Five gold medals were won by Donore Harriers athletes on the first day of the Leinster Schools Track & Field championships at Santry  with a notable double for the very talented Louis O’Loughlin of Moyle Park College in the Minor Boys category.

O’Loughlin (2.06.5) was always near the front of the field in the 800m. His superior speed over the final 150 metres allowed him to stay clear of pre-race favourite Ben Jones of Pres. Bray. Louis (3.18.7) made it a track double later in the day when he won out in a close encounter in the 1,100m.

Another emerging athlete to shine on the day was Lucy Hurley (1.55m) of Maynooth PP, who beat her previous best mark by 5 centimetres to win the Junior Girls high jump.

Jack Rudden-Kelly and Alex Clarkin made the Inter Boys 100m Hurdles the most exciting race of the day. Rudden-Kelly (14.11) dipped on the line to edge out a victory from his fast finishing Castleknock Community College and Donore teammate Clarkin (14.16).

Louis McDonagh (Castleknock CC) won the Minor Boys javelin by three metres with a best of 34.05m.

A magnificent double by sprint star Sean Lawlor and a championship record for Lauren O’Keeffe were the highlights for the Donore Harriers representation at the second day of the Leinster Schools Track & Field championships at Santry on Saturday. Lawlor (10.89), competing in the Senior Boys category and running in the vest of Kylemore College, ran close to his personal best when winning the 100m. He would later run out a clear winner in the 200m with a time of 22.01.

Lauren O’Keeffe (52.94m) smashed the championship record when winning the Inter Girls Hammer. The Loreta Balbriggan student, who is coached by Gerry Ronan, had to be at her best as the first five all beat the previous championship mark – including her Donore Harriers team-mate Clodagh Read (43.65m) who placed 5^th in the colours of Donabate CC.

Belvedere College student Eoin Molloy brought the Donore Harriers tally to 9-gold in the championship when he won the Senior Boys Hammer with a best throw of 47.27m. Silver medals were won by Juvenile Captain Karen Hughes (9.89m) in the Inter Girls Triple Jump and Oran O’Brien (42.05m) in the Inter Boys Discus. Karen was running for Donabate CC and Oran for Belvedere College. Ailbhe Healy (2.50m) and Rolus Olusu (3.00m) both won bronze in their respective Pole Vault competitions. Ailbhe (Castleknock CC) competed in the Inter Girls and Rolus (Kings Hosp) in the Senior Boys.

There were also some promising performances in the middle distance and distance events. Sam Gallagher (16.08) of CBS Lucan again broke his PB when placing 6^th in the Senior Boys 5,000m; Ciara Murphy (11.32.3) and Suzanne Masterson (11.41.5) both lowered their PBs when placing 4^th and 5^th in the Intermediate Girls 3,000m – and Conor Ray (9.54.1) showed his athletic potential when recording a new best time placing 6^th in the Inter Boys 3000m.
In the recent second round of the Dublin Juvenile Track & Field league at Tallaght (9/5/15) the affable Kolade Abiodun had a fine ‘double’ with victory in the Boys u/16s 200m and the Shot Putt. Kolade is the clear leader in his age group after 2 rounds, whilst an improving Robyn O’Keeffe lies 2^nd overall in the Girls u/16s class following her 2nd place in the 200m and 3^rd in the Shot Putt. The club’s other winner on the day was Brooke Fagan in the Girls u/11s Javelin.

Robyn O’Keeffe continued her recent good form by winning the under 16 Girls Discus and placing 3^rd in both the 400m and the High Jump in the third round of the Dublin Juvenile Track & Field League also at Tallaght (16/5/15). Her team made Cara Brennan placed 2^nd in both the High Jump and Discus in the same age category. Robyn and Cara occupy 2^nd and 3^rd overall positions with one match remaining.

In the Waterstown 5km Parkrun on Saturday morning (16/5/15) there were a host of personal bests from the Fit-4-Youth development squad coached by Janette Strickland. The most notable was achieved by Kate Lynch (26.50) who took 6 minutes of her previous best time when placing as 7^th female finisher. Ben Halpin, Robyn Strickland and Shannon Verdon-Byrne all lowered their previous best marks, whilst Elena Gaina, Justin Maher and Teigan Doran all completed the distance for the first time.

 Senior Report

In the Terenure 5 miles road race (17/5/15) collective running brought team victory for the women’s master team. Florence Curley (31.29), the team captain, won the over 40s category and led the team to glory. Alma Hanevy (33.03), runner-up in the F35 class, Caren Grady (37.45) and Mary Murphy (38.31) who placed 12^th in their respective F35 and F45 categories were the other team scorers.

