HIGHLIGHTS: Luke Boland won the 123rd Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield after a dramatic finish. James Dunne became the 3rd winner of the Willie Dunne Shield juvenile race. Niall Lynch (fastest in WBB) won the Tommy Hayward Cup. Sinead Lambe 1st woman in the Fat Turkey 10km and Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill 2nd in the Farranfore Maine 5km.
The 123rd WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD (report by Iain Morrison) race saw an entry list of experienced Stephen’s day warriors and bright shiny new debutants to the event to brave the epic distance. It was fitting therefore that the race in the end came down to battle between 2 athletes from each camp. It’s list of winners runs like a calling card of many of the Donore greats…but many a fine Donore athlete has not had the rub of the green …or the mud…or the snow…. or maybe just the handicappers. This of course is as it should be as every athlete should have an equal chance of winning when they line up on December the 26th. The vagaries of form, time of year sickness injury conditions all play their part, but the adage still endures coined by our very own late Jim McNamara – “You must use your handicap when you get it”. The field was whittled down by injuries and illness, ruling out former winner Michelle Dawson, former men’s cross and Road captain Rossa Hurley. It also saw Liz Mac Curtain. Claire Mulligan and Treasa Boylan bow out. Conditions above ground proved fair very little wind and very mild. The ground was heavy and sticky and caused several stalwarts of the race to bow out early such as Barry Potts and Dana Mackey with an Achilles problem and Patrick Farrell battled hard in his first ever cross country against an ongoing knee problem but was forced to yield after 8 miles.
Early running saw several athletes set their intent out. Catherine McKeon and Dana Mackey were paired as lead off athletes and beat out the early tempo only for Dana to pull up but Catherine undaunted kept her pace up to go through with over two, two-mile laps to spare over the scratch athletes. Julia Hackett similarly had company in Angela Eustace before Angela had to pull out and this perhaps helped these two athletes in their overall races. Neil Hand appeared to take out a fast-early lap. Luke Boland recorded the fastest lap only to be bettered by Niall Lynch with an 11min 35s first lap. Niall was paired with Ken Nugent whom between them have shared the Tommy Hayward trophy for the fastest 10 mile since its inception, so when Niall broke away from Ken in that first lap his intent was clear.
The race unfolded as the Junior Shield was run after scratch athlete Peter Sweeney former men’s road and cross country captain started. Anne Curley the defending champion was going steady, but the event is notoriously hard to win two years in a row and the momentum just didn’t seem to be with her this year. Similarly, Alan Farrell former winner after working with Sinead Lambe for nearly 3 laps seemed not to have the magic of his victory year and Sinead Lambe started to pull away from him. Two laps in another former winner Tony Griffin cast aside his gloves and appeared to have a sense that perhaps he could be a double winner of the Shield and was moving well. Two laps to go Catherine McKeon still had a long lead and as latter athletes started to unwind the head start she’d got on them it all came down to time gaps and speed on the track coming into the last lap.
Taking the bell with two miles of running to go Catherine had a minute and 40 seconds lead on Julia Hackett. Julia a veteran of the Stephen’s day race known for her canny pacing doggedness in the final stretch of any race was lapping 2 minutes faster than Catherine and she could see Catherine up the horse gallops … the race was well and truly on. Tony Griffin had a had a look of determination on his face as he passed to line going into the final lap. There had been a surge from the back of the field, Niall Lynch had appeared not to make the progress on Luke Boland as had been suggested from the early laps, but the 4th lap was the slowest of Luke’s race with a 12 min 52. Catherine was 12 min 30 seconds ahead, so it required a low 12-minute lap to overcome the gap. Luke had also passed Gavin Keogh who was himself running well. This appeared to be where the placings would be decided.
