On Christmas Day, Lucan Harriers A.C. once again hosted the GOAL Mile in Lucan and the event proved to be another great success due to the tremendous support received from the local community and our own athletes. As far as we are aware, the fastest mile on the men's side was posted by Simon Doyle with a 5:05, while Hilary McGee posted a 6:03 mile for the fastest women's time. Thanks again to all who contributed to this very worthwhile cause.

On Tue Dec 19th, Simon Doyle and Derval Mc Carthy won the club Turkey Trot 800m races. In the men's race, there was a tight bunch on the swift first lap with the early race leader Ciaran Hopper unable to hold off the late challenge from Simon Doyle in the final straight. Simon timed his final sprint perfectly to clock a lifetime best and an impressive time of 2:09 and was closely followed by Ciaran (2:10), Colm O'Connor (2:15), new member Simon (2:17) and Martin Francis (2:23) who also had a fine run. Next to finish were Damien (new on night) (2:26), Brian Brunton (2:32), Vinny Murtagh (2:38), Conor Murphy (new) (2:37), Terry McGraine (2:47), Toirdealbhadh Hopper (2:56) and Jim Dwyer (3:10).

In the women's race, Derval Mc Carthy was a runaway winner yet again to record a time of 2:54. There was a great battle over the final lap for second place with Bernie Stapleton (2:56) just managing to overtake Freda Comiskey (2:57) on the line. Emer McCarthy was 4th in 3:07 followed by Lorraine Heffernan (3:17), Myra Nolan (3:19), Eileen O'Brien (3:26), Maria Byrne (3:28), Bernie Doyle (3:31), Fiona (3:32), Ursula Murphy (3:34), Sinead Murphy (3:47), Ann Mc Gee (4:08), Noelle Dunne (4:10) and Susy (4:12). Well done to all who took part. Results.

On Tues Dec 12th, Fintan Mc Gee and Derval Mc Carthy won the club Turkey Trot 1500m races. Fintan stayed with the pack over the first 400m before opening up a lead over the field. He extended his margin of victory all the way to the finish to clock an impressive time of 4.11 in windy conditions. In 2nd and 3rd places were Conor Mc Gee (4.23) and David Keogh in (4.24). Colm O'Connor ran very strongly in an isolated 4th place in 4:44. Simon Doyle (4:50) and Martin Francis (4:51) had another battle with Simon edging Martin for 5th place. Next were Joe Corcoran (5:00), Henry Langton (5:11), Vinny Murtagh (5:11), Edward Grimes (5:19), John Grimes (5:22), Brian Brunton (5:25), Tony (5:32), Ronan (5:50), COlm (6:31), Jim Dwyer (6:48) and Lorcan Sweeney (7:04).

The ladies race provided a great spectacle with Derval Mc Carthy taking the lead and Freda Comiskey following closely. Freda stayed close throughout and put in a strong challenge in the last 150m. Showing great strength, Derval managed to hold on and finish with a time of 5.52. Freda clocked 5.53 for the distance with Eitne Reid (6:09) just ahead of Bernie Stapleton (6:12). Next to finish were Emer McCarthy (6:23), Lorraine Heffernan (6:28), Myra Nolan (6:33), Eileen O'Brien (6:50), Ursula Murphy (7:08), Bernie Doyle (7:15), Yvonne (7:29), Maria Byrne (7:32), Fiona (7:36), Sinead Murphy (7:38), Ro (7:39), Ann McGee(8:16), Noelle Dunne (8:17), Susy (9:42) and Rian (9:42). Great to see such a turnout for the club race. Well done to all. Results.

On Sun Dec 10th, Michael Dunne led Lucan athletes with a sensational new personal best time in the Dublin Port Tunnel 10km road race. Michael clocked an astounding 34:44 for the course. It looks like the enforced time that Michael took off recently has served him well and he is back better than ever. Behind Michael, Martin Francis had a very strong run with a time of 36:24. Running a very good time of 36:36, Simon Doyle beat his previous best time of 40mins which he recorded back in April at the BUPA Ireland race before he joined Lucan Harriers. Also running for Lucan were Bernie Stapleton, Myra Nolan, Eithne Reid, Vinny Murtagh, Brian Brunton and Jim Dwyer. Times for these athletes yet to be confirmed. Well done to all.