Over in London on Saturday evening the Night of the 10,000m PBs event hosted by Highgate Harriers on the Parliament Hill track the Donore Harriers and Ireland star runner John Travers (29.04.66) ran a personal best when placing 4^th in a highly competitive ‘A’ race. Indeed the race incorporated the British 10km track Championships and was won by British international Jonny Mellor (28.46.8) of Liverpool Harriers.

In the Athletics Ireland Open Games at Santry (17/5/15) a returning Simon Taggart (15.03) won the ‘A’ 110m Hurdles race, whilst Jaco Oosthuysen (57.11m) came second in the Javelin. In the Senior Women’s Hammer juvenile athlete Lauren O’Keeffe (51.31m) placed 2^nd behind Michaela Walsh of Swinford AC. These two athletes are destined to bring Irish Hammer throwing into a new golden era!

The 124^th annual Clonliffe Harriers 2 Miles road race (14/5/15) saw good results for Donore athletes with sisters Ide (11.37) & Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (11.39) finishing as 3^rd and 4^th in the women’s class, whilst Terry Mee (14.04) and Jim McNamara (14.09) won the M70 and M75 age groups.

Niall Lynch continues to press for the overall lead in the Irish Mountain Running Association Leinster League. Lynch (34.02) placed second in the fourth round race at Carrick Mountain (13/5/15) and remains in second overall position. The race was held over a distance of 6km and had a total climb of 427 metres.

Results in brief:

IMRA Leinster League Round 4 (6km) at Carrick Mountain (13/5/15): 2^nd Niall Lynch M40 (34.02): 170^thSarah Ni Ruairc (1.14.58)

124^th Clonliffe Harriers 2 Mile at Santry (14/5/15): 19^th Andrew Ledwith (10.37); 39^th / 3^rd woman Ide Nic Dhomhnaill (11.37); 40^th / 4^th woman Sorcha Nic Dhomhnaill (11.39); 47^th / 6^th woman Maura Kearns (11.57); 48^th/ 7^th woman Michelle Childs (12.00); 96^th / 1^st M70 Terry Mee (14.04); 99^th / 1^st M75 Jim McNamara (14.09)

Night of the 10,000m PBs hosted by Highgate Harriers in London (16/5/15): 10,000m A race – 4^th John Travers (29.04.66 PB)

Griffeen 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 34^th Peter Bonnar M45 (22.30)

Waterstown 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 26^th / 6^th female Janette Strickland F40 (26.49)

Calcutta 5km at Phoenix Park (16/5/15): 18^th / 3^rd woman Julia Hackett (22.23)

Terenure 5 mile (16/5/15): 45^th Paul Cummins (29.30); 104^th / 1^st F40 Florence Curley (31.29); 153^rd / 2^nd F35 Alma Hanevy (33.03); 166^th / 9^th Snr Emer Rattigan (33.34); 280^th / 1^st M65 Terry Mee (36.09); 361^st / 12^th F35 Caren Grady (37.45); 383^rd / 12^th F40 Mary Murphy (38.31); 455^th / 18^th F35 Catherine McKeon (40.02)

TEAM: Women’s Masters team: 1^st Donore Harriers <Curley, Hanevy, Grady, Murphy>

Blackwater 10km at Monaghan (17/5/15): 39^th / 5^th woman Barbara Murray (41.44)

Maynooth 10km (17/5/15): 98^th Joan McTernan (48.25); 210^th Liz McCurtain (50.47); 211^th David Hudson (50.48); 347^th Sue Lynch (58.03)

AAI Open Games at Santry (17/5/15): Men’s High Jump – 4^th Cathal O’Brien (1.80m): Men’s Javelin – 2^nd Jaco Oosthuysen (57.11m): Women’s 4kg Hammer – 2^nd Lauren O’Keeffe JNR (51.31m): Men’s 110mH – 1^st Simon Taggart (15.03): Women’s 100m – 5^th Ailise Keating JNR (13.98): Men’s 400m – 4^th Eamon Fahey (49.14 PB)

Juvenile Results in brief:

Leinster Schools Track & Field Championships Day 1 at Santry (13/5/15):

Gold = Minor Boys 800m – 1^st Louis O’Loughlin (2.06.5 PB): 1,100m 1^st Louis O’Loughlin (3.18.73); Inter Boys 100mH – 1^st Jack Rudden-Kelly (14.11); Minor Boys Javelin – Louis McDonagh (34.05m); Junior Girls High Jump – 1^st Lucy Hurley (1.55 PB): Silver = Inter Boys 100mH – 2^nd Alex Clarkin (14.16): Bronze = Junior Boys 80mH – 3^rd Max Carey (12.06); Junior Girls Pole Vault – Lara O’Byrne: u/16 Girls 4 x 300m Relay – Eve Reilly (Castleknock CC)

