Armstrong the special guest at annual Offaly Athletics Awards

The Offaly Athletics Awards Ceremony was held last Saturday night at the Tullamore Court Hotel, bringing together athletes, clubs, officials and supporters to celebrate another year of achievement across the county. It was an evening that recognised not only individual performances but also the teamwork, dedication and community spirit that underpin athletics in Offaly.

Master of Ceremonies Adrian Delaney kept proceedings moving smoothly throughout the evening. Adrian welcomed Offaly Athletics Chairman Neil Davidson, who officially opened the ceremony.

Neil greeted the distinguished guests in attendance, including Athletics Leinster Chairperson Catriona Duffy, Offaly Athletics Honorary Presidents Lucy Smith and John Cronin, Cathaoirleach of Birr Municipal District John Leahy, Brian Conroy of PopupRaces and special guest Hugh Armstrong. Hugh was a particularly popular choice as guest presenter, having been crowned Athletics Ireland men's marathon natioanl champion at the Dublin Marathon last month.

In his address, Neil acknowledged and thanked everyone involved in organising the many competitions and events throughout the year. He highlighted the invaluable contribution of the county's volunteers, whose time, commitment and hard work ensure that athletes have opportunities to compete and develop at every level.

Guest presenter Hugh Armstrong then took centre stage to present medals and trophies across a wide range of competitions. These included the Offaly Novice, Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships; Offaly Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships; Offaly Road Championships covering the 10K, 4 Mile, 10 Mile and Half Marathon distances; the Healthy Offaly 5K Series; and the Offaly Endurance Race Series.

The awards reflected the depth of talent throughout the county and the many opportunities for athletes to compete, while also strengthening the spirit of friendship and camaraderie between clubs.

A special highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Marion Feehan Award, now in its second year. This award has been very generously presented by Jude Feehan in memory of his late wife Marion, who is remembered with great affection throughout Offaly athletics.

Marion dedicated 45 years of service to Ferbane AC and Offaly Athletics before her untimely passing in 2021.

The trophy is presented to the club achieving the highest level of participation across the 5K Series, Endurance Series, Track & Field and Cross-Country Championships, with participation measured relative to club membership. Athletics Leinster Chairperson Catriona Duffy had the honour of presenting the award to this year's very deserving and popular winner, Naomh Mhuire AC.

Congratulations to all the athletes and clubs recognised on the night. Sincere thanks are also extended to the Awards Committee for their work in bringing the event together, particularly during the final few months of preparation. An enormous amount of work goes into delivering an event of this scale, much of it taking place quietly behind the scenes.

A special word of thanks to Hugh Armstrong and his family for attending on the night, presenting the many awards and, of course, obliging with what must have been thousands of photographs throughout the evening!

Finally, heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the Offaly Athletics Awards and showed appreciation to the performances of the wonderful athletes from the county.

Healthy Offaly 5K Series – overall winners

Ladies - 1st: Caroline Donnellan (Edenderry AC); 2nd: Brid Ryan (Ballyskenach AC); 3rd: Aoife Dempsey (Naomh Mhuire AC). Men - 1st: Kevin Minnock (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Mick Fogarty (Ferbane AC); 3rd: Gerard Hanlon (Edenderry AC).

Offaly Endurance Series – overall winners

Ladies - 1st: Lisa Murphy (Naomh Mhuire AC); 2nd: Charlotte Abbott (Tullamore Harriers); 3rd: Roisin McManus (Naomh Mhuire AC). Men - 1st: Paul Mitchell (Tullamore Harriers); 2nd: Gerard Hanlon (Edenderry AC); 3rd: Stephen McNamee (Edenderry AC).