HIGHLIGHTS: DUBLIN MASTERS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS – outstanding win by Barbara Cleary, Ken Nugent 3rd in M35 race, Men’s 50+ team gold. NATIONAL INDOOR LEAGUE 1ST QUALIFYING ROUND – Aoife Lynch and Lara O’Byrne star as women’s team equal 2nd, men’s team had a tough day at the office. BMC INDOOR GRAND PRIX SHEFFIELD – fine season opener by John Travers over 3,000m.

REPORT: Barbara Cleary just gets better and better! She’s fearless! A modern-day phenomenon! A true champion!
Barbara is a gutsy, hard-working athlete, who at 48 years old has no barriers towards reaching new goals. She just trains to get better. She’s also a very modest person who is a role model and well respected within the athletics community.
On Sunday she won the DUBLIN MASTERS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS women’s race over 3km by front-running from gun to tape. Maria McCambridge, who represented Ireland at European, World and Olympic level, challenged Cleary in the opening kilometre – but the Donore Harriers athlete powered on to cross the finish line with an 80 metres gap over her DSDAC challenger.
A staggering 586 athletes signed up for this year’s Dublin Masters, hosted again by Raheny Shamrocks AC in St. Anne’s Park. Rays of sunshine decreased the chill in the air as more than 200 women made their way to the start line.
As Cleary raced clear at the front, the other Donore Harriers team members were competing well throughout the field. Barbara Murray (13.54) held on for 40th place, with her team-mate Ariana Ball just one place and two seconds behind. The scoring team was closed out by Claire Mulligan (14.02) in 45th position. The W35-49 team came 7th behind winners Sportsworld AC. The non-scoring athletes were Audrey Gahan (15.14) in 61st place, Louise Kelly (14.54) in 75th and Suzie Henley-Willis (15.14) in 115th.
The race also included the W50+ team event and this was the first occasion that Donore Harriers competed a team in the category. The team was led home by Julia Hackett (15.24) who was the 120th finisher, with Mary McDermott (15.26) closing in 123rd spot. The scoring 3 was completed by Angela Eustace (16.54) who reached the line in 178th place. The team came 6th of 8, with host club Raheny Shamrocks AC the winners.
The men’s race over 6km was won by Mick Clohissy (20.25), an Olympic marathon athlete, from the host club. Donore’s Ken Nugent ran a super race to finish in 3rd position. The recent Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield winner is displaying a rich vein of form. He was running in 5th place after the 1st of 4 laps, but he reeled-in both Colm Turner of Brothers Pearse AC and Matthew Kane of Rathfarnham WSAF at the beginning of lap 2. Nugent (21.14) powered on to finish just 14 seconds shy of runner-up Tudor Moldovan of Clonliffe Harriers.
Next home for Donore Harriers was Rossa Hurley in 14th place. Hurley, the 2019 champion, is gradually regaining his race fitness. He was just outside the top 20 in the opening 2 laps, but his sheer tenacity saw him gain several places in the latter half of the race.
The scoring 4 was completed by Fergal Whitty (23.06) in 32nd place and Gavin Keogh (23.19) in 36th. The Donore Harriers M35-49 team (85) came 5th of 18 teams, just 12 points shy of 3rd placed Sportsworld AC (73). Raheny Shamrocks AC won on 36 points. The other athletes in the category were Craig Scott (23.32) in 42nd and Alasdair Brown (23.52) in 57th.
The Donore M50+ team (276) were victorious after a close contest with Rathfarnham WSAF (288). The team was led home by Niall Lynch (23.47) in 50th place. Solid packing from Des Tremble (24.07) in 64th, Donal Iremonger (24.16) in 68th and Phil Hennessy (25.00) in 94th was good enough to secure the team gold. The other team members were Peter Nugent (26.32) in 160th, Tom Fagan (27.33) in 194th and Dean Fullston (27.33) in 234th.There were 285 finishers.
In a very competitive Men’s 65+ race over 3km Tony Kynes (14.05) came 5th and Barry Potts (15.45) 15th of 24 competitors.