On Sat Dec 9th, Ciaran Hopper had a good run for the Dublin team at the National Novice Cross Country Championships in Athlone. Ciaran placed 60th in the 6km race run in very muddy and challenging conditions on the hilly course. This is a big improvement on Ciaran's 96th position finish at last year's race. Ciaran now looks forward to joining the senior ranks in January. Very well done, Ciaran. More.

On Tue Dec 5th, Simon Doyle and Derval McCarthy won the track 3000m in the first section of the Turkey Trot series. Derval won the women's race by applying sustained pressure for the duration of the race, gradually drawing away from her closest pursuers, Eithne Reid and Bernie Stapleton, over the final 3 laps to post a time of 13:14 for the distance. Eithne (13:27) and Bernie (13:37) finished strongly followed by Lorraine Heffernan (13:58), Myra Nolan (14:24), Eileen O'Brien (14:30), Ursula Murphy (16:07), Fiona (16:07), Bernie Doyle (16:10), Yvonne (16:13), Maria Byrne (17:05), Sinead Murphy (17:16), new members Ro (17:25), Susy (19:35) and Rian (19:35). On the men's side, Simon Doyle applied entirely different tactics. He went out hard from the gun with a first lap of 70 seconds and reaching the mile mark in 5:19. Michael Dunne led the chasers hitting his first 400m in 76 seconds and the mile split in 5:30. Michael, who has taken some time off in the past fortnight because of a leg injury, nonetheless stuck to the task and looked to be making inroads into Simon's lead in the middle third of the race. Colm O'Connor and new member Martin Francis were having a great battle in third, coming through the mile in 5:41. In the end, Simon maintained his lead to take the gutsy win in 10:13 from Michael in 10:26 (new p.b. by 44 seconds!). Colm used his finishing speed to good effect over the final 200m to nail down third place in 10:30 from Martin (10:37). Next to finish were Joe Corcoran (10:50), Henry Langton (11:16), Brian Brunton (11:49), Ed Grimes (12:02), new member Tony (12:17), John Grimes (12:33), Jim Dwyer (14:03), new members Colm (15:19) and Lorcan Sweeney (16:22). Great to see some new faces on the scene. Welcome to all new members. Well done to all on a good night's competition. Next race in the Turkey Trot will be the 1500m next Tuesday at 7:30pm, with the last Turkey Trot (800m) on Tue 19th Dec at 7:30pm, followed by drinks and prizes in the Lord Lucan. Results.

On Sun Dec 3rd, Conor McGee debuted in the marathon with a 9th place finish in Lisbon. While Ireland was being hit by gale force winds, Conor enjoyed much more favorable conditions at the Lisbon marathon. Conor finished with a time of 2:35:02, having gone through the halfway mark in 1:17:11. Some stomach trouble in the last 5 or 6 miles slowed him somewhat but Conor nonetheless expressed himself very happy with his run, and came away with the desire to run even faster next time out. Very well done, Conor. More.

On Sat Dec 2nd, Fintan McGee won the National Intervarsities Indoor 3,000m title in Nenagh. Fintan posted a time of 8:36.02 to finish well clear of the other medallists. This is evidently a good distance (and a good year) for Fintan as he placed 2nd in the Scottish National Indoor, also over 3,000m, back in January. This is the second National Intervarsities medal that Fintan has won this year -- the other medal being the bronze he won in the outdoor 5,000m back in April. Fantastic running, Fintan.

On Sat Dec 2nd, Vinny Murtagh, Bernie Stapleton and Jim Dwyer ran in the CityWest-sponsored BHAA road race. The distance turned out to be almost a quarter of a mile over the 5km distance it was supposed to be, so times don't mean much unfortunately. However, Vinny Murtagh is coming into fine form and he showed it with a very good run finishing in 21:23, Bernie Stapleton finishing in 24:51 and Jim Dwyer in 25:17. None of our athletes showed any negative effects from the previous night's club christmas party! Such a pity that the course was not accurately measured since we believe that we would have had a few season's bests in the race. Well done to all. More.

On Wed Nov 29th, Joe Corcoran and Brian Brunton both won medals at the Garda Cross Country Championships in Tipperary. Joe took the gold medal in the Masters section with Brian taking the bronze in the same section. Both also fared very well in the overall event, placing 6th and 12th amongst all competitors in the 10km race. Well done to both.

