The Celtics Games is an annual juvenile international match for Wales, Ireland and Scotland, each country hosting in rota. This year Ireland are hosts and the event takes place this Saturday (9/8/14) at Santry starting at 11am (field events) and Noon for the track races.

Representing Ireland will be two Donore Harriers athletes: – Sean Lawlor and Jack Rudden-Kelly. Sean will compete in the u/18s 200m (start 14.35hrs) and the 4 x 100m Relay (at 15.24hrs). Jack will compete in the u/16s 100mH (at 12.20hrs) and the 4 x 100m Mixed Relay (at 15.35hrs). Here are there profiles: -

Sean Lawlor joined Donore Harriers in January 2009 when a Fun Athletics PE Teacher encouraged him to take up athletics. “I was a lot faster than anyone else in the school” remembers Sean. Sean is coached by Gerry Ronan and has personal best times of 10.88 for the 100m and 21.67 for the 200m. Sean’s best achievements to date include the All Ireland schools 100m & 200m titles; the Tailteann Games 100m, 200m & 4 x 100m titles along with the 200m record time.

A student at Kylemore College he qualified for the Irish team by winning the National u/18 200m held recently at Tullamore. Sean represented Ireland in the SIAB schools international match at Cardiff in July 2014 where he competed in the 100m, 200m & 4 x 100m relay.

Sean was a key member of the Donore Harriers men’s T&F team that won last weekend’s National League Division One title and promotion to the premier division when he won the 200m and anchored the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relay teams that finished 3^rd and 1^st respectively. His target for 2015 is to compete in the European Junior championships in his favoured 200m event.

The famous athlete that Sean most admires is French sprinter Christophe Lemaitre. Lemaitre was World Junior champion in the 200m back in 2008 and went on to win European gold medals over 100m and 200m in 2010. In the 2011 World Championships he won bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4 x 100m relay. He was the first man purely of European descent to break the 10 second barrier in an officially timed 100m event. Lameitre’s PBs are 9.92 for 100m and 19.80 for 200m, both national records.

Jack Rudden-Kelly joined Donore Harriers in March 2009 having been inspired to take up the sport by his grandfather Matt Rudden. “He was a phenomenal athlete in his day and he encouraged me to work and train hard at my sport” said Jack. The name of Matt Rudden is synonymous with the development and building of the Donore Harriers Sports Centre.

Jack, who is coached by John Geoghegan, qualified for the Irish team when he finished second in the National Juvenile T&F Championships at Tullamore. He is a multi-events athlete and has a PB time of 13.71 for the 100mH achieved at the All Ireland Juvenile championship this year.