In the past decade there are few who have rallied more to the cause of Donore Harriers than Niall Lynch. Despite coming relatively late to the sport of athletics, he has made a notable contribution as a competitor, coach, event volunteer, and parent.
Niall has been a key scoring member on Donore Harriers teams in Dublin, Leinster and National road-race and cross-country senior and masters championships. The County Cavan native has completed 11 marathons, with a best time of 2.41.42 in the 2014 DCM – and run in each of the last 7 Waterhouse-Byrne-Baird Shield 10-mile handicap races with a best of 3rd place in 2016. He was the first winner of the Tommie Hayward Perpetual Trophy as the fastest man to complete the W-B-B course in 2016. He also won this award in 2018 and 2019.
Niall Lynch has represented Ireland 5 times in the British & Irish Masters cross-country championships – and has been a regular competitor with the Irish Mountain Running Association, participating in 49 races with 8 victories and 20 top-3 placings.
<<NOTE: Here’s a link to Niall competing in the B&I Masters XC at Santry Demesne in 2015. He is wearing No. 4008 and passes at 32 to 34 seconds into the clip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDHy6FgpykY >>
Much of Niall’s training has been done under the mentoring of coach Terry McConnan, whose city-based lunchtime group – known as the TT-racers – is a wonderful initiative allowing athletes from different clubs to train together. He also regularly takes the benefit of joining into Willie Smith’s innovative sessions.
Over the past few years Niall has been a coach of the younger club juveniles, and more recently as a part of the LTAD Juvenile Distance Squad coaching team with Graham Hopkins and Thomas Delaney.
Niall has been joined at the club by his daughters Honor and Amber – both of whom are enthusiastic members of the juvenile team. Amber was the 2nd winner of the Willie Dunne Shield handicap race on St. Stephen’s Day 2018.
Here is a list of some of Niall’s other achievements: –
2014: 1st in M40 category Dublin Half-Marathon championships; led the DH team to win the Dublin Novice XC; 1st M40 in Autumn Open Cross; 1st in Leinster Masters XC championships; won a team silver with the Ireland masters team at B&I championships at Nottingham; came 4th in Leinster Intermediate XC leading DH to 3rd team: 1st M40 IMRA Leinster League.
2015: 1st M40 Dublin Masters XC, 2nd scorer of DH winning team; 2nd Leinster Masters XC; 3rd scorer on DH team to win National Masters XC; 3rd M40 Frank Duffy 10 incorporating Dublin championships; 2nd Dingle Half-Marathon; 1st Breffni 3-Province Half-Marathon; 1st IMRA Leinster League.
2016: 3rd Dingle Half-Marathon; 3rd Connemara Marathon; 1st team IMRA Wicklow Way Relay.
2017: 1st team IMRA Wicklow Way Relay; 3rd scorer on Irish team 2nd in M45 category in B&I Masters XC.
2018: 1st Cavan 10km; 1st team IMRA Wicklow Way Relay.
2019: 1st team IMRA Wicklow Way Relay.
STANDARD QUESTIONS
PLACE AND YEAR OF BIRTH? Dublin 1971
WHERE WERE/ARE YOU EDUCATED? St. Feilim’s Boys School Cavan Town,
St. Patrick’s College Cavan, Dublin City University, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin Institute of Technology.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH? I studied Electronic Engineering, started a Masters in Mobile Networks then got a job in a telecoms research company. I did a masters in distributed computing and moved into programming and started contract programming in 2000 in the Netherlands and Belgium, came back to Ireland in 2004 and continued contracting. I’m still at that game. I’ve been contracting at the Department of Agriculture on their web-based applications for the last 14 years.
IN WHAT YEAR DID YOU JOIN DONORE HARRIERS? 2011
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE DONORE HARRIERS? I was training for Dublin Marathon in 2011 and met up with a bunch of lunchtime runners in Trinity College, Graham Hopkins was one of them and he was in Donore Harriers and told me to join as it was a great club, which I did.
WERE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY OTHER CLUB BEFORE JOINING DONORE HARRIERS? I was a member of Rathfarnham for one year before joining Donore Harriers.
DID/DO YOU PARTICIPATE IN ANY OTHER SPORT? I played Gaelic Football mostly growing up and then for many years with my beloved Cavan Gaels. I experienced many years of heartache with them, but it was nice representing your hometown. When I left Ireland to go working in the Netherlands the team won their first championship in 24 years in 2001. It still hurts a little that I wasn’t part of that team. I came back in 2004 and played for a couple of years, got too many injuries to make a real go of it but it was enjoyable being back playing the game for a couple of years.
I did gymnastics for a few years when I was young, it was very popular in Cavan in the 80s thanks to local dentist Paddy King who ran the club. Myself and my brother competed as a double act in the national championships, I still remember vividly all the training we did for it.
I played on the Cavan rugby team for a few years underage, it was a lot of fun. There were no leagues at the time so we just played challenge matches all over the place.