On Sun Nov 26th, David Keogh (U18) and Conor McGee (Senior) represented their respective Dublin teams at the National Cross Country Championships in Dungarvan. Despite a week of rain, the course was in relatively good condition on the day and the mud was not as big a factor as expected. David Keogh had his best cross country race in some time when he placed a very courageous 21st overall in the U18 5km event. David was the fifth man on the Dublin team, helping Dublin to 3rd place in the inter-regional team event. Conor placed 33rd in the senior men's race and was the 8th man across the line on the Dublin team, helping the Dublin team to retain the men's senior intercounty team title. Well done to both.

On Sat Nov 18th, Lucan athletes competed in the Aer Lingus-sponsored BHAA Cross Country at the Aer Lingus (ALSAA) Sports Complex. In very muddy conditions, men's captain Michael Dunne ran probably his best ever race to date with a fine 20th place finish. The wind and mud really made the 4 mile race a battle and Michael revelled in the conditions. Joe Corcoran also had a great run with a finish just outside the top thirty. Other fine runs came from Colm O'Connor, Brian Brunton, Vinny Murtagh, Jim Dwyer and associate club member Henry Langton. Well done to all. More.

On Sat Nov 18th, Fintan McGee ran a top relay leg for Trinity College at the National Universities Road Relay Championships held at N.U.I. Maynooth. Fintan recorded an excellent 9 minutes 14 seconds to bring Trinity College from 6th place to 2nd place on his leg. This run from Fintan was the second fastest 2 mile leg of the day. Only double Olympian in the 1500m, James Nolan, with a time of 9 mins 1 second, ran a faster 2 mile leg on the day. Fintan's team, Trinity College, went on to place 7th overall in the event. Well done Fintan.

On Sun Nov 12th, five Lucan athletes competed at the Dublin Cross Country Championships held at Santry Demesne. In the junior men's 6km race, Ciaran Hopper showed further improvement with a 15th place finish. David Keogh placed 20th with emerging talent Simon Doyle in 21st position for Lucan. In the men's senior 10km race, Conor McGee placed 11th with Fintan McGee in 19th. With this result, Conor has been selected onto the Dublin Senior team for the National Intercounties Cross Country Championships in two weeks' time. This is very early in the athletic season so good to see all running so well. Well done to all.


On Sun Nov 5th, Conor McGee placed 3rd in the H.S.E.-sponsored Cork BHAA 4 mile road race at Lee Rowing Club. In cold but perfect conditions, Conor recorded a time of 20:28 on the fast course in his first race of the new season. Well done Conor. More.

On Mon Oct 30th, club Chairperson Eileen O'Brien captured National Championship Silver in her category at the Dublin City Marathon. Eileen placed 3rd overall in her category in the Dublin City Marathon this year and she was second athlete in the Irish National Championship, held within the Dublin City Marathon. Eileen won the individual gold medal in her category last year, and she has capped off another great year for herself with a silver this time around in a time of 3:51:28, only a minute behind the gold medallist after 26.2 miles. Other fine runs came from Lorraine Heffernan with a great new personal best 3:44:52, Emer McCarthy with 3:55:16 and Valerie Spollen in 4:06:13. Our women's masters team of Eileen, Emer and Valerie finished in 6th position in the National Masters team event. Congratulations to all our athletes who ran. Thanks again to all our volunteers for supporting our athletes and all athletes on the day. More.

On Sat Oct 28th, Hilary McGee was first woman in the Cork I.T. Road 2 miles Fit For Life Race. Hilary's time of 12:50 was excellent running. Well done Hilary.

On Sun Oct 22nd, Michael Dunne and Jim Dwyer travelled to Mullingar for the Leinster Novice Cross Country Championship. The course is a tough hilly course on the grounds of Belvedere House and this year's race was made no easier by the amount of rain which has fallen in the past few weeks. Consequently, the course was quite mucky. Michael had a very good run placing 48th in a large field with Jim also running well a little further back. Well done to both. More.

On Sun Oct 22nd, Lucan's young athletes competed in the Dublin Even Age Groups Cross Country Championship in Cabinteely Park. This was a very tough course with step inclines. Brave Tara Andrews ran herself to a standstill to clinch a bronze medal for Lucan in the opening race of the day, the U10 600m. David Keogh suffered through a stitch to place 17th in the U18 5km event. Twins John and Edward Grimes are both improving all the time and they looked good in placing 18th and 19th respectively in the U16 3km race while Toirdealbhach Hopper is also looking good for the future with his 21st place in the U14 1500m. Well done everyone. More.

