Category Archives: RIP

Tommie Hopkins RIP

RIP
The committee and members of Donore Harriers extend our condolences to the family of former member, Tommie Hopkins, who passed away at the age of 74, at his home in the US, after being ill for the last year or so.

Tommie and his brothers Jim and Des were stalwarts of Donore Harriers in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  Their father, Tom, was also a club member, and their sister Emily (Dowling) is well known in running circles with Sportsworld AC.
Tommie represented Ireland in international cross country events in 1966 and 1967 at the age of 18 and 19, and went on scholarship to the US in 1967. Below is a record of Tommie’s athletics career while at Donore Harriers (in brackets his age at the time of the race).
1962 (15): joined Donore.
1963 (16): Club 10ml c-c (57-55).
1964 (16): AAU youths c-c: 2nd.
1964 (16)): Sel on Irish u/19 team in the International c-c in Dublin.
1964 (17): AAU youths One Mile: 2nd.
1965 (17): AAU youths c-c: 1st.
1965 (17): IAAB youths c-c: 1st.
1965 (17): AAU Inter. c-c:  3rd.
1965 (18):AAU Senior One Mile: 3rd.
1965 (18): AAU Senior 3-Miles: 3rd.
1965 (18): IAAB u/19 One Mile: 2nd.
1965 (18): IAAB u/19 3- Miles: 1st.
1965 (18): IAAB Senior One Mile: 2nd.
1965 (18): AAU Novice c-c: 1st.
1966 (18): AAU Inter c-c:      1st.
1966  (18): AAU Senior c-c: 3rd.
1966  (18): IAAB Senior c-c: 7th.
1966 (18): selected on Irish senior team in the International c-c in Rabat, Morocco.
1966: (19): IAAB u/19 3-Miles: 1st.
1966 (19): AAU Senior 6-Miles: 2nd.
1967  (19): AAU Senior c-c:  2nd.
1967  (19): IAAB Senior c-c:  3rd.
1967. (19): selected on the Irish Senior c-c team for the International c-c in Barry, Wales.
His sister Emily also selected on the women’s team. The first brother & sister to achieve this..In the C-C c’ships, Tommie was also a member of winning Donore teams .
The AAU(Amateur Athletic Union) was a National championship.
The IAAB was an All-Ireland championship.Below is a photo of the Donore Harriers Opening XC Run in 1962

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John Geoghegan RIP

Club News, RIP

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of John Geoghegan, our highly-respected and dedicated sprints and hurdles coach.

 

 

 

 

John’s daughters Emily and Alice joined Donore as juveniles and competed in BLOE Track and Field events. John offered to help in the coaching of our young athletes. He attended AAI courses, moved swiftly through the various levels and achieved the highest coaching qualifications. He developed a very good group of boys and girls, who went on to become Dublin, national and schools’ champions. Some of them qualified to compete at European Junior level, several making finals.

John was pivotal in the club’s efforts to convince Dublin City Council of the need to develop a track for Donore Harriers. Following the laying of the track, John and his coaching team developed a young sprinters and hurdlers group, many of whom have since graduated to the senior ladies and men’s teams. John has been key in enabling our junior sprinters to become national senior medalists and internationals. In the space of ten years he has expanded the culture of the club from solely middle distance to include track and field.

John communicated with his athletes in a quiet manner, preparing meticulous training schedules, and supervising their implementation with praise and encouragement. He was adored by his athletes, who, through wet and dismal conditions, turned up loyally for training, knowing that John’s priority was to coach them to success.

The club has been fortunate over the years to have had brilliant coaches. John Geoghegan ranks with the best of them as a gentleman and an exceptional coach.

John will be greatly missed by us all.

Our condolences to his wife Oonagh, daughters Emily, Charlotte and Alice, mother Rita, siblings, relatives and friends.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.