Our senior men performed brilliantly in the Clubs National Track and Field Final of Division One finishing third team for the second successive year, just missing out on promotion to the Premier Division. The Team points total after the best 15 events were ;
1st Kildare County 130.5
2nd Sligo County 129.
3rd Donore Harriers 118
The team went into this final with some injuries and a few athletes unavailable. However they all gave 100% in a very high standard of competition. From early on a few things just didn’t go our way and we were unlucky to miss the 56 lb competition , which was a serious loss of points and suffered a disqualification in the 3,000m walk. However, we had some brilliant performances and huge commitment. No doubt Eamon Fahey was our athlete of the day winning a fantast 100m, 2nd in the long jump , 3rd in the triple jump and also ran blinders in both relays. Simon Taggart also had an amazing day of high performance and courage, despite an injury won the 110 hurdles, ran great races in both relays and finished 5th in the discus. John Travers was superb in winning the 1500m but also was outstanding in coming a good second in his first ever race in the steeplechase. One of the features of this team is that it has several members u18, who we will be looking forward to seeing come through in the coming year. It was a great day for the club, Support for the club was very good from parents and members. Donal worked wonders in his field hospital for sore muscles and strains of all sorts. 26 athletes, supporters and officials went to Cactus Jacks after for a well earned meal. Some brave young souls carried on the celebration in Dicey Reillys. No one knows what happened there. Captain David Campbell was loud in his praise for the teams brilliant performance in his speech, vowing to win the competition next year. The end of a very good track season for our men.
Anne Gormley won walk in the Natoinal Vets on Sat and also Tony Jenkins also finished 2nd in the javelin his category.
Also at the weekend, David Heffernan put in a fantastic return to win the Cellbridge 5k in 15:50 as part of the 15 strong Donore contingent who took to the grounds of Castletown house for Cellbridge AC’s popular race. Next in was Paul Cummins 17:34, Bob Blake 17:40, Stephen Gavin was first junior in 17:59 and Sinead Lambe first of the Donore women home in 18:47 to finish as second female, Niall O’Reilly 19:13, Ryan van Haeften 19:36, Tom Fagan 19:42, Marianne Dunlevy 20:24, Breda Mahony 20:39, Karen Behan 20:50, Jim Mc 21:51, Joan McTiernan 22:51, Pauline Fagan 26:44 and Sue Lynch 28:42
Congratulations to Yvonne McCloskey who won silver for Ireland in the javelin and bronze in the shot put at the World Dwarf Games in Michigan USA. Fergal Swaine won silver in the cross country event at the World Police and Fire service Games in Belfast.
Our juveniles did us proud again at the National Combined Events in Tullamore on the 10th and 11th of August, Jack Rudden Kelly won silver at U15, Max Carey was 11th, Kolade Abidoun came 7th U14 and Lara O’Byrne in the girls U14 event.
Still on the track, the final Dublin graded meet of the season took place in Santry. In the 200m we had Conor O’Ceallaigh running 24.64, Conor Fox 24.94 and Paul cummins 25.19. John Travers won the 800m in an impressive time of 1.51.74. Sam Allen ran 2.04.01 in B. Ryan Kiernan ran 2.10.15, Donal Iremonger 2.10.89, Paul cummins won his race in 2.05.09 followed by Emmet O’Briain 2.05.51 Luke Boland 2.09.08 and Killian O’Hora 2.11.79. Eric Keogh was 5th in the 3000m 8.32.18. Darragh Fitzgibbon ran 9.18.82. Gavin Keogh was 3rd in his race in 9.31, followed Stephen Gavin 9.36.32 and by the rapidly improving Henry English in 9.37.49.
A week later Feargal Swaine was back in action at the Castlepollard 5k around the grounds of Tullynally Castle Westmeath and finished 5th in 16.17, Henry English was next in 16.34 and Tom Fagan 19.13.
Terry Mee warmed up for the National Masters with the BHAA mile in Irishtown stadium and Joan McTernan was 1st lady at the Griffeen Park Run in 22.05
