So near! After a time span of 37 years the wait must continue for at least one more year! It was 1978 when Donore Harriers last won the Dublin Senior Men’s team cross country title. In this year’s championship race, held at Tymon Park last Sunday, strong team packing ensured that Donore were in the mix for that elusive glory! Ultimately Donore Harriers had to settle for the team silver medal amid a rule controversy!

After five 2km laps over a meandering and hilly route it was Mark Dooley (33.45) who led the team home in an excellent 6^th place. Eric Keogh (33.55) gained a place on the final circuit to cross the line in 9^th, whilst Ray Hynes (34.15) and Michael McMahon (34.17) had their own nip-and-tuck battle throughout the race before settling for 12^th and 13^th positions respectively. With six-to-score the team was closed out by John Dunne (34.33) in 17^th and Aogan MacDomhnaill (35.26) in 21^st. The non-scoring team members were Niall Lynch (35.35) in 23^rd and Des Tremble (39.07) in 51^st.

Donore Harriers closed with a final team score of 78, seven points behind winners Raheny Shamrocks AC (71) and some way clear of 3^rd placed Dundrum South Dublin (126). A prior complaint that Raheny’s second scoring runner did not comply with the ‘residency rule’ was not allowed.

The Donore women’s team also took team silver in what can be described as a ‘sister act’. Two sets of sisters made up the team as Ide NicDhomhnaill (24.31) came 9^th after a tough 6km race run in warm conditions – with Anne Curley just one place and four seconds further back. Next home for the team was Sorcha NicDhomhnaill (24.42) in 12^th, whilst team captain Florence Curley (25.37) continues to regain form following an injury lay-out came 21^st. The unfortunate Grace Kennedy was forced to retire in the latter stages of the race with a foot injury.

Donore Harriers (52) placed 2^nd behind Crusaders (23) with Liffey Valley AC (59) in 3^rd.

Earlier in the day the Dublin Juvenile Uneven age-groups championships were also held at Tymon Park. The bright sunny morning saw plenty of great races, not least the Boys under 15s battle between Donore’s outstanding talents of Louis O’Loughlin and Fathi Aden. Aden put in a huge effort in the opening half of the 3,500m route and build a lead of about 50 metres. But as Aden began to tire and O’Loughlin used his finishing speed it was the latter who won the spoils to add the under 15s title to the under 16s crown won two weeks earlier. O’Loughlin will now be favourite to win the national crown next month. Aden held on for 2^nd place. The Donore team (50) placed 4^th behind Clonliffe Harriers (31), DSD (42) and host club Brothers Pearse AC (43). The other team members were Jack Raftery (20^th), Lorcan O’Ceallaigh (27^th) and Jack Connolly (33^rd).

The Girls under 17s team (53 points) won team silver after 4km over a tough cross country course. The team was led home by Ireland’s Fittest Family star Lucy McCann in 8^th place with Eliza NiThighearnaigh in 9^th and Suzanne Masterson in 12^th. The scoring team was completed by debut runner Ruth Hutton in 24^th, whilst her twin sister Grace (debut) was next over the line. A strong DSD team (14) easily won the team prize, whilst Raheny Shamrocks (61) were 3^rd.

There was also a surprise team bronze for the under 17s boys team – also run over 4km. Sekeriye Ahmed (step-up) led the team home in 7^th place, whilst the remainder of the scoring team are all first-season members. Ibrahim Mohammed came 18^th, whilst debut runners James Murphy and Liam Brophy came 19^th and 20^th. Both Mohammed and Murphy were stepping-up an age group. The non-scoring runner was Daniel Brady, who placed 21^st.

Clonliffe (20) came 1^st with DSD (31) in second and Donore Harriers (64) 3^rd.

Roisin Brady placed 17^th in the Girls under 15s race over 3,500m.

There were other encouraging performances by the younger club members as debutants Fay and Queen Leigh-O’Keeffe placed 27^th and 13^th respectively in the Girls and Boys under 9s raced over 800m. The Girls under 11s failed to close out a team as Skye-Dixie fell during a mid-race tussle and retired from the race. Her team members included Brooke Fagan (19^th), Grace Raftery (20^th) and step-up athlete Honor Lynch (39^th).  The other competing Donore athletes were: – Eleanor Hopins (41^st) and Mira Hendrickson (52^nd) in the Girls u/9s; Ciaran O’Farrell (20^th) in the Boys u/9s; and Oliver Hopkins (30^th), debutant Fergus Johnson (31^st) and Max Hendrickson (58^th) in the Boys u/11s.

In very competitive races for athletes aged18 – 20 Niamh O’Neill fell back to 12^thafter a strong start in the 3km junior women’s race, whilst Sam Gallagher showed good form in his first race after an injury time-out to place 13^th over the 6km junior men’s race. Stephen Gavin retired from the race in the closing stages due to a hamstring injury.

