Dublin Clubs Roundup 2025

JANUARY 

Who can ever forget the Dublin Masters Cross Country Championships held on a new course at St Anne’s Park in early January? It was miserable. I mean really miserable. Four layers of wet gear miserable. Winners on the day were Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) who throughout the year would prove that he is in the form of his life, and Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC). We will be back in St Anne’s Park on Sunday January 4. Please let it not rain!

Road race of the month was the 41st AXA Raheny 5-Mile on January 26, won by Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) in 22 mins 47 secs — the fourth fastest time ever. Gidey joins the select group to have broken 23 minutes in this race since it was first held in 1985.

Late in the month, Dublin Athletics was mourning the death of Cyril White who for over sixty years was a mainstay of the local athletics scene. Generations of athletes were called to order by Cyril who began as a starter in 1953 and only retired in 2014 at the age of eight-five. 

FEBRUARY

Local cross-country races dominated February with the BHAA and the Women’s Meet & Train league keeping club runners active in venues including Tymon, Park, Abbotstown and Kiltipper. Indoor athletics was also taking place. 

With no road races in Dublin, the annual Trim 10-mile in neighbouring Co Meath was well supported by Dublin clubs with six teams from Lucan Harriers, four each from Raheny Shamrock and Brothers Pearse, three from Clonliffe Harries and two from both Esker RC and D15 RC in the women’s race, while for the men’s race, Clonliffe Harriers had four teams entered, Lucan Harriers and Raheny Shamrock three, and Brothers Pearse, Metro St Brigid’s, LSA, Donore Harriers and Esker RC two each. The 2026 ‘Trim 10’ on February 1 is already booked out. 

MARCH 

John Travers (Donore Harriers) and Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC) were the winners at the Lusk 4-Mile road races held on March 2 when it attracted an entry of close to a thousand with 869 finishers. At the National Cross-County Course, Abbotstown, on March 2, Paul Fleming (Ornua/RathfarnhamWSAF AC) ran a typically canny race to win the BHAA AIB men’s 4-mile race. In the women’s 2-mile race, run in conjunction with Women’s Meet and Train for the first time ever, Lisa Gaughan (DSD AC) was not only first overall but also winning her her third race from four outings in the Meet and Train Winter League. 

On St Patrick’s Day at the annual Tallaght 5km , Clonliffe Harriers made it a double with Ben Guiden the overall race winner and Helena Butterly first woman. Guiden pushed the pace from early on and finished a clear winner. Butterly had an equally emphatic victory crossing the line with almost half a minute to spare. In the team competition, it was also Clonliffe Harriers on the double. A strong team from Donore Harrier, led by John Travers, took the men’s national team title at the Dunboyne 10km on March 23 when the race incorporated the National 10km Championships. 

Later in the month, on March 30, Cillian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) led home almost 12,000 finishers at the inaugural Dublin City Half Marathon held making it the third biggest road race in the city after the Dublin Marathon and the Women’s Mini Marathon. The race, which had had sold out in just two hours, started on O’Connell Street at 8.30 am and took in much of Dublin’s Northside. It was organised by the Dublin Marathon team with the support of Dublin City Council. The 2026 race takes place on March 30. 

APRIL

Raheny Shamrock AC hosted the National Road Relays on April 27, where Dundrum South Dublin AC successfully retained its title in the women’s senior race . It was the club’s sixth win since 2009. In the men’s race defending champions Clonliffe Harriers finished third. Winning the M50 title was Rathfarnham WSAF AC

MAY 

Sprinters took centre stage at the opening round of the Dublin Graded Track and Field League held in Santry on Saturday May 3)— a six-hour marathon. Two rounds of 100m races were divided into four grades with a number of heats in each grade, and variable winds affecting times in all grades. Fastest of the men in both rounds was Bori Akinola (UCD AC). Lorcan Murphy (DSD AC) who would burst upon the scene in no uncertain fashion as the season unfolded, won the third grade A heat. A busy season of graded track and field meets followed.

On May 11, Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers) was the runaway winner of the Terenure 5-Mile, leading home 1.369 finishers. First woman was Meghan Ryan (Dundrum South Dublin) who also had plenty to spare when winning in 28:54. Team winners were the DSD women and the Raheny Shamrock men. Abroad, Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers ran the race of his life to win the European 10,000m Cup in Pacé, France on Saturday evening (May 24). His time was 27 mins 40.47 secs. 

JUNE 

At the annual VHI Women’s Mini Marathon held on the first weekend of June, Ciara Brady (Raheny ShamrockAC) was the first Dublin athlete home in eighth place. First master overall, as well as first over 55 for a third year, was the evergreen Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock AC), a previous winner of the race. 

