was second M40, Alan Quinn (Portmarnock AC) third M45, Ciaran McCarthy (Raheny Shamrock AC) second M50, Michael Wycherley (Crusaders AC) third M50, Des Tremble (Donore Harriers) first M55, Alan McCabe (Tallaght AC) second M65, Donal Murphy (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) first M70 and Mick Carolan (Brothers Pearse AC) second M70.
In the Rennick Cup for men’s teams of six, Raheny Shamrock AC finished second and Donore Harriers third of 33 teams entered, among them newer clubs including Ballymun AC, Inner City RC and D15 RC. Raheny were again second in the competition for men’s teams of four, with Clonliffe Harriers third and Donore fourth of the 44 teams. Crusaders AC finished second of the women’s teams. Roadrunners RC from Belfast won all three team categories.
OTHER WEEKEND ROAD RACES
Dublin raiders had a good day at the Moneystown NS 4-Mile near Roundwood in Co Wicklow, where Colm Turner (Brothers Pearse, M40 ) was the race winner in 20 mins 4 secs and his clubmate Edward O’Connor second in 20:42.
Dundrum South Dublin AC clubmates Alex Murphy and Sarah Mulligan finished first and second women in 23:02 and 23.26 respectively. Laura McDonnell was third woman and first W40 in 23:59. Ashley Hayes (Crusaders AC) was first M45 and Colm Turner’s father Tom first M70.
Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock, W40) finished third woman at the Bundoran 10-mile in Co Donegal, with a time of 60:43.
Finishing second at the Great Gorey Run 10 mile in Co Wexford, was Kevin Donagher (Rathfarnham WSF AC, M40) in 56:38. Paul Murphy (Tallaght AC) was second M50.