Julia (Hackett) took Catherine (McKeon) at the back of the course after the hill and pushed on through the trees, the pink headband looking comfortably in the lead, with seemingly a long gap to the chasing men. Could there be a 3 in a row for the ladies of Donore! Momentum of course is everything on the last lap of the Waterhouse Byrne Baird. Luke (Boland) now getting a sense that the line and the lead were within touching distance seemed to eat the ground as he chased Julia around the civil service cricket ground. The gap seemed to disappear as quickly and assuredly as Julia lead had seemed to be commandingly clear minutes before. A mixture of a groan for the vanquished and a cheer for the challenger rang out as Luke took Julia up the home straight before the small bump with enough time to savour a sweet victory. Julia brilliant in second place smiled and raised her own hand as she crossed the line knowing shed come so very close. Luke had run a 12 min 14 seconds last lap. Just behind Gavin Keogh had a nearly equally storming last lap and despite nearly falling in the home straight due to the intensity of his efforts sprinted past Tony Griffin to snatch 3rd place. Catherine the long-time leader for 9.5 miles, was passed by Niall Lynch who didn’t quite have the last lap that would have brought him right into contention but still ran fast enough to be the winner yet again of the Tommy Hayward Trophy for fastest ten mile of the day. Sinead Lambe was as predicted the fastest lady on the day but didn’t quite get enough momentum to take her through to the top 6. The day belonged to Luke in his debut on the Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield and it caps off a great season of cross-country running. He won medals for the club team in the Dublin Novice (silver) and in the Dublin Intermediate (gold) as well as a fine run in the National Novice 2 weeks previously. It was another thrilling St Stephen’s Day duel!
Video of finishing stages https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmaE0ZF8zy0&t=125s
WBB Feedback:
Club President Charlie O’Neill: “Looks like it was a thrilling race. Well done to everyone who kept this unique tradition alive”.
Club stalwart Anne Curley: “… Luke Boland, a very worthy winner today, he’s been having a fantastic season this year and had a storming race today to finish first after starting near to last! Well done to our Julia second finisher, just unlucky to be pipped in the last 200 metres but that’s the bittersweet thrill of this very special race…”
Club member Gerard McDonald: “It was a cracking race today. Credit to the handicappers (Iain Morrison, Florence Curley, Willie Smith) too”
Club Captain Florence Curley: “It all happened in the last lap, long-time leader Catherine McKeon was overhauled by Julia Hackett and then a number of other runners, and an exciting last few hundred metres and the final straight saw Luke Boland (who has been flying this year) overtake Julia (hard luck Julia it was nearly there!) to take the win, he had a mere 2 minute handicap so this was a great achievement to pass everyone…”
Runner-up Julia Hackett: “Very honoured to be so close, very proud of my club Donore Harriers, very happy to be second, very shocked to be first woman. That’s a proper race. Well done Luke Boland”.
Coach & Race Organiser and Timekeeper Willie Smith: “Luke Boland was the 105th member to win. From available records the closest finish was 1962, when Leo Lynch got to finish less than one yard/meter ahead of the fast finishing scratch man Mick Neville … Next year will be the 100th anniversary of Davy Baird’s first win in 1920”.
Florence Curley again: “Thanks to Iain (Morrison) who hosted… and Willie (Smith) and Mick (Bourke) who were up in the park since 9 o’clock marking the course, hats off!”
The 3rd WILLIE DUNNE 2-MILE HANDICAP JUVENILE SHIELD, which was run in conjunction with the WBB, added to the sense of occasion. Would the talented Bolton siblings rule the day? Or would the handicap system allow for one of the developing young athletes to get their name on the Shield? Roisin Kirby and Katie Delaney were first away, with a 4-minutes allowance on scratch runner James Bolton. 30 seconds elapsed before James Dunne was set on his way. Dunne quickly set his sight on Kirby and Delaney and passed them just before the half-way mark. Scratch athlete James Bolton (11.16) was working his way through the field – and after passing Kirby and Delaney he reeled-in his sister Emily and brother Thomas and then had his big target James Dunne in view. However, Dunne (14.32) stuck to his task and reached the finish line with about 70 metres (14 seconds) to spare over 15 years-old Bolton. 11 years-old Emily Bolton (12.28), with a handicap of one-minute, narrowly beat her 13 years-old brother Thomas (11.47) for 3rd place. There adjusted times were 11.28 and 11.32 respectively. Roisin Kirby (15.40) and Katie Delaney (15.41) came 5th and 6th with adjusted times of 11.40 and 11.41. Two members of the National Under 13 XC championship team filled the next two places as Eva Crowe (13.09 & 11.54) and Eleanor Hopkins (15.06 & 12.21) came 7th and 8th. Honor Lynch (13.53 & 12.23) was 9th with her younger sister and defending Shield champion Amber Lynch (15.42 & 12.42) in 10th.
