Dublin Clubs update, 12 - 14 September 2025
DOUBLE FOR TEAM RAHENY AT RATOATH
Representatives of almost every running club in Dublin headed to Fairyhouse Racecourse in Co Meath on Saturday (September 13) for the increasingly popular Ratoath Half Marathon. Dublin clubs dominated the team categories with Raheny Shamrock winning both the men and women’s categories, while Clonliffe Harriers finished second of the men and Crusaders AC second of the women. Dublin athletes filled all five places from seventh to 11th with David Power (Rathfarnham WSAF) seventh and third M40 in in 72.54, followed by Mark Cassidy (Brothers Pearse) 74:00, Anthony Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) 74:28, Anthony Reilly (Civil Service Harriers) 74.30 and Karol David Cronin (Sportsworld AC) 74:48. All were in the over 40 category. First woman was Fiona Stack (Raheny Shamrock W40) in 80:31. Kathryn Gibbons (Crusaders AC) was third in 85:42. In the over 50 age group, Ruben Bartelink (Dundrum South Dublin AC) won the men’s prize. In the women’s category, the winner Mary Walsh (Raheny Shamrock AC) wasfollowed home by Freda O’Mara (Portmarnock AC) and Caroline Murphy (Brothers Pearse AC) for a Dublin clean sweep.
Also on Saturday, mountain running specialist Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) was a comfortable winner of the The Lakes 10km in Blessington, Co Wicklow with a time of 31 mins 8 secs. Next up for Mooney is the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc, Spain, starting on September 25. Finishing fourth and second M40 was Graham Ahearne (Raheny Shamrock AC) in 34:06. First W50 was Carmel Brennan (Blackrock AC) in 52:54.
A day later, at the Charleville International Half Marathon, Co Cork on Sunday (September 14) , John Travers finished third man in 67:12, with his Donore Harriers clubmate Kane Collins sixth in 69:45. Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe Harriers) finished eighth and first M40 in 71:15.. One place behind and second M40 was Alexey Marchenko (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) in 71:52. Finishing third woman in 79:22 was Alex Murphy (UCD AC). The race was the final round of this year’s Peugeot Series.
At the Eamon Harvey Donegal 10km, also on Sunday, Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) finished second in 32.38. Two days earlier ,on Friday evening, Kelly had finished fourth at the Dromiskin 5km in Co Louth in 14:54 where Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) finished fifth in 15:36.
Winner of the second round of the Clane 4-Mile Series in Donadea Forest, Co Kildare, on Friday evening (September 12) was Kieran Little (Blackrock AC) in 20 mins 46 secs. Enda Clarke (Crusaders AC) was second M40 in 22:27m, with his clubmate Donatas Jocius just one place behind in 22:25.
* Ireland’s oldest road race, the Clonliffe 2-Mile, take place for a 134th time on Sunday October 5 (10.30am) in Glasnevin. The race is organised by Clonliffe Harriers and generously sponsored by the Kavanagh family of John Kavanagh’s ‘The Gravediggers’ pub of Glasnevin. Info www.clonliffeharriersac.com
SMYTH BACK ON TRACK!
Making a welcome comeback to racing at the Stratford Speed Grand Prix in London on Sunday (September 14) was Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock AC). In the first round of 100m races, Smyth won his heat (one of thirty-one!) in 10.64 secs. In the second round of races, he finished third in a slower time of 10.69. Also racing was Marcus Lawler (Clonliffe Harriers) who clocked a time of 10.67 in his heat.
WEST DUBLIN SCHOOLS SIGN UP FOR NEW-LOOK ATHLETICS LEAGUE
Thanks to generous sponsorships from legal firm Mason Hayes Curran, schools from west Dublin have signed up for the first ever Donore Harriers Schools Athletics League this winter season. First round, a cross-country, will take place at Eamonn Ceannt Park in Crumlin on Tuesday September 30 (1pm). Races will take place for boys and girls in minor, junior and inter age groups. The minors will run one lap of the mostly flat kilometre course and the juniors and inter students two laps, with the first six from each school to score for their team. Medals will go to the top three in each race. ‘The purpose of the league is to introduce young people to athletics who may not otherwise be found to the sport,’ says organiser Gerry Naughton, club development officer with the Donore Harriers club in Chapelizod. Donore, one of the oldest clubs in Ireland, attracts members from Ballyfermot, Crumlin, Drimnagh, Cabra, Castleknock and Palmerstown as well as from inner city areas such as the Liberties and Stoneybatter. So far, thirteen schools have signed up for the league, with two further rounds scheduled — a road relay race on November 5 at John Paul II Park in Cabra and a track and field meet at the Donore Harriers 300m track to be split between two dates — March 5 and 12. The league is supported by the Dublin City Sports and Wellbeing Partnership. After the three rounds of the league are complete, the top girls school will be presented with the Ann Woodlock Trophy and the top boys school with the Cyril White Trophy. Both Woodlock, a world masters athletics champion from Walkinstown, and the late great race starter Cyril White are longtime Donore Harriers stalwarts. Further information, Gerry Naughton 086 562390; mhcdh.schoolsleague@gmail.com