The inaugural team challenge for the perpetual Pat Hooper Cup, based on the combined overall team positions, was fittingly won by Raheny Shamrocks AC (48). Hooper, who died in 2020 was a stalwart of the Raheny club and served for many years on the Dublin and Leinster Athletic Boards. He represented Ireland in the 1980 Olympic marathon and the 1978 European Championships marathon. Donore Harriers (38) came 4th of the 18 competing teams.
There were contrasting fortunes for the club’s men and women teams in the first of two qualifying rounds in the NATIONAL INDOOR TRACK & FIELD LEAGUE at the NIA in Abbotstown on Sunday.
The women’s team (58) finished equal 2nd with DSDAC, just one point shy of Leevale AC (59). Aoife Lynch (7.69) was disappointed with her 3rd place performance in the 60m sprint, but then ran a super 24.73 to gain maximum points in the 200m. Lara O’Byrne jumped an indoors personal best of 5.28m to secure 3rd place in the Long Jump – and threw 9.34m with her 4th and final round effort to come 2nd in the Shot Putt. Louise Murray (2.30.10), on her debut for the team, ran above expectation to finish 2nd in her heat of the 800m and 7th of 13 overall. The day closed with Aoife Lynch, Sarah Lahiff, Caoimhe Mackey and Lauren Flaherty running a club indoor record of 4.11.92 to finish 3rd in their heat of the 4 x 400m relay and 5th overall. Eva McPartlan (8.23) came 2nd in the 60m guest sprint – and Caoimhe Mackey (10.07) was 3rd in the guest 60m Hurdles.
Team captain Leonie Newman said afterwards: “I am well happy with that team performance. All the girls were great. The pity is that we did not have a pole vaulter – we lost 10 points there. But all told we had a great day”
Injury and illness had already depleted the firepower of the men’s team. To add to the woes, Zak Higgins who was due to run the 200m and 4 x 4 relay picked up a hamstring injury whilst warming up. Team captain David Campbell said afterwards: “It was just a day when everything seemed to go wrong. But I can’t fault the lads who were there for their commitment”.
Sean Chan (7.72) came 7th in his 60m heat and 12th overall. David Campbell (24.07), stepped in for Higgins in the 200m, and placed 3rd in his heat – 10th overall. Jack Byrne (2.00.69), despite being race rusty, came 2nd in his heat of the 800m and 6th overall. In the field events Michael McCarthy (5.05m) came 11th in the Long Jump and Niall Allen (10.39m) 6th in the Shot Putt. With no competitor in the Pole Vault and it being too late to find a replacement for Higgins in the 4 x 400m relay it was a tough day at the office for Campbell and his team. They trailed in last of 13 teams on 25 points as Leevale AC topped the table on 84. The next qualifying round will be at the Athlone Indoor Arena on the 23rd of January with the final to take place on the 12th of February at the NIA.
John Travers showed fine early season form by placing 3rd in a top class 3,000m race in the BRITISH MILERS CLUB INDOOR GRAND PRIX at Sheffield on Sunday. He raced 4th in the front group of 5 that broke away from the rest around the halfway stage. Entering to the final 2 laps Jake Wightman (Edinburgh AC) and Ossama Meslek (Leeds City) opened a gap as each fought for supremacy. Meslek, an Italian international, outsprinted the Scot in the closing stages to win in 7.50.14 compared to 7.50.97 (Wightman). Travers stuck to his task and finished 3rd in 7.53.82, ahead of Osian Perrin (Menai) whose time of 7.58.23 set a new British indoor under 20s record.
In this week’s PARKRUN series (08.01.2022) junior athlete Ruby Kelly (22.54) was the first woman home at Castletown. Other results listed below.
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DUBLIN MASTERS CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS at ST. ANNE’S PARK, RAHENY (09.01.2022)
MASTERS WOMEN 3,000m: 1st Barbara Cleary W45 (11.32), 40th Barbara Murray W45 (13.54), 41st Ariana Ball W35 (13.56), 45th Claire Mulligan W40 (14.02), 61st Audrey Gahan W40 (14.22), 75th Louise Kelly W35 (14.54), 115th Suzie Henley-Willis W40 (15.14), 120th Julia Hackett W50 (15.24), 123rd Mary McDermott W50 (15.26), 178th Angela Eustace W50 (16.54). 202 finishers
TEAM W35: 1. Sportsworld AC 55, 2. Clonliffe Harriers 61, 3. Crusaders AC 64, 7. Donore Harriers <Cleary, Murray, Ball, Mulligan> 125. 16 teams closed.
