News 2002

National CC Championships 2002 The journey to Dalgan Park, Navan on Sunday, 8th December for the All-Ireland CC C'ship for Novice Men and Women and Juveniles Under 12, 14, 16 and 18 years was to prove yet another memorable day for the athletes of Mullingar Harriers. To bring home two individual titles, a 2nd and a 3rd individual, plus 3 team prizes was fantastic. The first race of the day, the Girls Under 12 race saw a very impressive victory for Aoife Hogan, a most talented athlete. Close behind her came Maud-Anne Foley, both winning medals with Leinster. Next to finish were Anna Broderick, Arlene Coughlan, Lisa Darby and Joy Kearney. The Girls Under 14 team put in an excellent team performance to win silver medals. They were led home by Maria McGivney, who also won gold with Leinster, next came Ruth Kearney, Sarah Drew, Rachel Moorehead, Louise Darby, Deirdre O'Donovan, Grace Kearney and Tracey Coughlan. In the Girls Under 16 race the late withdrawal of Joanne Harney was a huge blow but the running of Sarah Mescall who was the 1st Leinster finisher, was very impressive, followed by Ellen Colton, Rita Kearney and Amy Drew and they finished 4th club. The Boys Under 16 team of David Hynes, Brian Melody, Stephen Moran, James Devanney, Stephen Burke, Shane Fitzpatrick, and Ciaran Newman ran very well but finished outside the medals. Louise Moore was in impressive form finishing 3rd in the Girls Under 18 race, and with great support from Aine Devaney, both on the winning Leinster team, Melanie Lynch, Ruth O'Meara, Elaine Butler and Aoife Bateman the team finished 3rd. In the Boys Under 18 race Mark Christie ran very impressively to take another individual title and led the team to silver medals with Jason O'Brien, Patrick Costello, Ger Feerick and Brian O'Donovan all packing very well. Lorraine McNicholas ran very well in the ladies novice race finishing 16th. In the Mens Novice race Noel Kelly ran superby to finish 2nd. Overall it was a great day for the club.

National Cross-Country Championships 2002 Last week-end, Sunday 24th November, we made the long trip to Donoughmore AC in Cork for the first of the National Cross Country Championships 2002. The recent heavy rain and flooding in parts of Cork made for difficult conditions underfoot. The combination of the mud and the hills, made this cross country running at its best, or worst, depending on whether you were running or spectating! As expected, Mullingar athletes were up to the task and justified their places at the Finals. We hoped to bring home a few medals and the athletes responded with some fine team and individual performances. These were the National finals and no-one was under any illusion that medals would be very hard to win.

First up was the very young Girls under 11 team, led home by Arlene Coughlan, who was well supported by Lisa Darby, Joy Kearney, Faye Kearney and Emer Flynn. These youngsters ran their hearts out but didn't finish in the medals. However, most are under 11 again next year and will have gained much valuable experience. We had better success in the Girls u/13 where Maria McGivney was in sparkling form and despite losing a shoe near the start, negotiated the course brilliantly and took 8th place with a terrific sprint finish. This was to earn Maria a National Title with the Leinster team. Maria was followed home by Aoife Hogan, Maud-Annie Foley, Louise Darby, Deirdre O'Donovan and Grace Kearney who packed well and the team took the silver medals to give Mullingar its first National medals of the day. In the Girls u/15 Rachel Moorhead was our first finisher, supported by Ruth Kearney, Sarah Drew and Amy Drew but the girls finished outside the medal positions. Rachel was particularly unlucky not to get a bronze medal as Leinster were pipped by two points. The Girls u/17 fared better and Joanne Harney ran a brilliant race to lead the Mullingar team home. Joanne was followed home by Sarah Mescall who once again showed she is a force to be reckoned with by reprising the terrific finish she had in the recent Leinster Championships. The girls were well supported by Aine Devanney and Ellen Colton who both finished strongly, and by Melanie Lynch, Carol Keenan and Aoife Bateman. Any hint of disappointment Joanne may have felt at not winning an individual medal was lost in the excitement that she had helped the team to win silver medals for second Club and bronze medals for third County. Louise Moore pulled the Girls u/19 field out in a very fast early pace and eventually finished in 3rd place, and 5th in the Junior Ladies, with a typical fast finish over the last 400m. Followed home by Ruth O'Meara and Elaine Butler, the girls were very unlucky to finish out of the medals in 4th place, though Louise's efforts were rewarded with a silver medal for the Leinster team. The final ladies race with a Mullingar interest was the Senior Ladies where Caroline Harney, Ciara Dillon, Lorraine McNicholas and Joan Dillon battled bravely but failed to secure any medals. It was great to see a Mullingar Senior ladies team in action. Moving to the boys, the Boys u/15 team of Alan Stenson, Stephen Moran who continues to improve, Paul Flynn, Kevin Duggan and David Holmes battled bravely but found the opposition very tough and finished outside the medals, though Alan won a silver medal with the Leinster team. Likewise, in the Boys u/17 the competition was fierce. Pat Costello, who also lost a shoe early on in the race, was our first finisher, supported by Brian O'Donovan, Shane Fitzpatrick, Tomas Devanney, Brian Melody, Philip Shaw and Ciaran Newman. The boys found the race particularly grueling and finished outside the medals. Mark Christie was in great early form in the Boys u/19 and despite experiencing difficulty with a stitch and cramp at one point in the race, ran through the pain and recovered well to record an excellent victory. Mark finished a marvelous 2nd place in the Junior Men's race. Mark was supported by Ronan Doolin, Jason O'Brien, Ger Feerick and Ciaran O'Meara but the team finished outside the medals. Damien Shaw had to withdraw mid-way through the race due to injury but thankfully recovered well after and should be fine again very soon. By the time Steven McKeague and Patrick Muldoon lined up for the Senior Mens race, conditions were like after the Battle of the Somme and were near treacherous in places. Despite this, both battled bravely, ran very well and expressed satisfaction after with their performances.

Special thanks to parents and supporters

While the athletes performed brilliantly at the Finals, we must pay special tribute and extend sincere thanks to the many parents and supporters who traveled with the teams to Cork and ensured the entire week-end passed off so successfully. To take such a number of teams away is no small logistic exercise and those who stayed with the teams are to be applauded. Without their support and commitment, such a trip would not be possible. The great number who followed down on the Sunday to lend support was also terrific and very much appreciated by the athletes.

