Another great day for the Donore Harriers club, this time at the National Masters and Intermediate Cross-Country championships at Tuam in Galway (8/2/15).  The men’s team took the national masters title for the first time since 1986, whilst the women’s team won a hard earned set of bronze medals. To cap a very good day for the Chapelizod based club there was also a team gold for the over 65s men’s team.

The Dublin masters champion John Dunne (23.49) led the charge in the men’s race and was always to the fore in a race containing many former senior champions and Irish senior internationals. Dunne crossed the finish line in 3^rd position and in the process won the M35 age category. Next Donore man home was the ever consistent Ciaran McCarthy (24.58) in 22^nd position. Great credit must be given to the 3^rd and 4^th scoring members of the team. Niall Lynch (25.20) ran a little below his normal standard when placing 33^rd. However, it was a very noteworthy effort given that he was still recovering from an illness. Chris Muldoon (25.27) put a disappointed run in the Dublin championship behind him to place 35^th overall and guarantee the team title for Donore Harriers.

Henry English (25.55), who is more in favour over a shorter distance, provided good cover behind the scoring quartet when placing 47^th. Des Gill (32.46), an M45 athlete, put in a fine effort following a recent injury to place 204^th.

The masters’ race, held over 7 kilometres, was won by defending champion Declan Reed (23.15) of City of Derry AC.

The team score saw Donore Harriers as clear winners on 93 points, with North Belfast Harriers second on 115 and Letterkenny AC in third on 131. John Dunne and Ciaran McCarthy were scoring members of the Dublin county team that won gold in the inter-county category.

The Donore Harriers women’s team placed an excellent 3^rd in the Masters race over 4km. The cold, foggy conditions and soft underground conditions made the 3 laps race a tough assignment for the 140 starters. Kim Hickey (16.36) ran a stormer and led the team home in 14^th place. Anne Curley (16.40) had a slightly disappointing run when placing 16^th. Feeling the effects of having raced the Dungarvan10 mile road race a week earlier Curley gave a typical gutsy performance that was vital to the overall team score. In 36^th and making a welcome return to cross-country after spending several years in London was Galway native Claire Morrissey (17.22). Eva Campion (19.02) had a fine run to finish mid-pack in 78^th and earned her first championship medal as the fourth and final scorer. Kim Hickey won a silver medal in the inter-county competition representing her native Cork.

Local club Galway City Harriers (80) won the team competition, with Finn Valley AC (91) in second and Donore Harriers (145) in third. A team medal in the National Masters has always eluded the Donore ladies so this was a great achievement especially with 19 teams competing.

Terry Mee, Jim McNamara and Joseph Maguire played their part in making it a great day for Donore Harriers on the Palace Grounds in Tuam. Their combined efforts brought more team glory as they won the Masters M65 plus category on 36 points. Mee (19.09) placed 8^th overall and got individual silver in the M70 class. McNamara (19.45) and Maguire (21.24) placed 11^th and 17^th respectively and won the gold and bronze medals in the M75 age group.

Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) was always to the fore in a keenly contested National Intermediate cross-country championship race over 8km. Brady, who represented Ireland at the European cross country championship before Christmas, made his strength pay as he ran out a clear winner in 26.31. The Donore Harriers challenge was led home by Eric Keogh (27.35) in 9^th with Michael McMahon (27.49) just two places further back. The scoring quartet was completed by Emmet O’Briain (30.28) in 47^th place and the ever improving Paul Pio O’Callaghan (30.53) in 49^th.   A much depleted Donore team (116) had to settle for 4^th place, just 6 points behind 3^rd placed Crusaders AC (110).

Keogh and McMahon won gold medals in the inter-country category representing Dublin.

At the Irish Universities Indoor Track & Field championships at Athlone Arena (6/2/15) on Friday Eric Keogh, representing UCD, placed second in the final of the 3000m in a time of 8.46.42.  Heywood Richardson (9.31.86) placed 14^th in the colours of NUIM. Killian O’Hora (2.15.41), representing Blanchardstown IT, was 5^th in the 3^rdsemi-final of the 800m.