TEAM W50: 1. Raheny Shamrocks 136, 2. Clonliffe Harriers 263, 3. Lucan Harriers 265. 6. Donore Harriers <Hackett, McDermott, Eustace> 421. 8 teams closed.
MASTERS MEN 6,000m: 3rd Ken Nugent M35 (21.14), 14th Rossa Hurley M40 (22.05), 32nd Fergal Whitty M45 (23.06), 36th Gavin Keogh M40 (23.19), 42nd Craig Scott M40 (23.32), 50th Niall Lynch M50 (23.47), 57th Alasdair Brown M35 (23.52), 64th Des Tremble M50 (24.07), 68th Donal Iremonger M50 (24.16), 94th Phil Hennessy M50 (25.00), 160th Peter Nugent M50 (26.32), 194th Tom Fagan M50 (27.33), 234th Dean Fullston M55 (29.09. 285 finishers
TEAM M35: 1. Raheny Shamrocks 36, 2. Crusaders AC 69, 3. Sportsworld 73, 5. Donore Harriers <Nugent, Hurley, Whitty, Keogh> 85. 18 teams closed.
TEAM M50: 1. Donore Harriers <Lynch, Tremble, Iremonger, Hennessy> 276, 2. Rathfarnham WSAF 288, 3. Liffey Valley 457. 11 teams closed.
MASTERS MEN 65+ 3,000m: 5th Tony Kynes M65 (14.05), 15th & 3rd M70 Barry Potts (15.45). 24 finishers.
COMBINED TEAM CHALLENGE FOR THE PERPETUAL PAT HOOPER CUP: 1. Raheny Shamrocks 48, 2. Clonliffe Harriers 43, 3. Sportsworld AC 39, 4. Donore Harriers 38. 18 teams
NATIONAL INDOOR LEAGUE QUALIFYING ROUND at NIA ABBOTSTOWN (09.01.2022)
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
60m – 3rd in heat, 3rd overall Aoife Lynch (7.69)
200m – 1st in heat, 1st overall Aoife Lynch (24.73)
800m – 2nd in heat, 7th overall Louise Murray (2.30.10)
4 x 400m relay (Aoife Lynch, Sarah Lahiff, Caoimhe Mackey, Lauren Flaherty) 3rd in Heat, 5th overall (4.11.90 new club record)
Long Jump – 3rd Lara O’Byrne 5.28m indoor PB
Pole Vault – no entry
Shot Putt – 2nd Lara O’Byrne 9.34m
60m Guest – 2nd Eva McPartlan (8.23)
60mH Guest – 3rd Caoimhe Mackey (10.07)
TEAM SCORE: 1. Leevale AC 59, 2. DSD AC 58, 3. Donore Harriers 58. 12 teams.
MEN’S DIVISION:
60m – 7th in heat, 12th overall Sean Chan (7.72)
200m – 3rd in heat, 10th overall David Campbell (24.07)
800m – 2nd in heat, 6th overall Jack Byrne (2.00.69)
4 x 400m relay – no team
Long Jump – 11th Michael McCarthy (5.05m)
Pole Vault – no entry
Shot Putt – 6th Niall Allen (10.39m)
TEAM SCORE: 1. Leevale AC 84, 2. Clonliffe Harriers 66, 3. DSD AC 59. 13th Donore Harriers 25. 13 teams.
BRITISH MILERS CLUB INDOOR GRAND PRIX at SHEFFIELD (09.01.2022)
MEN’S 3,000m: 3rd John Travers (7.53.82)
PARKRUNS 5km (08.01.22)
ARDGILLEN: 25th Joe Murphy M40 (25.56)
BUSHY: 119th Thomas Halton M65 (36.01)
CASTLETOWN: 25th & 1st woman Ruby Kelly JNR (22.52)
MARLAY: 20th Patrick Moriarty M45 (20.20)
POPPINTREE: 79th Eilish Joyce W40 (34.56)
WATERSTOWN: 12th & 4th woman Katie Delaney W15-17 (26.30)