Leinster Cross-Country Championships 2002 The second round of the Leinster Cross-Country Championships 2002 was held in Ardee GAA Grounds on Sunday, 17th November. Despite the recent very heavy rain and flooding in parts of the Country, the conditions underfoot were not too bad and Mullingar athletes coped very well with the course. Credit to the officials on setting out the course in difficult circumstances. As we have come to expect, the Mullingar athletes performed brilliantly and secured many medals and team Titles. The results were as follows: Girls under 12. Aoife Hogan was in great form and led the girls team home followed closely by Maud-Annie Foley and both girls qualified for the Leinster team in the National Finals in three weeks time. The girls were supported by Anna Broderick, Arlene Coughlan, Lisa Darby, Joy Kearney and Anna McGivney to take the Leinster title by winning gold for first Club. This is a very talented squad and are expected to feature prominently in the National Finals. In the Girls u/14, Maria McGivney ran the race of her life to lead the team home. Followed by Ruth Kearney, Mullingar again had two qualifiers on the Leinster team. The girls were very well supported by Sarah Drew, Rachel Moorhead, Deirdre Donovan, Louise Darby, Grace Kearney and Jessica Lynch to take the Leinster titles for both Club and County. This team is certain to do well in the National Finals. Joanne Harney was our first finisher in the Girls u/16 but the performance of Sarah Mescall was memorable as she gave her all in the final sprint finish to join Joanne on the Leinster team in the National Finals. Supported by Ellen Colton, Amy Drew and Carol Keenan, the girls packed well and took the Leinster title as first Club. In the Girls u/18, Louise Moore was absolutely dominant and took her second well deserved Leinster title in two weeks. With Aine Devanney in 6th place joining Louise on the Leinster team, and very well supported by Melanie Lynch, Ruth O'Meara and Aoife Bateman, the team won the Leinster title as first Club. This was a great result for this hard working team. Unfortunately we had no team in the Boys u/12 but Ben Hogan was our first finisher, followed by Jake Byrne and David Smith and all three ran very well and should be proud of themselves. In the Boys u/14 we only had two athletes but Paul Flynn and Andrew Boyhan battled valiantly and ran well. We had no problem fielding a team in the Boys u/16 because we had a nearly unbelievable eleven athletes in this race, by far the biggest team in the field. Tomas Devanney was our first finisher and must be well pleased that he is beginning to reap the reward of all the hard work of late. Supported by Alan Stenson, David Hynes, the newcomer Brian Melody who is someone to watch in the future, Stephen Burke, the very fast finishing Stephen Moran, Shane Fitzpatrick, Philip Shaw, Ciaran Newman, David Holmes and Kevin Duggan, the lads won the Leinster title for first Club and took the silver as second County. It was great to see Jason O'Brien back to near full fitness again in the Boys u/18 where he played a major part in assisting Ger Feerick, Ciaran O'Meara and Brian Donovan to take bronze medals as third Club and securing their places in the National Finals. The last race of the day was the Intermediate Men 10k where Stephen McKeague took a well earned 10th place. Ciaran Nolan also ran very well in this race.

We have to pay special tribute and extend sincere thanks to the many parents and the large number of supporters who traveled to Ardee. It is always appreciated by the athletes. To sum up, the four girls teams won their Leinster titles for first Club, and with two of the boys teams, earned their places in the National Finals to be held in Navan on Sunday 8th December. This means that all the Mullingar girls teams over all age groups in the two rounds of the Leinster Championships have qualified for their National Finals. This is a spectacular success for the Mullingar girls. Combining the results from Ardee with the results from Laois two weeks ago, it is hard to see how Mullingar will not retain the trophy for best overall cross country Club in Leinster and reinforce Mullingar's reputation as one of the best cross country Club in the Country.

Hollymount Road Race

Cormac Finnerty and Noel Kelly had a great battle at the Hollymount International Road Race in Co. Mayo last Sunday (10th Nov). Cormac just edged out Noel in a sprint finish to take 2nd place(31.33) just 3 seconds ahead of Noel.(31.36). With 98 finishers in the race, this was a top class race to feature so prominently in.

Leinster Cross-Country Championships 2002 The first round of the Leinster Cross-Country Championships 2002 were held in Laois last Sunday, 3rd November. Conditions underfoot were far from ideal but Mullingar athletes seemed untroubled by the weather and once again demonstrated why the Club is regarded as amongst the best in the Country. As always, there were hugh entries in all races, especially the younger ages. The results were as follows: First in action were the Girls under 11. Arlene Coughlan was our first finisher followed by Lisa Darby, Joy Kearney, Faye Kearney and Emer Flynn to take the gold medal for first Club. These youngsters ran like seasoned veterans and one would not believe they are only 9 and 10 year olds. With such talent, the Club's future looks secure. Not to be outdone, in the Girls u/13, Maria McGivney finished a brilliant 4th, closely followed by Aoife Hogan, Maud-Annie Foley and Louise Darby to take gold for first Club, and followed by Grace Kearney and Deirdre O'Donovan to take silver for second County. The girls were well supported by Tracey Coughlan, Anna Broderick, Emily McCormack, Claire Flynn, and Anna McGivney. This team clearly has a lot of talent in depth. The Girls u/15 team of Sarah Drew, Ruth Kearney, Rachel Moorhead and Amy Drew ran brilliantly and packed well to take silver medal for second Club. When we thought it couldn't get any better, in the Girls u/17, Sarah Mescall took 4th individual, followed by Joanne Harney (5th), Aine Devanney (6th) and Ellen Colton (13th) to take a clear-cut Club gold. The girls were supported by Melanie Lynch, Carol Keenan, and Aoife Bateman to take the silver medals for second County. It was great to see Louise Moore storm to victory in the Girls u/19 and assisted by team-mates Ruth O'Meara and Elaine Butler to secure the silver medals as second Club.We had no team in the Boys u/11 but Jake Byrne and Dale Gibney ran very well and should be proud of themselves. The Boys u/13 team of Andrew Boyhan, Ben Hogan, Niall Darby and David Smith were unlucky to finish in 5th place overall and just missed out on team medals. These young lads are still under 13 next year. Alan Stenson was our first finisher in the Boys u/15 taking 4th place. He was very well supported by Stephen Moran, Paul Flynn, David Holmes, Jonathan Hickey and Kevin Duggan to take the bronze medals for third Club. An understrength Boys u/17 team of Ciaran O'Meara, Pat Costello, Tomas Devanney, Brian Melody, Brian O'Donovan and Ciaran Newman battled valiantly and achieved a great result in taking bronze medals for third Club and securing their places in the National Finals. For one reason or another, we could only field three athletes in the Boys u/19 (Ger Feerick, Jason O'Brien and Denis Connolly) so team prizes were never going to be won. It was great to see Jason O'Brien back in action once again. In the Novice Men, Ronan Doolin and Steve McKeague both figured prominently throughout this tremendous race. Well done to both. The last race of the day was the Masters (Veteran) Men and it was great to have a Mullingar team in this last event. Pat Muldoon, Nicky McCabe, Christy Creagh and Greg Duggan all ran to form but there were no team medals for Mullingar in this race run over a rapidly deteriorating course, but well done to all.

A special word of thanks to the many parents and the large number of supporters who travelled to the competition. It was very much appreciated by the athletes. Overall, all five girls teams and two of the five boys teams earned their places in the National Finals to be held in Cork on Sunday 24th November. It is very rare for any Club to have all their boys or girls teams qualify for the National Finals so congratulations to the Mullingar girls. Of particular satisfaction is the fact that 8 Mullingar athletes (7 girls!) finished in the top twelve in their races and so qualified to represent Leinster in the National Finals. The results from Laois were spectacular and Mullingar are well positioned to retain the trophy for best overall crosscountry Club in Leinster but we need to make sure by matching the performances last Sunday with just as good results from the second round of the Leinster Cross Country Championships in Ardee on 17th November. Many are beginning to see the fruits of the hard training of the past few months.