On Wed Oct 18th, the club A.G.M. took place in the Lucan Sports Association clubhouse. Some interesting ideas came out of the meeting so thank you to all who attended and contributed. We hope to see these ideas implemented in the weeks and months ahead. Our new Chairperson is Eileen O'Brien, Conor McGee will assist as vice-Chairperson, our new P.R.O. and men's captain is Michael Dunne, our new treasurer/registrar is Freda Comiskey, and our new women's captain is Bernie Stapleton. Welcome aboard to our new representative at Dublin Board meetings, Jim Dwyer, and to new members of the Lucan committee: Derval McCarthy, Myra Nolan and Evelyn McMahon. All other positions remain unchanged. Full list of positions.

On Tue Oct 17th, Hilary McGee placed first in the senior women's section of the Midleton Road 3km Fit For Life Race. Hilary recorded an excellent time of 12 minutes 17 seconds for the course. Well done Hilary.

On Tue Oct 17th, Simon Doyle placed 2nd in the opening race of the ALSAA Winter Track Series. 18 year old Simon is very new to the club so he had a fantastic run recording a time of 5:07 in this, his very first, competitive outing. Great stuff Simon.

On Sat Oct 14th, Lucan athletes ran in the Teachers-Sponsored BHAA 4 mile Cross Country race in the Phoenix Park. On an unseasonably warm day, Joe Corcoran in 29th position overall led the Lucan athletes home with a time of 23:09 for the 4 mile course. Colm O'Connor was next from Lucan in a time of 23:42 with Brian Brunton in 25:36 and Jim Dwyer in 28:49. Well done to all. More.
On Sun Oct 8th, Lucan had some outstanding runs in the Dublin Novice Cross Country Championships in the Phoenix Park. We had two representatives in the women's 3km race, Freda Comiskey and Bernie Stapleton. Freda had a great run in 17th position overall with a time of 13:14, followed by Bernie in 23rd place in a time of 13:51. In the men's 6km race, David Keogh (8th place) (time -- 20:38), Ciaran Hopper (9th place) (time -- 20:43), Tommy Buggle (14th place) (time -- 20:57) and Michael Dunne (31st place) (time -- 22:00) combined to finish in 5th place in the team event. With a team tally of 62 points, Lucan were only 13 points from Dundrum South Dublin in the silver medal position on 49 points and only 10 points from Rathfarnham WSAF in the bronze medal position on 52 points. This Lucan team has all the qualities required to medal and perhaps challenge for the team win at these championships next year. Tommy Buggle and Ciaran Hopper both had their best ever runs in the Lucan singlet, and this result sets the lads up nicely for the season ahead. Well done to all. More.

On Sun Oct 8th, Lucan athletes ran in the Simon Community 5 mile run in the Phoenix Park. Ann McGee (47 mins), Jim Dwyer (38:30), and Bernie Stapleton all were happy with their runs. Juvenile athletes Alayna and Aisling also ran, raising money for charity. Well done to all.
On Sun Oct 8th, Lucan's juvenile athletes ran in the Dublin Juvenile Cross Country League in the Phoenix Park. Tara Andrews had another outstanding result in the U10 600m when she finished in 2nd place overall. Her brother Jack als oput in a good run in the U9s as did Sean Townsend in the U10 age-group. Well done to all.

On Sun Oct 1st, Lucan's juvenile athletes had some good runs in the Dublin Juvenile Cross Country League in the Phoenix Park. Tara Andrews placed an excellent 7th in the U10 600m, despite being unwell, and Sean Towsend placed an excellent 8th in the U10 boys 600m. Toirdealbhach Hopper had another very good run to place 6th in the U14 1500m. Athletes, please let us know if we have forgotten anyone. Well done to all.

On Sun 1st Oct, Terry McGraine completed the Great North Run Half Marathon in Newcastle, England. Terry hurt his knee early in the week but decided to chance it on the day and was reportedly very happy with his time of 1 hour 47 minutes on the day. Well done, Terry.

On Sun 24th Sept, some of Lucan's young athletes had their first taste of competition at the Star Of the Sea A.C. Cross Country Meet. Our top result at this well organised event in Greenanstown, Stamullen, County Meath, was a fine second place finish by Tara Andrews in the U10 500m. Her younger brother Jack also had a good run in the U9 500m. Also running well on the day was Sean Townsend in the U9 500m. Toirdealbhach Hopper had a strong run in the U14 1500m, placing 5th overall. Ciaran Murphy, in his first cross country competition, showed a lot of toughness in placing 12th in the U15 2km. In the Junior men's 6km, run with the senior men's 6km, David Keogh was 2nd junior, outrunning some quality senior athletes in the process. Jim Dwyer finished further down the field, the half marathon from the previous day probably still in the legs. Well done to all on a good day of racing.
On Sun 24th Sept, Hilary McGee had a very good run in the Evening Echo Cork Women's Mini Marathon. The race was slightly over 4 miles -- unusual in that it was not run over a standard distance -- and Hilary ran very well to record a time of 28:35 for the race. Well done Hilary.