JULY 

Highlight of the Morton Games at Santry on a balmy evening on July 11) was the Morton Mile, where thirteen of the fourteen finishers broke four minutes. Of those, six were Irish and two from Dublin with Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) making his move with about 150 metres to go and holding off the challenge of the 2024 winner Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) in the chase for the line. The pair finished in times of 3:51.12 and 3:51.26. Former Irish basketball champion Lorcan Murphy continued his meteoric rise in Irish athletics when winning the national men’s decathlon title in Carlow on the weekend of July 2. Competing in his first ever decathlon, he accumulated a total of 6305 points, which put him well clear of the opposition. Later in the month, Murphy played a vital part in a remarkable double victory for Dundrum South Dublin at the National Track and Field final in Tullamore on Sunday (July 27). The women had a comfortable enough win, but for the men, a first ever victory over many times champions Clonliffe Harriers only came after a nail-biting count-back. 

AUGUST

Dublin winners at the National Track and Field Championships in Santry Stadium over the weekend of August 2-3 included Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Jack Raftery (Donore Harriers) in the 400m, Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 1500m, Daphni Doulaptsi Teeuwen (Raheny Shamrock AC ) triple jump, Eric Favors (Raheny Shamrock AC) men’s shot, and Niamh Fogarty (Raheny Shamrock AC) shot and discus.

Winning the Dublin 10-Mile Championships which took place in conjunction with the annual Frank Duffy 10-Mile in the Phoenix Park on August 16, were Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers), the overall race winner, and Kate Purcell (Raheny Shamrock AC). Raheny Shamrock took three titles —men and women’s senior and the M35 age group. A great day was had by all at the inaugural DSD Masters League Day at the Tibradden Road track in Dublin on August 30. Despite tough opposition from twelve other teams, the host club took the spoils, picking up points in all eleven events on offer. The event is back on the schedule for next August. 

SEPTEMBER

Not only did Colm Rooney win the Lucan 5-Mile in some style on Sunday morning (September 7) , he led Clonliffe Harriers to a comprehensive victory in both the open and the Dublin Championships team categories. First woman in 29:15 was Faye Dervan (Dublin City Harriers). Winning the Rathfarnham 5km on the last Sunday of the month in a course record time of 13 mins 49 was Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers). Next year’s race takes place on Sunday September 27 (9.30am). 

OCTOBER

Ireland’s oldest road race the 134th Clonliffe 2-Mile, took place on October 5, with Sean Carrigg (Clonliffe Harriers) and Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based RC, W45) the winners.

Taking the Dublin Marathon titles at the Dublin Marathon on October 26 were were Paul O’Donnell and Meghan Ryan, both from Dundrum South Dublin AC. O’Donnell finished third Irishman a in 2 hrs 12 mins 11 secs. Second Dublin athlete was John Travers (Donore Harriers), who was making his marathon debut and finished in 2:23.21. Not far behind was Travers’ Donore clubmate Kane Collins in 2:23.57. In the women’s race, Meghan Ryan, also running her first marathon, finished fourth Irishwoman in 2:40.33. Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock AC, W40) was second in a personal best 2:44.14 and Cliona Murphy (Dublin City Harriers), another marathon debutant, third in 2:47.23

NOVEMBER

Colm Rooney of Clonliffe yet again proved that age is no barrier to sporting success when he won the Dublin Cross Cross-Country title at Kilbeggan Racecourse in Co Westmeath on Saturday (November 8). Following the cancellation of the Dublin Championships at Corkagh Park six days earlier on the orders of South Dublin County Council, senior and U20 races were incorporated into the Leinster Championships. Second was Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers) with Fintan Kerins (Clonliffe Harriers) fourth and third Dubliner. Clonliffe Harriers were comfortable team winners with just sixteen points. Dundrum South Dublin, were second and Donore Harriers third. Taking the top three places in the women’s 4km race were Dublin City Harriers with winner Orla Duffy followed home by Edel Monaghan and Lucy Holmes. DCH were comfortable winners of the team title. In the U20 races, the winners were Cara Mohan (Metro St Brigid’s AC) and Tom Breslin (Clonliffe Harriers).

DECEMBER 

Finally, at the 34th annual Jingles Bells 5km in the Phoenix Park on Saturday December 6, Fintan Kerins (Clonliffe Harriers), third overall, and Fay Dervan (Dublin City Harriers, second woman, were the first Dublin club athletes to finish. The Donore Harriers men and the Dublin City Harriers women took the team prizes. Many Dublin clubs had entered multiple teams in the race. 

Here’s to more great racing and competition indoors and outdoors, on grass, road and trail in 2026!