Mark Christie on International Duty

Many will have remarked on Mark Christie's absence last Sunday but Mark was competing in an International cross country event in Belgium. Well done to Mark on his selection.

Westmeath Cross-Country Championships

The second round of the Westmeath Cross-Country Championships 2002 were held in the Clonkill GAA Grounds in Loughegar, Mullingar on Sunday last (20th Oct). Held in very difficult weather conditions, those present witnessed some great races. It was particularly good to see many of our Senior men taking part and providing a tremendous spectacle for those who braved the elements and stayed to watch. Thanks to those who helped out on the day in very difficult conditions. Many thanks to Clonkill GAA Club for the use of their excellent grounds and facilities.

Results

Girls under 10 (1st Arlene Coughlan, Moate; 2nd Joy Kearney, Sonna; 3rd Lisa Darby, Kinnegad; 4th Fay Kearney, Sonna; 5th Cliodhna Daly, Balrath; 6th Emer Flynn, Crookedwood; 7th Aideen Daly, Balrath; 8th Fiona Robinson, Walshestown; 9th Muirna Robinson, Walshestown). Girls u/12 (1st Aoife Hogan, Moate; 2nd Maud-Anne Foley, Kinnegad; 3rd Anna Broderick, Loughegar; 4th Claire Flynn, Crookedwood). Girls u/14 (1st Maria McGivney, Streete; 2nd Sarah Drew, Ballynacarrigy; 3rd Deirdre Donovan, Gainstown; 4th Louise Darby, Kinnegad; 5th Grace Kearney, Sonna). Girls u/16 (1st Ellen Colton, Wilson's Hospital School; 2nd Amy Drew, Sonna; 3rd Elaine Farrelly, Delvin). Girls u/18 (1st Louise Moore, Killucan; 2nd Aine Devanney, Boherquill; 3rd Melanie Lynch, Mullingar; 4th Ruth O'Meara, Mullingar). Boys u/10 (1st Dale Gibney, Mullingar; 2nd Patrick Shanley, Mullingar; 3rd Oran Daly, Balrath). Boys u/12 (1st Jake Byrne, Rochfortbridge; 2nd David Smith, Mullingar; 3rd David Moran, Multyfarnham). Boys u/14 (1st Paul Flynn, Crookedwood; 2nd Andrew Boyhan, Multyfarnham; 3rd Niall Darby, Delvin; 4th David Murphy, Athlone). Boys u/16 (1st David Hynes, Mullingar; 2nd Shane Fitzpatrick, Walshestown; 3rd Tomas Devanney, Boherquill; 4th Stephen Moran, Multyfarnham; 5th Ciaran Newman, Mullingar; 6th David Holmes, Kinnegad; 7th Kevin Duggan, Mullingar; 8th Philip Shaw, Mullingar). Boys u/18 (1st Patrick Costelloe, Moate Community College; 2nd Ger Feerick, Multyfarnham; 3rd Denis Connolly, Multyfarnham). Senior Men (1st David Burke, 2nd Cormac Finnerty, 3rd Noel Kelly, 4th Tom McGrath, 5th Steven McKeague, 6th Patrick Muldoon). Masters (Veteran) Men (1st Pat Muldoon, 2nd Nicky McCabe, 3rd Christy Creagh).

Westmeath Cross-Country Championships The first round of the Westmeath Cross-Country Championships 2002 were held in the Clonkill GAA Grounds in Loughegar, Mullingar on Sunday last (13th Oct). Sincere thanks to Clonkill GAA Club for the use of their excellent grounds and facilities. Also, thanks to our own George Bell and Christy Creagh for arranging the venue. Held in ideal weather conditions, and on a superb course, those present witnessed some excelent running by the young and not so young athletes. Once again it looks as if we are going to have some very strong teams for the forthcoming Leinster and National Championships. The second round of the Westmeath Championships will take place at the same venue next Sunday (20th), again with a 12 noon start and races for boys and girls under 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 years, plus an open Senior mens and womens race, when we expect to see another group of newcomers in action. Extra help this Sunday with the start, course stewards, and finish area would be appreciated. Again, our thanks to Clonkill GAA Club for the use of their grounds and facilities.

Results

Girls under 9 (1st Muirna Robinson, Mullingar; 2nd Lisa Byrne, Rochfortbridge; 3rd Maire Joyce, Multyfarnham). Girls u/11 (1st Arlene Coughlan, Moate; 2nd Joy Kearney, Sonna; 3rd Lisa Darby, Kinnegad; 4th Faye Kearney, Sonna; 5th Emer Flynn, Crookedwood). Girls u/13 (joint 1st Maria McGivney, Streete and Aoife Hogan, Moate; 3rd Louise Darby, Kinnegad; 4th Maud-Anne Foley, Kinnegad; 5th Grace Kearney, Sonna; 6th Tracey Coughlan, Moate; 7th Jessica Lynch, Mullingar; 8th Anna Broderick, Loughegar; 9th Emily McCormack, Ballinea; 10th Claire Flynn, Crookedwood). Girls u/15 (1st Sarah Drew, Ballynacarrigy; 2nd Rachel Moorhead, Bunbrosna; 3rd Amy Drew, Ballynacarrigy). Girls u/17 (1st Joanne Harney, Rochfortbridge; 2nd Aine Devanney, Boherquill; 3rd Ellen Colton, Wilson's Hospital School). Girls u/19 (1st Louise Moore, Killucan; 2nd Ruth O'Meara, Mullingar). Boys u/9 (1st Hugh Broderick, Loughegar; 2nd Jack Kearney, Sonna; 3rd Cy Cleary, Sonna). Boys u/11 (1st Jake Byrne, Rochfortbridge; 2nd Dale Gibney, Mullingar; 3rd Diarmuid Hyland, Crookedwood). Boys u/13 (1st Andrew Boyhan, Crookedwood; 2nd Ben Hogan, The Downs; 3rd Niall Darby, Delvin; 4th Joey Cleary, Sonna; 5th David Moran, Multyfarnham; 6th Emmet Brennan, Walshestown; 7th Padraig Maher, Mullingar). Boys u/15 (1st Alan Stenson, Mullingar; 2nd Stephen Moran, Multyfarnham; 3rd Paul Flynn, Multyfarnham; 4th David Holmes, Kinnegad; 5th Kevin Duggan, Mullingar). Boys u/17 (1st David Hynes, Mullingar; 2nd Ciaran O'Meara, Mullingar; 3rd Pat Costelloe, Moate Community College; 4th Tomas Devanney, Boherquill; 5th Shane Fitzpatrick, Walshestown; 6th Brian O'Donovan, Gainstown; 7th Brian Melody, Mullingar; 8th Stephen Burke, Mullingar; 9th Philip Shaw, Mullingar; 10th Tomas O'Brien, St. Claires AC). Boys u/19 (1st Mark Christie, Mullingar; 2nd Damien Shaw, Mullingar; 3rd Ger Feerick, Multyfarnham). Senior Women (1st Caroline Harney). Senior Men (1st Cormac Finnerty, 2nd Ronan Doolin, 3rd John Bannon, 4th Patrick Muldoon, 5th). Masters (Veteran) Men (1st Pat Muldoon, 2nd Christy Creagh, 3rd Joe O'Brien (St. Claires AC), 4th Greg Duggan, 5th Nicky McCabe).