Also: Senior Boys 110mH – 4^th Rolus Olusu (15.61); Senior Girls 100mH – DNF injured Lauren Kennedy; Inter Girls 80mH – 6^th Ailbhe Healy (14.05); Junior Girls 75mH – 7^th Ciara O’Donnell (13.5); Inter Girls 1500m Steeplechase – 6^th Suzanne Masterson (5.59.3); u/16 Girls 200m – 8^th Eve Reilly (NT); Junior Girls 4 x 100m Relay – 6^th Maynooth PP inc Ciara O’Donnell, Angie Gonia & Lucy Hurley (55.61); Junior Girls Hammer – 4^th Eleanor Ronan (23.28)

Leinster Schools Track & Field Championships Day 2 at Santry (16/5/15):

Gold = Senior Boys – 100m 1^st Sean Lawlor (10.89); 200m 1^st Sean Lawlor (22.01): Inter Girls Hammer – 1^stLauren O’Keeffe (52.94m championship record); Senior Boys Hammer – 1^st Eoin Molloy (47.27m): Silver = Inter Girls Triple Jump – 2^nd Karen Hughes (9.89m): Inter Boys Discus – 2^nd Oran O’Brien (42.05m) Bronze = Inter Girls Pole Vault – 3^rd Ailbhe Healy (2.50m); Senior Boys Pole Vault – 3^rd Rolus Olusu (3.00m)
Also: Inter Girls 100m – 5^th Suzi O’Farrell (13.21), 6^th Aoife Lynch (13.26): Inter Boys 100m – 6th Kolade Abiodun (11.70): Senior Girls 100m – 4^th Ailise Keating (13.10): Inter Girls 800m – 8^th Claire O’Connor (2.42.8); Inter Girls 3,000m – 4^th Ciara Murphy (11.32.3 PB), 5^th Suzanne Masterson (11.41.5 PB): Inter Boys 3,000m – 6^th Conor Ray (9.54.1 PB): Inter Girls 200m – 5^th Aoife Lynch (27.54) 7^th Lauren O’Flaherty (NT): Senior Girls 200m – 6^th Karen Hughes (28.21); Senior Girls 1500m – 9^th Julia Kazmierczak (5.39.2): Inter Boys Hammer – 4^th Ian Darroch (41.87m): Inter Boys Javelin – 4^th Alex Clarkin (42.89m): Inter Girls Javelin – 4^th Rebecca Power (27.67m): Inter Girls Hammer – 5^th Clodagh Read (43.65): Inter Girls Shot Putt – 6^th Lauren O’Keeffe (8.84m): Inter Boys Discus – Sean Young (NR)
Senior Boys 5,000m – 6^th Sam Gallagher (16.08.0 PB): Inter Inter Girls 4 x 100m relay – 5^th Castleknock CC inc Ailbhe Healy & Eve Reilly: Senior Girls 4 x 100m relay – 6^th St. Joseph’s Lucan inc. Roisin Rynn-Cahill
Waterstown 5km Parkrun (16/5/15): 26^th / 7^th female Kate Lynch u/15s (26.50 PB); 42^nd Ben Halpin u/17s (29.20 PB); 44^th / 15^th female Elena Gaina u/17s (29.26 debut); 51^st / 18^th female Robyn Strickland u/15s (32.18 PB); 56^th / 22^nd female Shannon Verdon-Byrne u/15s (33.00 PB); 71^st Justin Maher u/15s (37.17 debut); 85^th / 40^th female Teigan Doran u/15s (47.26 debut)

Dublin Juvenile T&F League Round 2 at Tallaght (9/5/15): Leading results: Girls u/11s Javelin – 1^st Brooke Fagan; 200m – 6^th Brooke Fagan: Boys u/11s Javelin – 3^rd Oliver Hopkins: Boys u/12s 200m – 5^th Sean Kinsella; Long Jump – 5^th Sean Kinsella; Girls u/13s High Jump – 3^rd Robyn Sweeney; Girls u/16s 200m – 2^nd Robyn O’Keeffe, 3^rd Cara Brennan: Shot Putt – 3^rd Robyn O’Keeffe, 5^th Cara Brennan: Boys u/16s 200m – 1^st Kolade Abiodun; Shot Putt – 1^st Kolade Abiodun, 4^th Max Carey

Dublin Juvenile T&F League Round 3 at Tallaght (16/5/15): leading results: – u/10 Boys 500m – 5^th Joe Kinsella: Long Jump – Joe Kinsella 6^th: u/11 Girls 600m – 5^th Grace Raftery: u/11 Boys 600m – 5^th Conor Mahony; Javelin – 4^th Oliver Hopkins: u/12 Boys 600m – 2^nd Sean Kinsella, 4^th Michael Barry: Girls u/16s 400m – 3^rd Robyn O’Keeffe; High Jump – 2^nd Cara Brennan, 3^rd Robyn O’Keeffe; Discus – 1^st Robyn O’Keeffe, 2^nd Cara Brennan