Report on Dublin Clubs activities, 26 - 28 September 2025

COURSE RECORD FOR GIDEY AT RATHFARNHAM 5KM

Six years ago, a 19-year old Efrem Gidey of Clonliffe Harriers lined out in the annual Rathfarnham 5km at the end of September and came home a decisive winner in 14 minutes 18 seconds. On Sunday (September 28), Gidey, just home from the World Athletics in Tokyo, was back at the Rathfarnham 5km, and not only won the race but obliterated the course record with a time of 13 mins 49 secs. Finishing second in 14 minutes exactly was Michael Power (West Waterford AC), while third was Jame Battle (Mullingar Harriers) in 14:07. In a repeat of last year’s women’s race, Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s AC) saw off the challenge of Íde Nic Dhomhnaill (West Limerick AC). She crossed the line in 15 mins 44 secs, with Nic Dhomhnaill fourteen seconds adrift in 15:40 — a wider margin that a year earlier when there was just a single second in it. Third in 16:04 was Nic Dhomhnaill’s sister Sorcha (also West Limerick AC) running her first race in some time and finishing in 16:04. Incoprorate in the race was the Dublin 5km Championships, withKate Crowley (Raheny Shamrock AC) , who was fifth overall, the winner followed by Niamh Kelly (Clonliffe Harriers) and Sadhbh Mohan (UCD AC). Finishing first overall of the twenty men’s teams entered was Clonliffe Harriers. Raheny Shamrock finished second and host club Rathfarnham WSAF AC third. Those three teams also took Dublin senior titles. In a double for the club, Clonliffe Harriers were also first of the women’s terms, led by Niamh Kelly in sixth place overall. Rathfarnham WSAF AC finished second and Metro St Brigid’s AC third, with these three teams also the Dublin champions and runners-up. As always the race was well supported by masters, with Paraic McKinney, of Inishowen AC, formerly a member of Civil Service Harriers, beating the Irish M60 record with his time of 16:46.

Dublin championships winners in the age groups were Kieran Kelly (Raheny Shamrock AC) M35, Colm Rooney (Clonliffe Harriers) M40, Patrick Marjolet (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M45, Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham WSAF AC), Sean Browne (Dundrum South Dublin AC) M55, Edwin Keville (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M60, Gerry Boyle (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) M65 and Tony Kynes (Donore Harriers) M70 of the men. In the women’s age groups, the winners were Louise Gaffney (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W35, Rachel Murphy (Plant-Based RC) W40, Alli Coll (Brothers Pearse AC) W45, Sinead Tighe (Brothers Pearse AC) W50, Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock) W55, Carol Dempsey (Civil Service Harriers) W60, Sheelagh Jones (Rathfarnham WSAF AC) W65 and Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Harriers) W70; Eileen was celebrating her birthday on the day. Winners of the W35 Dublin Championships team category was Brothers Pearse. Lusk AC was second and Crusaders third. Raheny Shamrock won the W50 title from Civil Service Harriers and Brothers Pearse AC. Crusaders AC won the M35 category with Sportsworld second and Clonliffe Harriers third. Best in the M50 age group was Sportsworld, followed by Raheny Shamrock AC and Dundrum South Dublin AC. A record total of 1,288 completed the race.

 GRETA AND ORLA STRIKE GOLD IN NEW DELHI!

Huge congrats from all at Dublin athletics to Greta Streimikite of UCD (and formerly Clonliffe Harriers) and Orla Comerford (Raheny Shamrock AC) on their gold medal winning performances in the 1500m and 100m at the World Paralympic Games in New Delhi, India. 

MOSTLY OFF-ROAD 

At the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain (Thursday September 25 to Sunday September 28). Killian Mooney (Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished second of the Irish and 53rd of 163 finishers in the classic 14.3km race. His time was 71 mins 30 secs. The Irish team finished 16th of the 31 teams. In the women’s classic race, over the same distance, Sarah Mulligan (also Dundrum South Dublin AC) finished second of the Irish and 62nd of 110 finishers, with the team 16th of 22 teams. In the uphill 6.4km race, Edel Monaghan (Dublin City Harriers) finished 70th, while in the 45km trail race, Sorcha Loughnane (Donore Harriers) finished 94th. In the U20 women’s race, Sinead Farrell (LSA AC) was 43rd.

Locally, at the annual Eco Trail based in Bray and taking in routes around the Wicklow hills on Saturday (September 27), . Sean Meehan (Cherry Orchards RC) finished second in the 80km ultra with a time of 8 hours 30 seconds. In the 10km race Alejandro Cavallo (Liffey Valley AC) finished second in 52:47.

BHAA IN BALLYCOOLIN

At the inaugural Keypoint BHAA 5km at Rosemount Business Park, Ballycoolin Road on Thursday evening (September 25), Sean McCreery (Accountants/Rathfarnham WSAF AC) finished third in 16: 59, while Vanessa Sallier (Aon/Rathfarnham WSAF) was third woman.

SIXTY YEARS OF SHAMROCK WOMEN!

Sixty years ago, in 1965, a small notice appeared in a Dublin newspaper inviting women to join the newly-established women’s section of Raheny Shamrock Athletics Club. A few months earlier, the all-male membership of Raheny Shamrock, founded in 1958, had voted to let women join the club and among the first intake were Therese Burke, Moya Carroll, Margaret Corcoran, Grace O’Leary, Mary McDonald, Ann Keating, Ursula Kennedy, Amy Barry and sisters Siobhan and Mary Lynch. They were inspired by a rising interest in women’s athletics and the victory of the UCD women at the first intervarsity cross-country held in 1963. Mary, in particular, went on to have a stellar career, winning the national cross-country title in 1972 when it was held in the muddy fields of Mountmellick. Her older sister, Siobhan, sadly no longer with us, had helped the Raheny women to a first ever national cross-country team title in 1968. The women won a second title in 1971. Mary became a trail blazer for Irish distance running at a time when the 800m was the longest track race on offer to women. She would set an Irish 3000m record of 9 minutes 38.4 seconds in 1973, and also clocked times of 2:10.3 for 800m and 4:22.5 for 1500m. She attributes her fitness in those days to running home for lunch from Holy Faith Clontarf with her older sister, along with more formal training under the guidance of Paul O’Connor in a field at St Anne’s Park. Moya Carroll, like Margaret Corcoran, had a father involved in athletics. She remembered how difficult it was to get athletics gear for women, especially shorts. In the buttoned-up Ireland of the time, many of the women would wear tights under their shorts to avoid causing offence!

The women were brought together last Wednesday (September 24) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the women’s section, with club president Paddy Noonan welcoming them to the club’s new headquarters at St Assam’s church.

Development of the project is continuing with securing the roof well underway, as Dick Hooper, former Irish marathon champion and club coach, explained. In 1971, when I joined, the club had forty-five members. Now we have 868 and only last summer we closed the deal on this building. Looking around this room, it is apt to say that we are standing on the shoulders of giants.’