Great Ireland Run Meanwhile also on Sunday, Noel Kelly finished an excellent 10th in the Great Ireland 5 Mile Run in Loughrea, Co. Galway in a time of 25.12.

Rathfarnham 5k On Sunday 6th October, David Burke finished 4th in the Rathfarnham 5k in a time of 14.45. Also well done to Ronan Doolin and Seán McMullin who had good runs.

Star of the Sea CC On 29th September, the club travelled to the Star of the Sea Open Cross Country, in Stamullen, Co. Meath. The Girls Under 10 team of Arlene Coughlan, Eimear Flynn and newcomer Lisa Darby ran brilliantly to take 2nd team prize, with Arlene taking the individual 2nd place. The Girls u/12 team saw Anna Broderick take 3rd place just in front of of the brilliant newcomer Maud-Anne Foley who took 4th, and was supported by Claire Flynn to secure the second team prize. Likewise, the girls u/13 team of Tracey Coughlan, Deirdre Donavan, Louise Darby and Emily McCormack packed well to take the 2nd team prize. The highlight of the day had to be the tremendous victory of the girls u/14 team of Rachel Moorehead, Maria McGivney and Sarah Drew, who took 2nd, 3rd and 4th individual places respectively to secure the 1st team prize. Amy Drew was our solitary competitor in the girls u/15 and ran a very good race. We fielded two teams in the girls u/17 with Joanne Harney, Sarah Mescall and Aine Devanney on one, and Ellen Colton, Melanie Lynch snd Carol Keenan on the other. In the boys u/14 Paul Fynn ran a very solid race but had no team to support him. In the boys u/15 race Alan Stenson placed an excellent 3rd, and was supported by Stephen Moran, newcomer David Holmes, Kevin Duggan and Jonathon Hickey to secure the 2nd team prize. The boys u/17 team of David Hynes, Ciaran O'Meara and Tomás Devanney were unlucky not to finish in the team placings. In the Ladies race there was an outstanding run from Caroline Harney who was a very impressive winner of the Senior category. Michelle O'Halloran finished very strongly to take 3rd place in the Senior race while Louise Moore was a clear-cut winner of the Junior race, finishing 2nd overall in the combined Senior/Junior race, and Caroline, Michelle and Louise combined to score a fine team win, The final race of the day saw Greg Duggan as the solitary Mullingar rapresentative in the Masters race where he had a good run over a very tough course.

Tinryland Road Race On 22nd September, David Burke finished 3rd in the Tinryland AC 4 Mile Road Race in a time of 19.56. Cormac Finnerty finished 5th in 20.01.

National Half-Marathon On 1st September, the AAI National Half-Marathon Championships took place in St. Abban's, Co. Laois. The Mullingar Harriers team of Noel Kelly (6th, 1.09.59); Tom McGrath (9th, 1.10.21) and David Burke (21st, 1.13.11) did the club proud finishing in an excellent 2nd place in the team competition and winning national silver medals.

28th July AAI Juvenile (u14-u19) T&F Championships - The National Juvenile T&F C'ships for Boys and Girls u14 - u19 took place in Tullamore on Saturday June 27th & Sunday June 28th. Once again the Mullingar athletes who qualified for these finals did themselves and the club proud, with some excellent performances: - Mark Christie kept up his fantastic unbeaten record in these championships by convincingly winning the Boys Under 17 1500m title in 4.00.65. David Hynes has had a superb track season this year. Almost going unnoticed, this talented athlete continues to make immense progress. On Sunday, he gave all he had in the Boys Under 16 1500m in persuit of that elusive national title; and was just beaten into second place in the closing stages. David posted a time of 4.20.01, which knocked a huge 12 seconds off his previous best. In the Girls u17 3000m, Louise Moore finished an excellent 4th, just 3 seconds off a bronze medal. Louise, a very dedicated athlete has also had an excellent track season,and continus to be a very good prospect for the future One of the highlights of the weekend for Mullingar Harriers was the excellent bronze medal double achieved by Justin Collins in the Boys u17 Discus (35.15) and Shot Putt (11.91) competitions. Justin has made huge progress over the last 2 years, and this success is most deserved. Well done also to Alan Stenson, who finished a good 8th in a very competitive Boys u15 1500m. Overall it was another very successful day for the club, and our Juvenile athletes can now take a well-deserved break before the commencement of the cross country season in September.

14th July AAI Senior T&F Championships - The AAI Senior Track and Field Championships took place in glorious weather conditions, in Morton Stadium, Santry on Saturday and Sunday last. There were many highlights, but for Mullingar Harriers the highlight was the duel between Martin Fagan and Mark Christie in the Junior Mens 3000m. more... results...

6th July Cork City Sports - On Saturday 6th July, the Cork City Sports International Meeting was held at the revamped UCC stadium. Mark Christie was a comfortable winner of the Junior Men’s 1500 metres in a very good time of 3.54.81. This was another very good performance from Mark, just 3 days after running a PB over the distance, in Eton.

3rd July BMC Grand Prix - The British Miler's Club Meeting in Eton, was held in perfect weather conditions in Eton, Slough on Wednesday 3rd July. Mark Christie posted a lifetime best performance of 3.52.51, finishing third in the Men’s C 1500m, an exceptional performance, as he was the youngest athlete in the race. In the Men's 3000m B race Pat Muldoon finished 11th in the 3000m in 8.41.04.

30th June AAI Junior & U23 Championships - The National Junior and U23 T&F Championships took place in Tullamore on Sunday 30th June. There some excellent performances on the day, considering the wet and windy conditions. Our distance athletes again did very well, taking home 4 medals. The highlight for Mullingar Harriers was the convincing victory by Martin Fagan in the Junior Men's 5000m in an excellent time of 14.53, showing that he is back to his best form. Damian Shaw was ran very well to finish third in 16.01, and a national medal in only his first track season. Caroline Harney's finished a very good 2nd in the U23 Women's 5000m, in a time of 18.18, just beaten in the last 150m. Mark Christie finished very strongly to take the bronze medal in the Junior Men's 1500m, an excellent run. Well done also to our athletes who competed so well, but were outside the medals: Justin Collins was 5th in the Junior Discus and 7th in the Shot Putt. Louise Moore was 6th in the Junior Women's 1500m in 5.11 and Pat Muldoon was 6th in the U23 1500m in 4.09.02. results...

19th June Dublin Graded Meeting -There were some good performances from Mullingar Harriers' athletes at theDublin Graded Meeting in Santry tonight. Martin Fagan had a good run in the Irish Milers Club Men's 'B' 800m, running a time of 1.57.9. In the Men's 'C' 100m Greg Duggan finished an excellent 3rd in 12.42. Pat Muldoon ran a good race in the Men's 'A' Mile, just caught for speed over the last 400m. He finished 7th in 4.26.30. Caroline Harney finished an impressive 2nd in the Women's 'A' Mile in 5.28.5; while Michelle O'Halloran also ran well in the Women's 'B' Mile, running a time of 5.51.8.