Two club athletes competed in the 58th FARRANFORE MAINE AC ST. STEPHEN’S DAY 5KM RACE RACE in Co. Kerry. Des Tremble (17.02) placed 11th overall and 1st M45 from a field of 320 finishers. Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (17.49) was 17th finisher and 2nd woman behind experienced Irish international Michelle Finn. The race was run on an undulating out-and-back route between Farranfore and the village of Firies.
Sinead Lambe (38.53) convincingly won the FAT TURKEY 10KM ROAD RACE organised by the Suttonians Rugby Club on the 28th December 2019. The race was held over a hilly and scenic route that included parts of Howth. Lambe placed 14th overall with Des Gill (47.43) 97th among a field of 461 finishers.
Other Donore Harriers members who competed in Christmas season road races were – Chris Muldoon (23.10) 25th in the KILBEGGAN 6KM; Michael Ryan who won the MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS 5KM; and M60 athlete Tommy Halton (26.59) who was 154th in the MORTON STADIUM XMAS CRACKER 5KM.
Many club athletes took park in various PARKRUN races (25 & 28.12.2019) with Lee Van Haeften (16.24) first home at Castletown (Celbridge) and Sean Fox (18.11) the winner at Limerick. Eva Crowe (20.14), aged 12, was 4th overall and first woman at Porterstown, with Caroline McCarthy (20.17) 2nd woman home at Malahide and Mary McDermott (24.54) 3rd woman finisher at Naas. More results below.
RESULTS IN BRIEF:
THE 123rd WATERHOUSE BYRNE BAIRD SHIELD 10-MILE (Handicap) at PHOENIX PARK (26.12.2019)
1st Luke Boland 1.34.10 (+ 2, – 33 minutes) = 1.01.10 (11.45, 12.06, 12.13, 12.52, 12.14)
2nd Julia Hackett 1.34.18 (+ 24, – 11 minutes) = 1.23.18 (16.32, 16.18, 16.36, 16.29, 16.39)
3rd Gavin Keogh 1.34.51 (+ 3, – 32 minutes) = 1.02.51 (12.14, 12.28, 12.40, 12.52, 12.37)
4th Tony Griffin 1.34.52 (+ 17, – 18 minutes) = 1.16.52 (15.42, 15.23, 15.19, 15.24, 15.04)
5th Niall Lynch 1.35.03 (+ 1, – 34 minute) = 1.01.03 (11.35, 12.05, 12.18, 12.35, 12.30)
6th Catherine McKeon 1.35.29 (+ 35, – 0 mins) = 1.35.29 (18.40, 19.08, 18.49, 19.31, 19.21)
7th Neil Hand 1.35.47 (+ 8, – 27 mins) = 1.08.47 (13.27, 13.45, 14.00, 14.06, 13.39)
8th Ken Nugent 1.35.57 (+ 1, – 34 mins) = 1.01.57 (11.41, 12.09, 12.32, 12.52, 12.43)
9th Donal Iremonger 1.36.04 (+ 9.30, – 25.30) = 1.10.34 (14.06, 14.11, 14.16, 14.10, 13.51)
10th Audrey Gahan 1.36.47 (+13, – 22 mins) = 1.14.27 (14.50, 14.47, 14.54, 15.08, 15.08)
11th Sinead Lambe 1.37.41 (+ 6, – 29 mins) = 1.08.41 (13.23, 13.34, 13.37, 14.03, 14.04)
12th Alan Farrell 1.38.42 (+ 6, – 29 mins) = 1.09.42 (13.23, 13.33, 14.18, 14.24, 14.04)
13th Stephen Dawson 1.38.52 (+ 11, – 24 mins) = 1.14.52 (14.37, 14.47, 14.52, 15.07, 15.28)
