Dublin Clubs Roundup, 14 - 18 May 2025

ROADS 

At the Irish Runner 5km in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, Dublin, which incorporated a national championships on Saturday (May 17), over 2,000 finishers were led home by James Gormley (Carmen Runners) in a time of 14 mins 01 sec. Second in 14:18 was Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers) winner of the Terenure 5-Mile six days earlier. Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was third in 14:35 with Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC) just a second behind for fourth and first M35. 

Ella Fennelly (DSD ) was second woman in 16. 40 and Catherina Mullen (MSB AC) third in16:47. Meghan Ryan (DSD) was fourth in 15:59. First U19 was Cliodhna Ryan (DCH ) 19:49. In the team competition, DSD won both men and women’s titles. Raheny Shamrock was second of the men and Metro St Brigid’s s third of the women’s teams. Brothers Pearse beat Clonliffe Harriers in the M35 category with Rathfarnham WSAF third. In the W35 category Rathfarnham WSAF and Raheny Shamrock finished second and third. Among the newly established Dublin clubs who entered teams were Coolock RC, Liberties RC, North Clondalkin, Castleknock RC and Shelters Running Community. Age category winners from Dublin clubs were Louise Gaffney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W35, Adrienne Jordan (Crusaders AC) W45, Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock) W55, Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF) W65, Cillian O’Leary (Raheny Shamrock) M45, Damien Martin (Raheny Shamrock) M60 and Vincent O’Neill (Civil Service Harriers) M70.

At the Riga Marathon in Latvia on Saturday (May 17), Dean Hayden led home a large group of runners from Ballymun AC, finishing in 2 hrs 51 mins 33 secs— just off his target time of 2:50. Ultra marathon man Ger Prendergast (M45) was second in 3:02.31, followed by James Power (M50) with a net time of 3:28.23 and Joshua Griffith in 3:34.46. Best of the women was Ann-Marie Burns in 3:34.15 (net). 

Competing the half marathon were twenty-seven women from the club, led by Ashley Carroll in 1:44.39, Susie Hickman (W60) in 1:53.17 and Shannon Fleming in 1:53.31. Finishing third in the over 70 age group was Colette Shannon in 2:27.03. Best of the twelve men finishing was Calvin Alexander in 89:11, followed by Derek Daly in 1:34.57 and Ken Coakley (M50) in 96:42. A further seven ran the 10km. In total, 57 runners from Ballymun AC were in action. Bravo all!

* A few days before they headed for Riga, Ballymun AC in conjucntion with Ballymun Health and Fitness, hosted the annual Ballymun Running Festival, with races taking place all day at Trinity Comprehensive School on Wednesday May 14. First up was the Breakfast Run at 7am followed by schools races and then a final 5km/10km in the evening. A great day with record numbers turning out for all runs.

At the Bear Races FastLane 10km in Clondalkin/Grand Canal, Co Dublin, also on Sunday, Eleanor Alexander (Clonliffe Harriers) was first woman.

WEEKDAY EVENING RACES 

In a battle to the end, Sean Doran (Harrier Products) beat Thomas Sherlock (Bank of Ireland) for victory at the ESB BHAA Beach 5km on Sandymount Strand, Dublin on Wednesday (May 14), The pair were given times of 16mins 52 secs and 16 mins 56 secs. Third was the ESB’s own Aidan Jones in 17:48. Clare O’Sullivan (CSO) was first woman in 20:21, followed by Niamh O’Keeffe (ESB) din 21:18 and and Fiona Byrne (HSA) t in 22:39.

TRACK AND FIELD

Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) clocked a time of 7:34.48 when finishing third in the 3000m at the Tokyo Golden GrandPrix promotion in Japan on Sunday (May 18).

SCHOOLS 

At the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in Tullamore on Monday May 12, Jacob Ciomek (HFCS Rathcoole/Lucan Harriers) was a double winner at inter level with victories in the 1500m steeplechase and in the 1500m where Charlie O’Neill (Belvedere/Donore Harriers) finished a close second.  Winning the inter boy’s 800m earlier in the day was Conrad Latham (St Paul’s Raheny/Raheny Shamrock) where Charlie O’Neill was also a close second.