I played hurling in school because I couldn’t get on the football team, it gave me an appreciation of how skillful those hurlers we see on tv are.
I played a lot of soccer in business leagues in Dublin in the 90s and then played in a club in Amsterdam when I lived there. I also played on the first Amsterdam Gaelic football team for the last year we were living there.
I now play a bit of tennis because there is a tennis club in front of my house. I’d like to get better at that mainly to beat my brother, but I also enjoy the game.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ATHLETICS EVENT? I love cross country and mountain running events.
WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT ROLE(S) AT THE CLUB? I’m a coach of one of the juvenile groups and a masters athlete.
WHO WERE/ARE YOUR SPORTING INSPIRATIONS/INFLUENCES? When I was a kid, I played loads of sports so each sport had someone I wanted to be like. Playing soccer in the yard I wanted to be like Kenny Dalglish or Liam Brady. For running it was between Eamonn Coghlan and Ray Flynn. For Gaelic football I loved watching Jack O’Shea play. Locally a few coaches kept me at football, Tony Looney, Phil Finnegan, JJ Reilly, Mickey Flynn all were really encouraging and gave me a love for the sport.
SOCIAL QUESTIONS
WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie. My daughter Honor is a big fan of Agatha Christie, and she gave me this one to read so we could chat about it. Very enjoyable, she was a trailblazer for the popular genre. Currently reading a book by a former schoolteacher of mine, The Gallant John Joe, lots of local history in it. I think I now know all the townlands in south Cavan.
WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU ATTENDED? Jon Hopkins at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, just before everything shut down due to pandemic. It was hard to enjoy as there was a sense of foreboding that something bad was about to happen. The gig was a little shambolic too as there were lots of technical issues.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM? This is very hard, I’m a big fan of the cinema. The top film will probably change depending on my mood. For today I’ll go with one of my favourite directors of all time, David Lynch and his most accessible movie The Straight Story, very sentimental but very beautiful telling of a true story, gorgeous soundtrack and beautiful cinematography. You need to be made of stone not to shed a few tears during this film.
FAVOURITE COUNTRY VISITED? As a family we’ve been to Italy many times from north to south, great weather tonnes of history, gorgeous landscape, I have a big soft spot for Sicily.
WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS AWAY FROM ATHLETICS/SPORT? I love music and going to gigs whenever I can. Unfortunately, the last year hasn’t been great. The online experience is not the same, although I did enjoy the Glastonbury show last Saturday night. I can’t wait to get back to gigs later in the year.
IF DESERT ISLAND DISCS ASKED YOU TO PLAY ONE SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I’m a big music fan, so this was very hard. If it’s just one tune I’ll bring Impossible Soul by Sufjan Stevens. It will remind me of the best gig I was ever at which was his in the Olympia in 2011. He finished with this tune. it’s an epic 25 minutes long and has everything in it from full on dance rave to Sufjan’s trademark quiet guitar.
ATHLETICS QUESTIONS
WHO IS/ARE YOUR COACH(ES)? Terry McConnan from TTRacers sends out a programme each week which I try to follow. Terry knows me well since 2011 and gives great advice and encouragement. I love jumping in on Willie’s sessions on the Polo Grounds whenever I can. They are really imaginative and challenging and enjoyable.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST ATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT? Running the Waterhouse Byrne Baird shield race for the last 7 years. I mean any of us who do that race must be a bit insane, who else would sign up to run 10 miles cross country on St. Stephen’s Day?
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST TIMES (PBs)?
5km – 15:55
10km – 33:51
10 Mile – 56:10
Half Marathon – 1:14:04
Marathon – 2:41:42
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COACHED SESSION? 8 x 800m with 2-minute interval. 800m is a nice distance for a session, you can feel like you’re moving fast.
DESCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT SESSION THAT YOU HAVE DONE? 20 x 400m with 45 seconds interval. I did this once training for the marathon; I think it was a minor homage to Emil Zapoteck.
WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN?
Monday – rest
Tuesday – long interval session like 6 x 800m or 5 x 1 mile or pyramid
Wednesday – 50 mins easy
Thursday – 12 x 400m
Friday – rest
Saturday – 30 min tempo
Sunday – 1:30 mins easy
YOU TRAIN WITH THE TT-RACERS LUNCHTIME GROUP UNDER COACH TERRY MCCONNON. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE GROUP, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF THE BENEFITS? The lunchtime sessions are magic, it’s a real shot of excellent focussed training with a group of really good, focussed people who are really encouraging. Training with a group is so beneficial, you will push yourself to places you didn’t think was possible.
The group caters for every level of runner, is really supportive and diverse, from loads of different backgrounds. Terry keeps track of us and groups us with people who he thinks will push us along.
DO YOU HAVE A FUNNY STORY RELATED TO ATHLETICS/THE CLUB?
Sorry, no funny story.