On Sat 23rd Sept, Jim Dwyer ran in the Adidas-sponsored BHAA Half Marathon in the Phoenix Park. Jim weathered a rainshower or two in the race run over the challenging hilly Phoenix Park course. Jim clocked a time of 1:47:09, 6 seconds better than his time from last year. Well done, Jim.

On Tue 19th Sept, Derval McCarthy and Jim Dwyer won the Club Handicap Cross Country races in Griffeen Park. Derval, starting last -- i.e. from scratch --, had to overtake every runner on her way to victory. It was only inside the last 100m of the 2 miles that Derval overtook Claire Buckley (2nd) and Lorraine Heffernan (3rd) for the win. Jim Dwyer took his win in an entirely different manner. Jim was first of the men to start the 3 mile race, and he held off late challenges from Vinny Murtagh (2nd), Stephen McCarthy (3rd) and Brian Brunton (4th). Fastest times of the night were posted by Derval McCarthy (13:10) and Ciaran Hopper (16:23). Well done to all on good runs. Prizes for the Club Championship and the Club Handicap will be presented at the Lord Lucan pub (near Finnstown House) from 9pm next Tuesday, 26th Sept. Results.
On Tue 12th Sept, Michael Dunne and Derval McCarthy captured the Club Senior Cross Country titles in Griffeen Park. This was the first such title for each athlete, so congratulations to both on that achievement. Derval McCarthy had a gun to tape victory in the women's 2 mile Club Championship, dominating from the start to take the tape in a time of 13:28. Freda Comiskey, 2nd from the very start, tried to close the gap on Derval but was unable to do so. Freda ran strongly for 2nd in 14:05 with Bernie Stapleton, displaying no ill effects from the CitySwift 10 miler on the previous Saturday, having a very good run (14:29) in third place. Especially noteworthy was a late charge from Emer McCarthy who passed 4 people inside the final mile to finish in fourth position in 15:06. Next to finish were Eileen O'Brien (15:14), Amber Nugent (15:19), Myra Nolan (15:31), Lorraine Heffernan (15:35), Cliare Buckley (15:47), Ursula Murphy (15:55), Evelyn McMahon, Bernie and new member Yvonne.

The men's 3 mile championship was an absorbing contest with the result in the balance until late in the proceedings. After the first lap, 4 men were in contention but soon afterwards Michael Dunne and David Keogh drew away from their closest pursuers, Colm O'Connor and Henry Langton. It was apparent that a tight finish was on the cards when the two leaders came through the two lap mark (of 3) with 11:15 on the clock, neither looking like giving way to the other. The pace picked up sharply on the last lap with attack and counterattack being launched. David, unfortunately, tweaked a hamstring on one of the turns and Michael took full advantage of the hesitation by David. Michael romped home, a very deserving winner, finishing in an impressive 16:36 -- his last lap taking just 5:21. Closing strongly for 2nd was Colm O'Connor in 17:22 with Henry Langton in 3rd (17:36). Stephen McCarthy was next in 19:36 followed by Gerry Martin (20:15), Terry McGraine (20:21), Vinny Murtagh (20:41) and Jim Dwyer (22:50). If tonight was anything to go by, the Club Handicap Cross Country at the same venue next Tuesday should be another enthralling night of racing. Well done to all. Results.

On Sun 10th Sept, Ann McGee and Hilary McGee ran in the Prague 5km road race. In very warm conditions, Hilary had a very good run with a time of 21:16 while Ann ran 29:43. Well done to both.

On Sat 9th Sept, Jim Dwyer and Bernie Stapleton ran in the Dublin Bus-Sponsored BHAA CitySwift 10 Mile road race. Both ran well with Jim clocking 1:21:16 and Bernie recording 1:25:56. Well done to both. More.