Winning the senior girls’ 1500m was Emily Bolton (Institute of Education/Clonliffe Harriers). Lorcan Benjacar (Ard Scoil Ris, Clonliffe Harriers) took the senior boy’s title with Ryan O’Neill (Terenure College/Rathfarnham WSAF) second. Ciara Houlihan (Sancta Maria) won the senior girls’ 3000m. Abigail Farrell (King’s Hospital/Donore Harriers) won the senior girls’ 100m hurdles and Rachel Lynch (Muckross/Dundrum South Dublin) the seniro 400m hurdles. Dublin winners in the 100m sprints were Alicja Doyle (Belmayne ETSS/Clongriffin AC) inter girls, and Cillian Doherty (Belvedere/Crusaders AC) senior boys. Over 200m, Dubem Amah (Moyle Park/Tallaght AC) inter boys Sadie Meade (Mount Sackville/Metro St Brigid’s AC) inter girls I and Donal Martin (St Michael’s/Blackrock AC) senior boys were all winners. Martin was also second in the 100m. Louis Blinco (Castleknock CC/MSB AC) won the inter boys 400m and Sarah Kiernan (Our Lady’s Terenure) the senior girls 400m. In the 4x100m relays, Belmayne ETSS beat St Dominic’s Cabra for the inter girls’ title with Castleknock College winning the inter boys’ title. Dominican Griffith Avenue and Belvedere made it another Dublin double in the senior 4 x 100m races. 

In the field, Archie Monaghan (St Columba’s College) with the senior boys triple jump, Eva Munnelly (Loreto Foxrock) the inter girls’ long jump, Ava Lewis (Lusk CC) the inter girls’ pole vault, Patryck Pucek (PS Neasain Baldoyle/Clongriffin AC) inter boys’ high jump, Theo Quinn (Belvedere) senior boys’ high jump and Lauren Healy (Loreto Foxrock/DSD) the inter girls’ high jump. In the hammer, Ethan Thompson (Belvedere) won the inter boy’s title. At senior level, Sami Bashti (Blackrock/DSD) and Daisy Lauren Leonard (Lusk CC) took the boys and girls titles, while Conor Cunniffe (Belvedere) won the senior boys javelin wand Holly Helme (Rathdown/Cabinteely AC) the inter girls discus. All will nwo compete in the All Ireland Championships in Tullamore on May 30/31. 

TRAIL 

East Cork AC made it a hat-trick of victories when winning the Wicklow Way Relay on Saturday (May 17) in a time of 7 hours 33 minutes 35 seconds for the 104km distance with 3,500m of climb. Making up the winning team were Graham Swords, Tony Forristal, Fiona Santry, Donal Giltinan, Matt Horrigan, Kevin O’Brien, Nick O’Donoghue and Tamzin Muldowney. All teams had to include at least two women and two master runners. Less than four minutes behind in 7:37. 09 were TT Racers, a team based in Trinity College, while third in 8:15.54 was Rathfarnham WSAF in an exact repetition of the result in both 2024 and 2023, although times were slower, possibly because of the warm conditions.

TT Racers had led on the opening leg of eight from Kilmashogue Woods to Curtlestown, but were soon caught by East Cork, who then maintained their lead all the way to the finish in Shillelagh, with the penultimate ‘long’ leg proving crucial. 

Other Dublin clubs in action included Dundrum South Dublin, eighth in 8:55.39, Cabinteely AC, 15th in 10:04.51, Blackrock AC 17th in 10:07.50 and Lusk AC 26th in 10:45.22. Members of other Dublin clubs also lined out for composite teams. Of the thirty-five teams who completed the eight-stage race, four were women only, with YBCV3 proving the fastest when finishing 12th overall in 9:32.07. Next was a Crusaders AC team called ‘Agony of Defeet’ which finished in 10:46.30.