Mooney, Dunne and Murphy among Harriers to shine in nationals

The 153rd edition of the 123.ie National Senior Track & Field Championships took place on Saturday and Sunday last at Morton Stadium, Santry - the longest consecutively held national athletics championships in the world.

This year’s event promised to be one of the most exciting in recent memory, with a stellar line-up of Ireland’s elite athletes fresh off their recent European and World stage competitions. Tullamore Harriers had a fine representation over the two-day event with very commendable performances from our athletes.

There was double pride for Aoife Dunne last weekend as she not only made her debut at the National Senior Track & Field Championships but also wore the Tullamore Harriers singlet for the very first time. Aoife took to the track on Day 1 for the 1500m heats, where she ran a superb race, clocking 4:30.07 to finish 3rd and comfortably qualify for the final.

Less than 24 hours later, Aoife returned for the National Senior 1500m final and produced another solid performance and bettered her time to 4:24.12, earning a brilliant 6th place finish. An excellent weekend of racing for Aoife.

Day 2 of the National Senior Track & Field Championships saw a thrilling women’s 800m final with Tullamore Harriers athlete Madison Mooney lining up against a stacked field that included Irish star Sarah Healy. Madison impressed in Saturday’s heats, running a superb 2:05.41 to finish second behind Sarah Healy (2:03.63) and comfortably book her place in the final.

That performance gave her a huge boost of confidence going into the final showdown and from the gun, Madison stayed with the pack and looked strong throughout, competing bravely in a high-quality race. The title was decided in an almost photo finish, with Alex O’Neill (West Limerick AC) taking gold, Sarah Healy close behind for silver, and Maeve O’Neill in third. Madison crossed the line in a commendable 6th place in 2:06.15, another solid performance at senior level.

In a highly competitive men’s 5000m final, Michael Murphy ran a strong and gutsy race to finish 6th overall, clocking an impressive 13:59.68. The race itself was a thrilling spectacle, with Andrew Coscoran claiming the Irish 5000m title.

In a gripping final lap, Coscoran closed in on Brian Fay over the last 100 metres and surged past in the home straight to take the win in 13:34.14. Michael held his position brilliantly throughout the race and should be very proud of this top-class performance against Ireland’s best. Barry Mooney also competed in the 5000m, clocking 16:15.47.

Earlier in the day, Nadine Donegan put in a strong performance in the women’s 5000m, facing a top-class field that included Anika Thompson, fresh off a medal-winning run at the U23 European Championships. Anika led much of the race ahead of her Leevale clubmate Niamh Allen, who ultimately took the win in 15:35, with Anika finishing second in 15:40 and Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) claiming third.

Nadine ran a smart and determined race, leading the chasing pack until the final two laps and finishing 7th in a solid time of 16:32.70, continuing her excellent track season

Tullamore Harriers were well represented in the sprints at the National Senior Championships, with strong performances across the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay.

Aaron Keane produced a fine run to finish 2nd in Heat 6 with a time of 21.79, securing a spot in the 200m final. In a very competitive final, Aaron clocked 21.71 to finish in 7th place overall. Dolapo Kush ran 23.00 to place 5th in Heat 1. Billy Corrigan followed closely in Heat 2, placing 4th in 23.08. On Day 2, Billy Corrigan returned to the track for the 100m and ran 11.28, placing 5th in his heat.

The Tullamore Harriers relay team of Kolapo Kush, Billy Corrigan, Colm Gath, and Samuel Ayeni put in a solid performance to finish 4th overall in a time of 43.31.

Still only 18, long jump athlete Katie Deverell was making her second appearance at the outdoor Senior Nationals, facing tough competition and tricky conditions with gusty winds hampering jump accuracy. After a slight foul on her first attempt, she landed a solid 5.31m on her second, just shy of the final cut-off, finishing 10th overall.

Despite missing out on the final eight, the 2025 season has seen Katie improve her PB to 5.65m, winning the National U19 Indoor title, taking silver at the All-Ireland Schools and U19 Outdoors, and bronze in both the U20 Indoor and Outdoor championships, all while juggling her Leaving Cert.

A huge congratulations to all athletes who proudly represented Tullamore Harriers at the highest national level. The club is very proud of your commitment and performances.