On the weekend of Sat 2nd/Sun 3rd Sept, Lucan athletes had outstanding performances at the national Community Games in Mosney. After her semifinal run in the U14 80m, Elaine Pardy suffered hamstring problems -- last year these problems forced Elaine to withdraw from the final. Luckily, the problem was not as bad this year and Elaine went on to place an excellent 5th in the final. Stuart Roche placed an excellent 6th in the U14 80m hurdles final. Our U16 4*100m relay team of Conor Martin, Sean Grimes, Edward Grimes and Michael Connolly also placed 5th in their final. Well done to all on great results.

On Thur 24th Aug, Colm O'Connor ran a personal best mile in the Clonliffe Harriers Grand Prix Races in Santry. After his personal best 1500m of 4:32 from the previous Thursday, Colm is in top form. This time he chopped a second off his best mile with a 4:51 clockng. Great running Colm.

On Sun 20th Aug, Michael Dunne ran a sub 5 minute mile at the ALSAA Sports. Michael placed 4th in the race with a fine new personal best time of 4 minutes 58 seconds, achieving the time goal he set for himself at the start of the season. Great running, Michael.

On Sat 19th Aug, Freda Comiskey and Jim Dwyer ran in the Mick Burke 5km road race in Naas. Freda ran 23:14 with Jim close behind in 23:23. Well done to both on good runs.

On Thur 17th Aug, Colm O'Connor placed 3rd in the Clonliffe Track Series 1500m in Santry. After a steady start through the first two laps, Colm took up the running 500m from home and opened up a few yards on the opposition going down the back stretch the last time. Colm was caught in the home stretch but this bold move was rewarded with a personal best time of 4:32. Great running, Colm.

On Sat 12th Aug, Lucan had some strong showings in the Streets of Galway 8km road race. Michael Dunne produced a breakout performance when he clocked a time of 28:47. This result placed Michael just outside the top 50 in the race, with a huge crowd of some 1500 participants in total. Colm O'Connor also had a top class run clocking 30:46, just outside the top 100 overall. Stephen McCarthy is coming into fitness quite quickly as evidenced by his time of 31:54. Lorraine Heffernan (39:06) and Claire Buckley (39:31) also put in good runs. More.

On Sat 12th Aug, Lucan athletes ran at the British Milers' Club Meet in Manchester. Fintan McGee produced the top result by Lucan athletes when he recorded a season's best time of 1:55.14 in 5th place in his 800m. In another section of the 800m, Ciaran Hopper also placed 5th in an excellent new personal best time of 1:58.75. And David keogh just missed his personal best when he record a time of 1:59.4 in his section of the 800m. All three have now finished their track seasons. Well done lads on a great season. More.

On Wed 9th Aug, three Lucan athletes ran at the last Dublin Graded Meet of the season in Irishtown Stadium. On a windy night, Fintan McGee had a top class run in the 'A' 400m, placing 2nd in a time of 52.72 for the circuit of the track. In the 'C' section mile, Colm O'Connor showed that he can definitely go faster when he ran significant negative splits. After an opening half-mile of 2:33, Colm closed very strongly with a last half in 2:23 to record a finishing time of 4:56.79 for 2nd place. Stephen McCarthy ran his first competitive track outing in two years when he ran a time of 5:24.62 to finish in the middle of the pack. Great running lads. More.

On Sun 6th Aug, three Lucan athletes ran as guests at the Mazda League Round 2 in Santry. After a string of 800m races of late, Ciaran Hopper and David Keogh both ran well in the 1500m. David placed 4th in the race with a time of 4:15 while Ciaran was close behind in a time of 4:18 for 7th place. Fintan McGee impressed again in the 800m, taking the lead from the gun and only relinquishing that lead with 150m remaining. Fintan recorded another season's best of 1:55.67 for 2nd place. Well done lads.

On Sat 29th July, Lucan athletes ran in the Dublin International Games in Santry. Fintan McGee produced a fine run when he won the development 800m race. Fintan showed the opposition a clean pair of heels as he negative-splitted the race with a 57.5 last lap to win in 1:57.51. In the same race, David Keogh closed strongly in lane 3 down the stretch to place 6th in 2:00.94. In the development 'B' race, Ciaran Hopper added another fine run to his tally placing second in the process with a time just outside 2 mins, 2:00.26. These were all exceptional runs considering the blustery conditions. In the development 3000m, Conor McGee looks like he is not back to full strength yet as he placed 16th in 9:03.76. Well done to all on a very positive weekend's running.
On Thur 27th July, Colm O'Connor and Brian Brunton ran at the ALSAA track races. Colm equalled his season's best time when he clocked 2:12 for second place in the 800m. Brian Brunton is clearly getting into good shape as he ran 11:10 in the 3,000m. This time took a huge chunk off his season's best from February. Associate club member Henry Langton also had a very good run clocking 10:55. Well done lads.