In the third Meet & Train league race in Swords (8/2/15) on Sunday eight Donore athletes braved the chill of a cold and misty morning. Julia Hackett (13.40) showed great form coming in 8^th place. She was followed by Lee Chambers in 11^th, Caren Crowley 22^nd, Angela O’Dea 33^rd, Eilish Joyce 48^th, Teresa Brophy 50^th, Sue Lynch 63^rd and Anne Woodlock 67^th. This was the third of 4 races in the Winter League series, with the final race taking place in Cherryfield Park on the 22^nd of February.

There were 5km Parkrun series wins for George Brady (17.39) at Griffeen in Lucan and newcomer Gavin Byrne (19.02) at Waterstown, Palmerston.

Results in brief:

National Masters & Intermediate Cross Country championships at Tuam (8/2/15):

Master Men 7km: 3^rd overall / 1^st M35 John Dunne (23.49); 22^nd / 6^th M40 Ciaran McCarthy (24.58); 33^rd / 12^thM40 Niall Lynch (25.20); 35^th / 16^th M35 Christopher Muldoon (25.27); 47^th / 22^nd M35 Henry English (25.55); 204^th / 29^th M45 Des Gill (32.46)

TEAM: 1^st Donore Harriers <Dunne, McCarthy, Lynch, Muldoon> 93; 2^nd North Belfast Harriers 115; 3^rdLetterkenny AC 131. 27 teams closed.

Dunne & McCarthy on winning Dublin team in the inter-county competition.

Master Women 4km: 14^th overall / 4^th F35 Kim Hickey (16.36); 16^th /6^th F40 Anne Curley (16.40); 36^th / 14^thF35 Claire Morrissey (17.22); 78^th / 22^nd F35 Eva Campion (19.02)

TEAM: 1^st Galway City Harriers 80; 2^nd Finn Valley AC 91; 3^rd Donore Harriers <Hickey, Curley, Morrissey, Campion> 145. 19 teams closed.

Kim Hickey took bronze in the inter-county competition representing her native Cork.

Masters Men over 65 4km: 8^th / 2^nd M70 Terry Mee (19.09); 11^th / 1^st M75 Jim McNamara (19.45); 17^th / 3^rdM75 Joseph Maguire (21.24)

TEAM: 1^st Donore Harriers <Mee, McNamara, Maguire> 36.

Intermediate Men 8km: 9^th Eric Keogh (27.35); 11^th Michael McMahon (27.49); 47^th Emmet O’Briain (30.28); 49^th Paul Pio O’Callaghan (30.53)

Keogh & McMahon on winning Dublin team in the inter-county championship.

TEAM: 1^st Leevale AC 57; 4^th Donore Harriers 116. 10 teams closed.

Irish Universities Track & Field championships at Athlone Arena (6/2/15): 300m Final – 2^nd Eric Keogh (UCD) 8.46.42; 14^th Heywood Richardson (NUIM) 9.31.86. 800m Semi-Final 3 – 5^th Killian O’Hora (Blanchardstown IT) 2.15.41

Meet & Train Winter League Round 3 at Swords (8/2/15): 8^th Julia Hackett (13.40); 11^th Lee Chambers; 22^ndCaren Crowley; 33^rd Angela O’Dea; 48^th Eilish Joyce; 50^th Teresa Brophy; 63^rd Sue Lynch; 67^th Anne Woodlock

Griffeen 5km Parkrun (7/2/15): 1^st George Brady M35 (17.39)

Waterstown 5km Parkrun (7/2/15): 1^st Gavin Byrne (19.02)

Marlay 5km Parkrun (7/2/15): 8^th Patrick Moriarty M35 (17.29)

Juvenile result

Naas 5km Parkrun (7/2/15): 8^th /3^rd woman Lucy McCann u/17s (20.12)