WHO IS YOUR TOP IRISH SPORTSPERSON OF ALL TIME? It’s got to be Sonia O’Sullivan, with Catherina McKiernan a close second. I followed Sonia throughout her career and loved how superhuman and human she was at the same time. She dominated and then went through bad patches and bounced back. I loved her winning the world cross country double in Morocco, amazing running. Her world championship wins were incredible too and of course her silver in Sydney was amazing. She had a brilliant career. Catherina is a legend in Cavan, everyone could see her training and the effort she put in over the years. Her marathon times were incredible, she still holds the Irish record. I would say if she was running now her career would have lasted longer. In her era there was an expectation to retire, that isn’t as prevalent now.
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
DID YOU EVER COMPETE AS A JUVENILE OR IN SCHOOLS COMPETITIONS?
I was in an athletics club in my hometown of Cavan from age 8 til about 13, then Gaelic football took over. Athletics was big across Ireland in the 80s, there were loads of clubs in Cavan and Ulster and across the country. I remember the road leagues, cross country championships and track and field. We used to get buses all over the place for competitions. Highlights at the time were reaching the Under 13 All-Ireland 4 x 100m final as part of the Cavan team which was run on the track in UCD.
I also made national cross-country championships with the Cavan team. The race was in Thurles, and I remember coming 101st. I still vividly remember the hurt of coming so far down the running order. I thought I was handy enough, but it was a real eye opener for me, and I think I started to concentrate more on Gaelic football from then on.
WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST DISTANCE/EVENT? I think a half marathon is probably my optimal distance.
YOU COMPETE IN MOUNTAIN RACES – AND THE I.M.R.A. STATS SHOW THAT YOU WON 8 OF 41 RACES WITH 22 CATEGORY WINS. HOW DID YOU GET ATTRACTED TO MOUNTAIN RUNNING? A good buddy of mine Ronan Hickey needed a pal to recce leg 2 of the Wicklow Way relay. This was about 8 years ago. So, I went out with Ronan and ran from Curtlestown Wood to Lough Tay. It was an absolutely gorgeous evening, spectacular scenery and lovely to be running off road. Ronan filled me in on all things IMRA, so I signed up and spent a few years racing out of Dublin on a Wednesday evening to race in the Wicklow mountains. The races are really challenging, the scenery is beautiful, the IMRA people are so nice. There is a great buzz at the finish line of those races, and we always head to a local hostelry for a prize giving and exchange war stories about the race. I’ve missed them over the last few years. It’s been hard to get out of work and also of course the pandemic wiped out last year and this year.
The highlight of the IMRA calendar for me is the Wicklow Way Relay. It’s like the Japanese Ekiden, a team of 8 do different legs over a large part of the Wicklow Way. It takes a lot of preparation and training and logistics on the day, but it is a fantastic event to be part of. I have run it as part of a TTRacers team about 6 times. I really recommend it to anyone in the club to give it a go. It’s another type of running challenge and really nice to be part of a big team.
YOU FIRST RAN THE DUBLIN MARATHON IN 2011. HOW MANY MARATHONS HAVE YOU RUN IN SINCE? AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEST RESULT? I have run 11 marathons. Dublin 2014 was my fastest. I put in the best amount of training for that. I haven’t been able to get in enough quality training for the rest since then. There are no shortcuts in training for a marathon, you get out what you put in. Even if you’re only a little bit off the full amount of training you’ll be found out and spat out by the end, it has no mercy.
YOU WERE ON THE DONORE HARRIERS MASTERS TEAM THAT WON NATIONAL XC GOLD IN 2015. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT DAY?
I remember that event very well. It was a foggy day, and I was feeling really unwell and was going to say I couldn’t make it, but the team would have been down to 4 so I togged out. I went off ambitiously and then just hung on. It was a brilliant result, and I was delighted I made the effort. Amazing run by John Dunne to finish 3rd on the day, he really carried the team home that day.
YOU HAVE REPRESENTED IRELAND FIVE TIMES IN THE BRITISH & IRISH MASTERS XC CHAMPIONSHIPS. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE B&I XC EVENT? I think it was my first one in Cardiff in Wales. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but it was a real blast. We had a great Irish gang over there. I was sharing a room with an absolute legend Martin McEvilly who I felt unworthy to be on the same team as particularly as Martin was telling me about his 2:14 for the marathon he ran in Gothenburg. I met loads of great people that weekend and learned a lot about running. I remember the start of the race was insane. I was swept up in the wave and belted out what was probably a sub-5-minute first mile, so I was hanging on for the rest of the race.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR COACHING ROLE AT DONORE HARRIERS? AND DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL COACHING PHILOSOPHY? I think as a coach you are there to just guide the runner to get them to be the best they can be. Everyone has their own reason to be out running, so you need to tap into that and try to remind them why and what they can do to get the best out of themselves.
I haven’t got as much time to spend coaching as I would like, so I’m just helping Graham Hopkins out once a week with the 12 to 16 age middle distance group. He’s doing all the heavy lifting. I’m just trying to encourage the runners around during the sessions.