9th June Rathowen 5k. - Last night's Rathowen 5k was a tremendous success and many thanks are extended to the local organising commitee headed by Fr. Ciarán McGovern and to all the Mullingar Harriers officials who officiated with stewarding and results. Thanks also to Eamonn Coughlan, Michael Heery and Frank Greally who were guests of honour on the night. The race itself was a thrilling duel between Mullingar's Cormac Finnerty and Pearse Hickey of Raheny Shamrocks with Cormac winning comfortably in the end in a new course record of 14.33, with Pearse running 14.42. A fast pace was set from the start with a breakaway group of Pearse, Cormac and Pat Muldoon of Mullingar, who finished 3rd in 15.09. Two times former winner Tom McGrath (Mullingar) was 4th in 15.50. Fresh from her women's mini-marathon success, Pauline Curley of Tullamore Harriers was a convincing winner of the Senior Ladies race in 16.35, ahead of Mary Hanley (Na Fianna, 18.22) and Caroline Harney (Mullingar, 19.21). Louise Moore (Mullingar) won the Junior Ladies race, while Damian Shaw (Mullingar) won the Junior Men’s prize. Pat Muldoon Senior won the Veteran’s Men V45 race while Seán McMullin won the Veteran’s Men V50 category, and Vera Flynn was a clear winner of the Veteran Women’s V35 race. All the other Mullingar athletes ran really well and Matt Glannon, Ciarán O’Meara, Ciarán Nolan, Owen O’Meara, Ciarán Newman, Richard Heighton, Michelle O’Halloran, Nicky McCabe, Orla Sheridan and Martha Marshall can all feel satisfied with their runs.Results: Senior Men :1 C Finnerty (Mullingar Hrs) 14.33 (Record); 2 P Hickey (Raheny Shamrocks) 14.42; 3 P Muldoon (Mullingar Hrs) 15.09; 4 T McGrath (Mullingar Hrs) 15.50; 5 P Farrell (Carrick on Shannon) 16.04; 6 M English (Bohermeen) 16.24;Vets: O/40; 1 D Moran (Dunshaughlin) 16.14; 2 P Mangan (Dunshaughlin) 16.15; 3 M Clancy (Sligo) 17.25; O/45; 1 P Muldoon (Mullingar Hrs) 17.55; 2 E Coughlan (Metro-St Brigid's) 18.01; O/50; 1 S McMullin (Mullingar Hrs) 19.19; 2 W Parke (Sligo) 20.12; Junior; 1 D Shaw (Mullingar Hrs) 16.56;Senior Ladies :1 P Curley (Tullamore Hrs) 16.35; 2 M Hanley (Na Fianna) 18.22; 3 C Harney (Mullingar Hrs) 19.21;Vets: O/35; V Flynn (Mullingar Hrs) 20.16; O/40; M Cullen (Castlepollard) 21.44; O/45; A McGreal (Sportsworld) 21.39; Junior; L Moore (Mullingar Hrs) 20.03.

click here for full results6th June Dublin Graded Meeting - Last night, Wednesday 5th June, saw some very exciting races at the Dublin Graded Meet. Weather conditions were ideal and conducive to fast times. Greg Duggan, is in top form at the moment, and was an emphatic winner of his race in the Grade C 100 metres, in a time of 12.2 secs. In the 3000m, Martin Fagan proved that he is getting back to his very best form, when finishing an excellent 8th in 8.26.6. Pat Muldoon set a new personal best of 8.37.2, finishing 11th. David Burke, in his first track race in recent years also ran well to finish 12th in 8.38.7.

2nd June Athletics Leinster Senior & Veterans Track and Field. The Leinster Senior and Veterans Track and Field Championships for Men and Women took place in sunny conditions in Tullamore on Sunday. The highlight from a Mullingar perspective was victory for Greg Duggan in the Veteran Men’s 100m. Seán McMullin had a good run in the Veteran Men’s 800 m. Caroline Harney ran well when finishing 3^rd in the Senior Women’s 1500m and 4^th in the 800m. In the Senior Men’s 1500 metres Damien Bateman ran well, just beaten in to 4^th place on the line, running a time of 4.01.28 while Pat Muldoon ran 4.06.00 (PB) to finish 5^th. Damien Shaw also had a good run. On Saturday, at the Irish Schools Championships in Tullamore Mark Christie had an excellent win in the Senior Boys 1500m in 4.01.00, while David Hynes was 2nd in the Junior Boys 800m in 2.04.48. Martin Fagan had a good run in the Irish Milers Club 1500m, running a time of 4.01.27.

1st June Jack Cox 5k. The annual Jack Cox 5k took place in Kilcormac, Co. Offaly on Friday, 31st May. Pat Muldoon (Snr) was first Mullingar finisher, followed by Seán McMullin, Christy Creagh, Vera Flynn who finished first in the Veteran Women's, Paul McCool and Des and Geraldine Walsh.

27th May Athletics Leinster Junior & U23 T&F C'ships. The weather was generally kind for the Mullingar contingent that travelled to the Leinster Junior and under 23 T&F Championships, combined with Juvenile Relays in Kilkenny on Sunday, and it turned out to be a very successful day for the club. First up were the girls 4x300m under 18 (Aine Devanney, Louise Moore, Melanie Lynch and Ellen Colton) who secured the bronze medals in a fine race. Next, the girls 4x100m under 13 (Aoife Hogan, Jessica Lynch, Claire Flynn and Maria McGivney) were unlucky to be eliminated in the heats, though they ran very well. The girls 4x100m u/15 (Rachel Moorhead, Sarah Drew, Amy Drew and Carol Keenan) fell to the same fate despite a valiant effort. The first victory of the day came in the boys 4x100m u/15 (Stephen Moran, Kevin Duggan, Jack Hogan and Simon Moorhead). They were very convincing winners having led all the way from gun to tape. The boys 4x400m u/19 (Denis Connolly, David Hynes, Eoghan O'Meara and Brian Donovan) deserved their silver medals in a close finished race. The girls 4x100m u/12 (Claire Flynn, Aoife Hogan, Shaunagh Kenny and Julie Ann Dolan) quartet promised much after an excellent placing in the heats but it all went wrong in the final despite their best efforts.The last relay with a Mullingar interest was the girls 4x100m u/14 (Rachel Moorhead, Sarah Drew, Amy Drew and Jessica Lynch) but a dropped baton in the early stages put paid to any chance of a medal for these girls. Once the relays were concluded, the junior and under 23 programme got under way. Conor Hughes was a revelation in the junior men 100m, making the final and finishing a very credible 6th place against older and very strong and experienced opposition. Meanwhile Justin Collins threw very well in the Junior Men's Discus, finishing an excellent 3rd. The junior men's 1500m saw Damien Shaw run a great race to finish 4th after a tough sprint finish to the line. Ciaran O'Meara and Brian Donovan followed in 5th and 6th place respectively. Louise Moore finished strongly to take the bronze medal in the junior girls 1500m, with Ellen Colton taking 5th place. Damien Bateman, recently returned from McNeese College, Louisiana, USA where he is on an athletic scholarship, proved too good for the opposition and led all the way to victory in the men u/23 800m, in 1.58.16. However, the highlight of the day had to be Caroline Harney's brace of gold medals in the women's u/23 3000m (11.05) and 800m (2.33.54). Caroline showed why she has been selected to represent Ireland on a number of occasions. She had two convincing wins, in poor conditions, and with only a relatively short rest between the two races.