On Wednesday 26th July, Fintan McGee ran the 'A' 400m at the Dublin Graded Meet in Santry. Fintan placed 5th in the race, clocking 52.55 seconds for the distance. Great running, Fintan. Full results.

On the weekend of Sat 22nd/Sun 23rd July, Lucan athletes competed at the Woodies DIY National Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry.

On the Saturday, David Keogh ran another sub 2 minute race when he placed 8th in his heat of the men's 800m in a time of 1:59.78. This is great running from a 17 year old.

Fintan McGee was next into action and he placed 7th in his heat of the 1500m with a time of 3:59.71. Fintan missed a spot in the final by 6 tenths of a second. Fintan has missed 6 weeks of training with a stress fracture in his foot and he is only back training 3 weeks. Who knows what he might have produced this weekend if he had not missed that time with injury.

Ciaran Hopper closed out Saturday's action for Lucan athletes when he ran a time of 53.35 to place 6th in his heat of the 400m. At 19 years of age and only one year of serious training now under his belt, Ciaran will be a contender in years to come.

On Sunday, Hilary McGee placed an excellent 10th in the final of the women's 800m with a time of 2:28.34. Hilary has established herself at a whole new level this year.

Conor McGee tripped and fell hard, dislocating his shoulder, in a very crowded men's 5000m final on Sunday afternoon. Such a shame that this happened in the big race but Conor will be back racing soon. Full results.

On Wed 19th July, Jim Dwyer ran in the Dublin City Council-sponsored BHAA 5km road race in Ringsend. On a scorching hot evening, Jim finished in 23 mins exactly, just outside his season's best time for the distance. Well done, Jim. Full results.

On Sun 16th July, Hilary McGee produced a new personal best 800m at the Mazda National T&F Leagues in Limerick. Hilary placed 2nd in the race with a time of 2:27.2, despite having raced only 48 hours earlier at the Cork County Championships. Confidence must be high now going into the National Senior Champinships next Saturday. Great running Hilary.

On Sat 15th July, Ciaran Hopper and Fintan McGee produced top quality runs at the Kip Keino Orphanage Fundraiser Meet in Ringsend. It was a beautiful day in Ringsend and the two lads took full advantage of the good conditions. Ciaran blasted a full two seconds from his previous best 800m time with a 1:59.06 clocking for third place. Added to this, Ciaran was closing on the two leaders and looks like he has more in the tank for races in late July and early August. Well done to Ciaran on his first sub 2 minute clocking. Next up was Fintan in his first race back after a stress fracture in his foot. Fintan ran a great race, hitting very even splits and finishing with a time of 3:59.69 for 5th place in the 1500m. Great to see Fintan running so well again. Well done lads.

On Fri 14th July, Hilary McGee placed 2nd in the Cork Senior 800m Championships at Cork I.T. Hilary posted a time of 2:27.8, only a fraction outside her lifetime best of 2:27.3. Hilary's results are a model of consistency and she is arriving at the National Championships next Saturday on song and ready to post a personal best. Great running Hilary.

On Wed 12th July, Colm O'Connor recorded a season's best 800m at the Dublin Graded Meet in Santry. Due to work commitments, Colm's training has been curtailed in recent weeks but Colm has not allowed this to deter him as he posted a time of 2:11.86 in the section 'C' 800m. Well done Colm. Full results.

On Tue 11th July, the Lucan Open Sports attracted 150 athletes from surrounding counties. We would like to thank all of our volunteers, all of the athletes, their parents and their coaches. You all made the event the success it was and we hope to see you again next year. Outside of the club, a special thank you to Brendan Cahill and his team at the County Council for helping us prepare the track and surrounds for the event. Also thanks to the Chief Executive of the Athletics Association of Ireland (A.A.I.), Brendan Hackett, for his attendance and to our starter John Quirke. Results of the event will be posted here shortly.
On the weekend of Sat 8th/Sun 9th July, Lucan athletes shone at the National Juvenile Championships in Tullamore.

In the U18 800m, David Keogh placed 7th. David was in 3rd place until very late in the race when the searing early pace and the accumulation from last weekend's two races, took their toll. David's official time was 2:02.67. Well done on another top result, David!