14th Ariana Ball 1.39.01 (+ 14, – 21 mins) = 1.18.01 (15.08, 15.25, 15.29, 15.58, 16.01)
15th Anne Curley 1.39.24 (+ 9, – 26 mins) = 1.13.24 (14.33, 14.34, 14.37, 14.55, 14.45)
16th Tom Fagan 1.40.01 (+ 13, – 22 mins) = 1.18.01 (16.08, 15.17, 15.00, 15.47, 15.49)
17th Ian Redican 1.40.06 (+ 15, – 20 mins) = 1.20.06 (15.29, 15.47, 16.07, 16.21, 16.22)
18th Peter Sweeney 1.40.10 (+ 0, – 35 mins) = 1.05.10 (12.36, 13.03, 13.09, 13.21, 13.01)
19th Lou MacCurtain 1.40.29 (+ 19, – 16 mins) = 1.24.29 (16.08, 16.21, 16.54, 17.16, 17.50)
DNF Patrick Farrell (+ 15.30, -19.30 mins) = DNF (15.21, 16.01, 16.14, 16.20, retired)
DNF Angela Eustace (+ 24, – 11 mins) = DNF (17.12, 17.25, retired)
DNF Dana Mackey (+ 35, – 0 mins) = DNF (18.40, 19.05, retired)
DNF Barry Potts (+ 15, – 20 mins) = DNF (15.32, 15.43, retired)
DNF Joe Murphy (+ 19, – 16 mins) = DNF (16.02, 15.58, retired)
THE WILLIE DUNNE JUVENILE 2 MILES HANDICAP SHIELD at PHOENIX PARK (26.12.2019)
1st James Dunne 11.02 (3m & 30s) actual running time 14.32
2nd James Bolton 11.16 (scratch) = 11.16
3rd Emily Bolton 11.28 (1 min) = 12.28
4th Thomas Bolton 11.32 (15 secs) = 11.47
5th Roisin Kirby 11.40 (4 mins) = 15.40
6th Katie Delaney 11.41 (4 mins) = 15.41
7th Eva Crowe 11.54 (1m & 15s) = 11.54
8th Eleanor Hopkins 12.21 (2m & 45s) = 15.06
9th Honor Lynch 12.23 (1m & 30s) = 13.53
10th Amber Lynch 12.42 (3 mins) = 15.42
KILBEGGAN 6KM ROAD RACE (26.12.2019)
25th & 8th M40 Chris Muldoon (23.10)
363 finishers
58th FARRANFORE MAINE AC ST. STEPHEN’S DAY 5KM ROAD RACE (26.12.2019)
11th & 1st M45 Des Tremble (17.02)
17th & 2nd woman Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (17.49)
320 finishers
MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS 5KM ROAD RACE at BORRIS, CO. CARLOW (27.12.2019)
1st Michael Ryan (NTA)
FAT TURKEY 10KM ROAD RACE at SUTTON, CO. DUBLIN (28.12.2019)
14th & 1st woman Sinead Lambe (38.53)
97th Des Gill (47.43)
461 finishers
MORTON STADIUM XMAS CRACKER 5KM (29.12.2019)
154th & 7th M60 Tommy Halton (26.59)
249 finishers
PARKRUN SERIES (28.12.2019)
Poppintree (21.12.2019): 10th & 1st woman Julie Cleary U13 (20.21), 17th & 3rd woman Kate Cleary W45 (22.16), 104th Eilish Joyce W35 (29.57)
Malahide (25.12.2019) 7th Ciaran Ryan M35 (17.38)
Waterstown (25.12.2019): 33rd Gavin Byrne (22.20)
Castletown: 1st Lee Van Haeften (16.24)
Griffeen: 121st Terry Mee M75 (33.25)
Limerick: 1st Sean Fox M40 (18.11)
Malahide: 21st & 2nd woman Caroline McCarthy W35 (20.17)
Naas: 40th & 3rd woman Mary McDermott W50 (24.54)
New Ross: 63rd Eugene MacCurtain M50 (28.28), 64th Liz MacCurtain W50 (28.29)
Porterstown: 4th & 1st woman Eva Crowe U13 (20.14), 17th Tom Fagan M50 (22.16)
Wexford Racecourse: 7th Owen Robinson M35 (20.44)