20th May Weekend Round-Up. Cormac Finnerty, in superb form at the moment, finished 3rd in the Sportsworld Dublin 5 mile classic on Sunday. Cormac completed the course in a fast 24.23, an excellent time considering the difficult weather conditions. Also on Sunday, Pat Ryan finished 3rd in the Men's 10k Walk(45.16.08) at the AAI International Games, held in Scanlon Park, Kilkenny. On Saturday Mark Christie finished 2nd in Senior Boys 1500m at the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in Santry running a personal best (3.58.6). Also on Saturday, Pat Muldoon was in action at the Interbanks T&F in Kilkenny winning the 5000m in 15.30.42 and finishing 2nd in the 400m.

12th May BHAA/RTE 5 Mile. Well done to Noel Kelly who finished an excellent 3rd in the RTE 5 Mile Road Race on Saturday, 11th May. Noel, back to his best after a long lay-off due to injury completed the distance in a time of 25.35. Noel Cullen was the winner in 25.07, ahead of David Byrne (25.14).

12th May Damien Bateman runs PB 800m. Damien Bateman has been one of Mullingar Harriers' outstanding juvenile athletes over the last number of years. Last September he embarked on a new stage in his athletics career by taking up a schol arship in McNesse University, Louisiana, USA. Damien, a very committed athlete continues to show immense improvement, and he made a major breakthrough recently, when running a personal best time of 1.52.42 in his specialist distance, the 800 metres.

6th May Athletics Leinster Novice and Veterans Road Championships. The Athletics Leinster Novice and Veterans Road Championships took place in sunny conditions, in Rathdrum Co. Wicklow today. Unfortunately there was a relatively small turnout of just over 50 runners, and as a result there was all the championships were run as a combined race. Pat Muldoon showed that he is in really good form at the moment when winning the Novice Men's (6k) race with relative ease in a time of 18.46. Pat finished well clear of Tommy Payne, Jim Stafford and Mick Byrne who were all in the Veteran Men's race. Ciaran Nolan had a very good run when finishing 8th in the Novice race, just ahead of newcomer Stephen McCague, who ran very well to finish 10th. Sean McMullin was a very good winner of the Veteran Men's V4 race, adding to the All-Ireland Indoor title he won earlier in the year, while Jimmy Nolan also ran well, finishing 2nd to Seán in the V4 category. Detailed results...

6th May Lucan 5k. Cormac Finnerty had a good win in the Lucan 5k on Sunday 5th May. Cormac, running a time of 14.50 finished well clear of Conor McGee (Lucan Harriers, 15.02) and David Byrne (Sportsworld, 15.22).

4th May Mullingar Road League. The final round of the Mullingar Road League on Tuesday 30th April saw Domo Moran (Dunshaughlin) confirm outright victory in this year's competition, with another consistent run, finishing joint first with Cormac Finnerty, who was using the race as a good training run in a time of 15.40. Mullingar Junior Damian Shaw was next in 15.46, followed by Mark English (Bohermeen) in 15.58. In the women's race Irish international athlete Pauline Curley from Tullamore Harriers was a convincing winner in a fast 15.57. Caroline Harney (Mullingar) was second in 18.20, followed by Vera Flynn (Mullingar, 19.29). Domo Moran was a convincing overall winner in the Senior Men's category from Mark English and Matt Glennon. Ann Carroll (Tullamore) was a clear overall winner in the Senior Ladies, ahead of Caroline Harney and Vera Flynn. Martin Carroll (Tullamore) easily won the Veteran Men's category, Maura Dervan took the Veteran Ladies, while Owen O'Meara and Louise Moore were the Junior winners. Road League Results Overall Results

28th April Mullingar Road League Results. Round 2 of the Mullingar Road League on Tuesday 16th April saw Noel Kelly (Mullingar) record the fastest time this year, when winning easily in 15.09. Domo Moran (Dunshaughlin) was second in 15.27, while Martin Carroll (Tullamore) was third in 15.46. Ann Carroll (Tullamore) was first Senior Lady in 17.24, ahead of Caroline Harney (Mullingar, 18.14) and Vera Flynn (Mullingar, 18.54).

Round 3 on the 23rd April saw Domo Moran (Dunshaughlin, 15.28) just hold off Mullingar's Damian Shaw (15.31). Martin Carroll (Tullamore) was third in 15.37. Ann Carroll (Tullamore) confirmed her overall victory, when winning the Senior Ladies race in 17.36, aheaf of Caroline Harney (18.13) and Vera Flynn (18.55). Results...

20th April Irish Universities Track and Field. The Irish Universities Track & Field Championships took place at the CIT track in Cork on 19th and 20th April in difficult weather conditions. Well done to Pat Muldoon (UL) who finished 5th in the Men's 5000m in 16.59.59 (Due to an error in lap counting all athletes ran 5400m = 13.5 laps) and Carol Ann Harte (NUI Dublin) who ran well in the Women's 1500m. Results...

15th April National Juvenile Indoors. Last Saturday and Sunday, 13th & 14th April was the second and final weekend of the Juvenile Indoor Championships of Ireland in Nenagh, and Mullingar Harriers were well represented in the Championships. The boys U/15 4x200m relay team (Stephen Moran, Jack Hogan, Paul Flynn, Kevin Duggan) made the semi-finals but did not advance to the final despite a very fine effort. The girls U/13 4x100m relay team (Deirdre O'Donovan, Tracey Coughlan, Claire Flynn, Maria McGivney, Jessica Lynch) was unlucky to draw a very fast heat and failed to advance to the semi-finals. Both relay teams performed extremely well and will gain from the experience of competing at the National Championships. The girls U/18 800m saw Louise Moore pitted against the very best in a very strong heat and was unlucky not to qualify for the final having led the field for much of the race but was just beaten to the line in a very fast sprint finish. Ben Hogan competed in his first National Finals in the boys U/12 60m sprint and will learn from the experience. The highlight of the weekend for Mullingar Harriers had to be Aoife Hogan's fabulous victory in the girls U/12 600m. Aoife ran a very tactical race and stayed with the leaders all the way and outsprinted them all to win a well-earned National Title. Aoife has shown what can be gained from hard training and effort and is an example to other young athletes in the Club.

13th April BHAA/Dublin City Council 4 Mile. On Saturday, 13th April in glorious sunshine in St. Anne's Park Raheny, the annual Dublin City Council/Business Houses Athletic Association 4 Mile Road Race took place. A large field of over 150+ runners competed. For the first time in a long time there were 5 of our top Seniors competing in a race together, which augurs well for up and coming competitions. Cormac Finnerty is great form at the moment and was in contention straight from the start. A leading group of 6 runners emerged after the 1st mile, which soon dropped to 4, Cormac, David Burke, Colm De Burca and Pat Muldoon. Soon was after Muldoon was dropped and there was a good duel between Finnerty and De Burca with De Burca eventually winning out in a time of 19.20. Cormac ran a fine time of 19.40 when finishing second. It was good to see David Burke back in top form. He finished a very good 3rd in 19.52. Pat Muldoon paid for his fast start, with Noel Cullen passing him in the latter stages, but he still finished strongly in 20.27, just ahead of Tom McGrath, in 5th place (20.31). It was great to see Noel Kelly back from a long lay off due to injury. Noel looked very fresh and finished just behind Tom in 7th place (20.34). Also, Pat Muldoon Senior had a very good run, finishing in a time of 23.31.