If ever there was a week to prove that Donore Harriers are the nearly men then this was it! In the National Marathon team competition incorporated in the last week’s Dublin Marathon the Donore masters team of Fergal Whitty, Andy Kinane and Patrick Moriarty placed 2nd – must 7 seconds short of team winners St. Finbarrs AC. The winners combined time was 8hrs.12mins.23secs (M. Morgan 2.35.56, M. Corbett 2.47.40, J. Cunningham 2.48.57) with Donore Harriers at 8.12.30 (F. Whitty 2.35.15, A. Kinane 2.44.38, P. Moriarty 2.52.37).

Clonmel AC came 3^rd with a time of 8.14.55 (D. Ryan 2.39.57, B. Long 2.46.37, D. Curley 2.48.21) with Inishowen AC in 4^th 8.15.51 and Westport AC in 5^th8.17.25

There was better fortune for the women’s team who won a surprise team senior gold for the first time ever. The team was made up of newcomer Amy Moriarty (3.15.22), Breda Mahony (3.27.12) and Sinead Graham (3.29.20). Their combined time of 10.11.54 edged out Brothers Pearse AC (10.12.23) and Springwell AC (10.13.53).

Results in brief  

Dublin Senior Women’s XC Championships at Tymon Park (1/11/15): 6,000m– 9^th Ide NicDhomhnaill (24.31), 10^th Ann Curley F35 (24.35), 12^th Sorcha NicDhomhnaill (24.42), 21^st Florence Curley F35 (25.37), DNF Grace Kennedy (injured)

TEAM: 1^st Crusaders (23), 2^nd Donore Harriers (52), 3^rd Liffey Valley AC (59)

Dublin Senior Men’s XC Championships at Tymon Park (1/11/15): 10,000m – 6^th Mark Dooley (33.45), 9^th Eric Keogh (33.55), 12^th Ray Hynes (34.15), 13^thMichael McMahon M35 (34.17), 17^th John Dunne M35 (34.33), 21^st Aogan MacDomhnaill (35.26), 23^rd Niall Lynch M40 (35.35), 51^st Des Tremble M40 (39.07)

TEAM: 1^st Raheny Shamrocks (71), 2^nd Donore Harriers (78), 3^rd DSD AC (126)

Dublin Junior Women’s XC Championship at Tymon Park (1/11/15): 3,000m– 12^th Niamh O’Neill

Dublin Junior Men’s XC Championships at Tymon Park (1/11/15): 6,000m – 13^th Sam Gallagher, DNF Stephen Gavin (injured)

New York Marathon: Joan McTernan 124^th in F50 category (4.10.53)

Fighting Blindness Trail Race (15.5km inc. 500m of gain/loss) at Glendalough (31/10/15): 3^rd Ken Norgrove M45 (1.06.21), 80^th Anne Rush F40 (1.39.25)

Griffeen 5km Parkrun (31/10/15): 1^st Declan Fahey M40 (17.01)

Porterstown 5km Parkrun (31/10/15): 4^th Tom Fagan M45 (20.41)

Waterstown 5km Parkrun (31/10/15): 1^st Rossa Hurley (18.49), 20^th / 8^th woman Leonie Barry (27.29 PB)  

Juvenile Results

Dublin Juvenile Uneven Age Groups XC Championships at Tymon Park (1/11/15): Girls u/9s 800m – 27^th Fay Leigh-O’Keeffe (debut), 41^st Eleanor Hopkins, 52^nd Mira Hendrickson; Boys u/9s 800m – 13^th Quinn Leigh-O’Keeffe (debut), 20^th Ciaran O’Farrell; Girls u/11s 1,500m – 19^th Brooke Fagan, 20^th Grace Raftery, 39^th Honor Lynch (step-up), DNF Skye-Dixie Synnott (fell midrace);Boys u/11s 1,500m – 30^th Oliver Hopkins, 31^st Fergus Johnson (debut), 58^th Max Hendrickson; Girls u/15s 3,500m – 17^th Roisin Brady; Boys u/15s 3,500m – 1^stLouis O’Loughlin, 2^nd Fathi Aden, 20^th Jack Raftery, 27^th Lorcan O’Ceallaigh (step-up), 33^rd Jack Connolly - TEAM: 1. Clonliffe (31), 2. DSD (42), 3. Brothers Pearse (43), 4, Donore (50); Girls u/17s 4,000m – 8^th Lucy McCann, 9^th Eliza Ni Thighearnaigh, 12^th Suzanne Masterson, 24^th Ruth Hutton, 25^th Grace Hutton –TEAM: 1. DSD (14), 2. Donore (53), 3. Raheny (61), 4. Clonliffe (78); u/17 Boys 4,000m – 7^th Sekeriye Ahmed (step-up), 18^th Ibros Mohammed, 19^th James Murphy (debut & step-up), 20^th Liam Brophy (debut & step-up), 21^st Daniel Brady – TEAM: 1. Clonliffe (20), 2. DSD (31), 3. Donore (64)