National juvenile titles for Duffy and Maher
Athletics: Tullamore Harriers News
The future of Irish athletics was on display in Tullamore as the 123.ie National Juvenile Track and Field Championships got underway last Saturday and Sunday. In an impressive weekend of competition, local talent shone brightly with standout performances from Tullamore Harriers middle distance and U19 sprint stars.
Patrick Duffy delivered a gold medal winning performance in the U17 Boys 2000m Steeplechase, crossing the line in 6:26.18 to claim the All-Ireland title. Duffy led a strong Tullamore Harriers middle-distance group, with all five clubmates achieving personal bests across their events: Adelyn Walsh - 6th in U16 800m (2:18.78); Ronan Keaney - 9th in U17 3000m (9:21.40), 6th in U17 800m (2:04.60); Niamh Garvey - 6th in U18 3000m (10:30.64); and Aoibhe Moore - 8th in U18 3000m (10:47.59).
Despite challenging weather on Day 1, Alisha Maher powered to victory in the U19 100m final, clocking a time of 12.31 to secure her second All-Ireland title of the season. A strong start and composed finish helped her pull away from the field despite rain and a headwind.
Teammate Katie Deverell, fresh from completing her Leaving Certificate, placed a commendable 5th in the final with a time of 12.85. The U19 girls' squad including Lucy Champ (13.18), Eimear Cotter (13.54), and Teagan Delaney (13.64) - all performed impressively in their heats.
These young athletes look set for a successful summer of national and international competition.
O'Connor impresses at European Team Championships
A huge congratulations to Ava O’Connor, who delivered a standout performance for Team Ireland at the European Athletics Team Championships Division 2 in Maribor, Slovenia last weekend.
Ava claimed an excellent 4th place finish in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase, clocking a time of 9:45.09. Her performance earned 14 valuable points for the Irish team on Day 1 of the championships, helping Ireland sit in 5th place after the opening 20 events with 192 points. Ireland went on to finish 5th overall in the final standings with 349 points, behind Belgium, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey, with the top three teams earning promotion to Division 1.
Ava’s performance on the international stage is another major milestone in her career and reflects her dedication to the sport.
Irish Runner 5 Mile National Championships
Four Tullamore Harriers athletes took to the roads of Phoenix Park for the Irish Runner 5 Mile, part of the Biofreeze Athletics Ireland Race Series and the host event for the National 5 Mile Road Championships.
Barry Minnock and Eileen Kenny led the way with gold medal winning performances in their respective age categories. Barry was first in the M50 category with a time of 27:31, while Eileen secured top honours in the F75 division, clocking 37:59.
Jamie Malone had a superb run, finishing 34th overall in a strong time of 29.00 showing great form in a highly competitive field. Rita Daly also put in a very strong performance, crossing the line in 36:01. Congratulations to all four athletes on representing the club so well.
The men's race was won by Emmet Jennings (DSD AC) in 24:19, with Patricia Jackman (Waterford AC) winning the women's race (27:16).
IMC Crusaders AC Meet
Three Tullamore Harriers athletes lined out at the Irish Milers Club Meet, hosted by Crusaders AC at Morton Stadium, Dublin, on June 28, and all delivered impressive performances.
Michael Murphy starred in the Men’s 1500m B race, producing a standout performance. Taking the lead after just 650m, Michael controlled the race from the front and powered home to win in 3:48.51 -a massive personal best and finishing over five seconds clear of his nearest rival, Donal O’Shea. A superb result for Michael.
Shauna Leydon also impressed, taking victory in the 800m B race with a strong finish, clocking 2:16.13. Another excellent result for Shauna in a competitive field.
Jack Donegan finished 6th in the 1500m C race with a solid time of 4:04.56, just three days after running 4:067 in the Men's A 1500m at the Dublin Graded Meet in Santry also, showing great consistency and commitment. Well done to all three athletes on their fantastic performances.
Roscommon Harriers 10 Mile
Well done to Paschal Naughton and Olive Mannion, who took part in the 10th anniversary of the Roscommon Harriers 10 Mile Road Race on Saturday last.
The event, part of the Peugeot Race Series, featured a scenic route starting and finishing on the outskirts of Roscommon town and drew a strong field of just under 500 runners from across the country. Paschal Naughton crossed the line in 1:28:25. Olive Mannion finished in 1:42:35
Offaly 10K Road Championships
The recent Jack Cox 10K, hosted by Kilcormac Killoughey AC served as the official event for the Offaly Athletics 10K Championships. Well done to all the Tullamore Harriers athletes who lined out and competed, with some fantastic performances and tight battles for county medals across all categories.
County championship medals will be presented at the Offaly Athletics Awards Ceremony in November. Tullamore Harriers AC medal winners as follows.
Senior Male - 2nd: Paul Mitchell; 3rd: Kevin Minnock. O45 Male - 2nd: Padraig Berry. O50 Male - 1st: Barry Minnock. O60 Male - 1st: Brendan Abbott. O40 Ladies - 2nd: Niamh McEnhill; 3rd: Charlotte Abbott. O45 Ladies - 1st: Sarah Flanagan; 2nd: Evelyn Herlihy. O50 Ladies - 1st: Karen Nolan; 2nd: Rita Daly. O60 Ladies - 1st: Mary Daly; 2nd: Mary Galvin. O70 Ladies - 1st: Eileen Kenny.
Team Results – Senior Ladies - 1st: Tullamore Harriers AC (Sarah Flanagan, Evelyn Herlihy, Karen Nolan, Maire Triona Keane). O50 Ladies - 1st: Tullamore Harriers AC (Rita Daly, Eileen Kenny, Mary Daly, Mary Galvin). Senior Men - 1st: Tullamore Harriers AC (Paul Mitchell, Kevin Minnock, Barry Minnock, Jonathan Dunne) O50 Men - 1st: Tullamore Harriers AC (Jody O'Reilly, Alan Mitchell, Brendan Abbott, Gerry Dunican).
Condolences
Tullamore Harriers AC extends deepest sympathies to the Stewart family on the recent passing of James Murphy, Cork. May he rest in peace.
Fixtures
Sunday, July 13 – Edenderry 10 Mile. Tuesday, July 22 - Gowran 8.
Training
Senior training on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.40pm to 8.30pm.