10th April Mullingar Harriers Road League. Our annual Road League (3 Mile Race, over 4 weeks) is now in full swing, after a very successful first round last night. There is clearly a void in the road racing calendar for an event of its kind in the Midlands, as demonstrated by the large turnout. The mainly flat course and sunny conditions made for an exciting nights racing. Domo Moran (Dunshaughlin A.C.) set a quick pace from the start, and never looked back holding on for a seven second advantage over Mark English (Bohermeen A.C) at the finish. Martin Carroll (Tullamore Harriers) finished 3rd, just three seconds further back. Ann Carroll (Tullamore Harriers) was first senior lady home, followed by Mullingar Harriers' athletes Caroline Harney and Vera Flynn. Overall prizes will be awarded based on athletes three best times in the League. There are still three rounds remaining (April 16th, 23rd and 30th) so competition is sure to intensify. Results...

7th April National Juvenile Indoors. In Nenagh on Saturday 6th April,the first round of the National Juvenile Indoors Finals saw some excellent performances from Mullingar athletes. The highlight was undoubtedly David Hynes' excellent run in the Boys Under 16 1500 metres where he finished second in a very good time of 4.31.18. Justin Collins was most unlucky to miss out on the medals, when finishing a very good fourth in the Boys Under 17 Shot. Sineád Duffy ran well in the heats of the Girls Under 13 600 metres, finishing 6th, while Aoife Bateman also put in a good performance in the Girls Under 17 1500 metres Walk.

31st March Mullingar Harriers Road League. Our annual Road League takes place as usual throughout the month of April, and commences on Tuesday, the 9th of April, with a 7.30pm start. Further rounds will take place on April 16th, April 23rd and April 30th. The distance is 3 miles, which is ideal for anyone making a comeback and also for ladies preparing for the Women's Mini-Marathon. Both runners and walkers are welcome and you don't need to be a club member to compete. The start is at Butler's Bridge, just outside Mullingar, off the Tullamore Road, and entries will be taken on the night at the clubhouse in Grange from 6.45pm onwards. Any queries to Pat Muldoon

31st March Dunboyne 4. As usual the annual Dunboyne 4 Mile Road Race on Easter Sunday attracted a very large entry and a quality field. It was great to see Cormac Finnerty back racing, and he was near his top form when finishing a very good sixth in the Senior Men's race, in a time of 19.27. Pat Muldoon also had a good run, finishing in a very respectable time of 20.18. David Burke, not at his best was next, followed by Pat Muldoon Snr and Des and Geraldine Walsh, all running very well. Our team finished well up in the team competition. Fr. Mark English, running for Bohermeen A.C. also finished well up in the Senior Men's race.

25th March World CC in Leopardstown. Saturday and Sunday last saw a very special occasion in Irish athletics as the World Cross Country Championships took place in Leopardstown racecourse, Dublin. Postponed last year it was great for Ireland to host the event this year, and some exciting races were witnessed by appreciative and enthusiastic spectators on both days. We saw the cream of the world's distance athletes in action and, as expected most of the races were dominated by the Africans. Sunday was a particularly special day for two of our own athletes Mark Christie and John Burke who were representing Ireland. Unfortunately Martin Fagan, who was also selected had to withdraw due to illness. Hopefully we will see Martin back in action soon. World Cross Country Championships report...

18th March Athletics Leinster Indoor C'ships 2002 Results. Detailed Results from the Leinster Juvenile, Senior and Veteran Indoor Championships held on Saturday, 9th March, Sunday 10th March and Saturday 16th March. more...

16th March Leinster Juvenile, Senior and Veteran Indoors. The final day of the Leinster Juvenile Indoors took place on Saturday 16th March, which also incorporated the Senior and Veterans Championships. It was another particularly successful day for the club. Club Chairman Greg Duggan led by example, showing great form winning the Veterans 60 metres and finishing second in the 200 metres. David Hynes was a convincing winner of the Boys Under 16 1500 metres in a very fast time. Joanne Harney finished an excellent second in the Girls Under 16 1500 metres. Áine Devaney also ran really well when finishing third in the Girls Under 16 800 metres. Aoife Bateman finished a very good third in her walk while Dermot Cafferty showed a liking to the shorter distance when also finishing third in the 400 metres. Pat Muldoon won silver in the Senior Mens 3000 metres in 9.00.09 while Pat Muldoon was second in the Veteran Men 3000 metres. Caroline Harney also won silver in the Senior Women's 1500 metres. The following athletes all performed really well but finished out of the medals: Melanie Lynch, Elaine Butler, Ruth O'Meara, Aoife Bateman, Eoin O'Meara, Brian O'Donavan, Damian Shaw and Tomás Devaney. Overall it was a very successful championships for the club and augurs well for the All-Ireland Finals in the Juvenile events, which take place in April.

10th March Leinster Juvenile Indoors. The first two days of the Athletics Leinster Juvenile Indoor Championships took place on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March. It was a very sucessful weekend for Mullingar Harriers as many athletes qualified for the All-Ireland Finals in April. Aoife Hogan was in great form winning gold in her agegroup in the 600 metres, and being on the relay team that won bronze, along with Tracy Coughlan, Deirdre O'Donavan and Maria McGivney. The Boys Under 15 relay teams surprised everyone, finishinf first and third, a rare achievement for any club. So the following go through to the finals: Stephen Moran, Jack Hogan, Conor Nugent, Paul Flynn, Óisín Glennon, Alan Stenson, Lorcan Smyth and Kevin Duggan. Kevin Duggan also won bronze in the Under 15 60 metres. In the Girls Under 18 800 metres Louise Moore finished third, while Sinéad Duffy finished third in her age group of the 800 metres. Ben Hogan qualified for the finals in the 60 metres. Justin Collins booked his place in the finals with a PB in the shot putt. Stephen Moran was second in the Long Jump. Also Carol Keenan, Sarah Drew, Claire Flynn, David Smyth, Amy Drew, Shonagh Kenny, Ronan Tyrell and Ciarán Newman showed very good form, in what was a very competitive championships.

10th March AAI National Short Course Trials. The AAI National Short Course Trials for the forthcoming World Championships took place at the ALSAA course near Dublin Airport on Sunday 10th March. Considering the conditions two weeks previusly for the long course trials it was great to see a dry course. David Burke made a welcome return to action with a good run, finishing 14th in a very competitive race. results...

10th March Ballycotton 10. The annual Ballycotton 10 Mile Road Race took place in difficult weather conditions on Sunday 10th March. As usual a large contingent travelled from Mullingar. Well done to the following athletes who competed: Tom Cully, Seán McMullin, Vera Flynn, Brendan Flynn, Brigid McCabe, Nicky McCabe, Geraldine Walsh, Breeda McDonnell, Martha Marshall and Orla Sheridan. results...

9th March Irish Universities CC. The Irish Universities CC Championship took place in the University of Ulster, Coleraine on Saturday 9th March. Held on a testing course which icluded a steep hill, these championships saw the Ulster colleges dominate the Mens event, while Trinity College reclaimed the Women's title after a ten year gap. There were three club athletes in action. Patrick Muldoon, representing UL, brought his most successful cross country season to a close with another fine performance, finishing fifth in the Intervarsity race. Carol Ann Harte representing NUI Dublin had a good run in the Women's race, finishing 15th. Ciara Dillon also ran really well, in 16th and helping University of Limerick to silver medals in the team competition. results...

9th March All-Ireland Schools CC. The All-Ireland Schools CC Championships took place in Tinryland, Co. Carlow on Saturday 9th March. In perfect conditions the best athletes from schools throughout Ireland battled it out in their persuit of glory. It was an historic day for St. Mary's CBS Mullingar as they won the Senior Boys title for very first, in the process beating the kingpins of Irish Schools athletics in St. Malachy's of Belfast and North Mon. of Cork. For Mark Christie, it was another special day. Following on from his victory in the National Juniors, Mark produced another outstanding display of front running to claim the Individual title. Martin Fagan folowed quickly in fourth, getting back to his best while Damien Shaw continued his remarkable progress finishing sixth. The vital fourth scorer was Conor Twomey in 29th position, having another consistent race. Congratulations also to the other members of the team, Eoin O'Meara, Dermot Cafferty, Brian O'Donavan and Brendan Halpin. As a result of their performances Mark Christie, Martin Fagan and Damien Shaw were selected for the forthcoming Schools International in Wales. However only Damien will be able to compete as the event clashes with the World Cross Country, and it will be a special occasion for him, having only taken up the sport four months ago. Well done also to all other club athletes who competed at these championships: Louise Moore, Joanne Harney, Olive Butler, Melanie Lynch, Ellen Colton, Áine Devaney and Ciarán O'Meara.

3rd March Bohermeen 5k. The Bohermeen A.C. in Co. Meath hosted their annual 5k road race on Sunday 3rd March for the Rennicks and Fr. Delaney Cups. There were also Juvenile races run as part of the programme. Mullingar Harriers' athletes featured very prominently in all the races. Jennifer Coughlan and Kevin Duffy became the youngest members of the club to win races. Adrienne Smith finished an excellent fourth in the Girls under 8. Arlene Coughlan had a fine win in the girls under 9, followed in second place by Emer Flynn. Aoife Hogan was a clear winner of the Girls Under 11, with Anna Broderick third and Claire Flynn fourth. Ben Hogan won a very exciting Boys Under 11 race with newcomer David Smyth third. The girls under 12 saw Mullingar have the first five home with Maria McGivney first, followed by Sinead Duffy, Jessica Lynch, Tracey Coughlan and Deirdre O’Donavan. Sarah Drew ran very well to win the Girls Under 13. In the Boys under 13 Paul Flynn was much too good for the field and Lorcan Smyth was second. Amy Drew ran well to finish second in the Girls Under 14 race. Alan Stenson finished second in the boys under 14 race with Stephen Moran fourth and Jack Hogan seventh. David Hynes was a convincing winner of the boys under 15 race. The 5k road race attracted a large entry and in the ladies race Caroline Harney ran very well again to finish third, with Vera Flynn also getting into the prizes. Geraldine Walsh won her category and all three combined to finish second. Our Junior men’s team finished a good second in the team race. Ronan Doolin had his best run for some time when finishing second in the individual race, followed by Ciaran O’Meara, Tomas Devaney, Stephen Burke and newcomer Paul O’Sullivan. The senior race saw Fr. Mark English run an excellent race for his home club.

24th February AAI National Senior & Junior CC. The AAI National Senior & Junior Interclubs CC, the climax of the Irish cross-country season took place in ALSAA, Dublin on 24th February. From a Mullingar perspective Mark Christie's outstanding win in the Junior Men's race was the highlight. results.... more...

22th February Track and Field Competition. The first track and field competition of the 2002 season for our younger juveniles (under 10 to under 16)took place on Sunday 17th February in Tullamore Stadium with the inaugural Tullamore -v- Mullingar -v- St. Clairs (Glasson) friendly Inter-Club T&F competition. more...

17th Febuary Mark Christie wins Star Award. Congratulations to Mark Christie on being named the winner of the Westmeath Juvenile Athletics Star Award for 2001. This is third time Mark has won the award and is most deserved. Mark received his award at the Star Awards function in Dungarvan on 17th February.

10th February AAI National Intermediate & Veterans CC. On Sunday 10th February, the National Intermediate and Veterans Cross-Country Championships took place in Stranorlar, Co. Donegal. On a very testing course with very soft underfoot conditions and a tough hill it was a great day for Mullingar Harriers' athletes, with the highlight being Pat Muldoon's superb victory in the Men's Intermediate race. more... results...

4th February AAA Indoor C'ships. Michael Lane finished 11th in the 3000m Senior Mens Walk at AAA Indoor Championships, which were held in Cardiff on the 4th February in a time of 15.44.91.

29th January Celtic International CC. Sunday 27th January was certainly a day to remember for our club as two of our most loyal and dedicated members had the honour of being selected to represent Ireland in the Celtic International Cross-Country Championships, at the ALSAA complex in Dublin. more... results...

21st January Athletics Leinster Senior & Junior CC. On Sunday, 20th January we travelled to Tinryland, Co. Carlow for the Leinster Senior and Junior Cross-Country Championships and Juvenile Relays. In ideal conditions for cross-country running, there was some very exciting races on the testing course. more... results...

21st January AAI National Veteran Indoors. On Saturday, 19th January, the National Veteran Indoor Championships took place in Nenagh, and saw some excellent performances from two of our club athletes. more... results...

13th January Rás na hÉireann CC. Martin Fagan was a convincing winner of the Junior race at the Ras na hEireann meeting in Dunleer. Conor Twomey also ran well, finishing eighth in a competitive race. results...

13th January Mark Christie, Louise Moore & Pat Muldoon Westmeath Star Winners. On Saturday 12th January, the Athletics Leinster Star Awards function took place in Carlow. Congratulations to Louise Moore, Mark Christie and Patrick Muldoon who received Star Awards for Westmeath. Also, on the night the club received the inaugural Jimmy Morrissey Cup for the best club in Juvenile Cross-Country which is a great honour and would not have been achieved without the commitment and dedication of all our juvenile athletes.

1st January Good Performances in Navan 10k. A number of club members competed in the Navan 10k on St. Stephens Day. Patrick Muldoon was fifth overall and first in the Junior Mens category. Next came Pat Muldoon, 1st Vet 0/45, Nicky McCabe who was 3rd in his veteran category. The Mens team finished second. Christy Creagh and Seán Mc Mullan were first and second respectively in their veterans category while Vera Flynn was 2nd in the Veteran Ladies. Also having good runs were Ciarán Nolan and Brigid McCabe.