Conor McCrossan placed a close 5th in the U17 100m hurdles with a time of 14.90. This is Conor's best ever result at an outdoor National Championship with Conor only 3 tenths of a second from the bronze medal. Well done, Conor.

Sinead Dowling placed 8th in the U17 100m final in an exellent 13.24 seconds. Well done, Sinead. Full results.

On Sat 8th July, Hilary McGee placed 2nd in the 3000m at the Galway Twilight Meet, held in conjunction with the Irish Milers' Club, in Daingan, Galway. Athenry A.C. did a great job getting the best runners in the country to their inaugural meet, an event which looks like it will be a mainstay on the Irish athletics calendar. Unfortunately, the athetes were unlucky with the weather and heavy rain and strong winds made it feel more like cross country than track but Hilary stuck to the task and came away with a great result, finishing with a time of 11:47. Well done, Hilary.

On Sun 2nd July, Ciaran Hopper and David Keogh produced outstanding performances at the National Junior Championships in Tullamore. Both athletes had to get through heats to run in their final. David cruised through his 800m heat, winning it in 2:02.23, while Ciaran ran a smart heat in the 400m, qualifying comfortably in 4th position in 54.68. In the finals, both athletes recorded new personal best times, David placing 5th in the 800m with a time of 1:59.14 and Ciaran posting 52.52 seconds for 6th place in the 400m. David is eligible for these championships for another two years! Well done to both on such a successful weekend. Full results.

On Wed 28th June, Lucan athletes produced some great runs at the Dublin Graded Meet in Santry. Hilary McGee set the standard when she hacked 5 seconds from her mile p.b. with a top class time of 5:33 in the 'A' race. Next up was Michael Dunne and he ran a perfect tactical race to win the 'D' mile in 5:03. Michael looks certain to run under 5 minutes at his next attempt. Next into action was Conor McGee who led 3 laps of the 'A' mile race before conceding the lead on the final lap. Conor placed 2nd in a time of 4:29. Two up and coming stars in the club, David Keogh and Ciaran Hopper both ran in the 'B' 400m. The two lads produced some great runs with David placing 1st in a time of 52.4 and Ciaran only a few yards back in 3rd place with a time of 53.2, almost 2 full seconds better than his time from 2005. Great running from all. More results.

On Tue 27th June, Lucan athletes ran the Bob Heffernan Memorial 5km road race hosted by the Na Fianna club in Enfield. Eithne Reid took third prize in her age-category with her run (21:33) while our women's masters team of Eithne, Derval McCarthy (21:13) and Myra Nolan (23:37) took third prize in their team event. Other good runs came from Terry McGraine (20:54), Freda Comiskey (22:31), Jim Dwyer (22:54), Emer McCarthy (23:49), Amber Nugent (23:51), Lorraine Heffernan (23:57), Claire Buckley (24:17), Bernie Stapleton (25:49), Evelyn McMahon (25:57), Bernie Doyle (26:07) and Ann McGee (23:37). Well done to all.


On Sat 24th June, three Lucan athletes represented the Leinster Schools U17 Team at the Tailteann Games Schools Interprovincial in Tullamore. Liam Townsend placed an excellent 6th in the triple jump with a leap of 11.94 metres. Sinead Dowling placed 8th in the individual 100m and, later in the day, she helped the Leinster team to second place in the 4*100m relay. Conor McCrossan placed 7th in the 100m hurdles, an event for which he is eligible again next year. Well done to all on representing their province with distinction.

On Sun 18th June, Hilary McGee ran as a guest in the Munster Senior Championship 800m at Cork I.T. The warm weather finally broke unfortunately so wind and rain slowed the athletes down somewhat. Hilary placed 6th in the race with a time of 2:30.2. This was another very consistent run from Hilary and hopefully when the weather is better, she will surpass her best time of 2:27 set last summer.

On Sat 17th June, Ciaran Hopper ran in the Irish Milers Club Meet 800m in Ringsend. In a top quality race won by double Irish Olympian, James Nolan, Ciaran added another quality run to his seasonal tally, with a time just outside his best (2:01). Well done Ciaran.

On Sat 17th June, Jim Dwyer ran in the Dunshaughlin 10km road race. On another beautiful summer's day, Jim clocked a time of 48:10. Well done Jim.

On the weekend of Fri 16th June, Lucan's young athletes competed in the Dublin juvenile track and field Championships in Santry.

Liam Townsend won the U18 triple jump on Saturday afternoon. On the previous evening, Liam ran a top class time of 52.06 when placing 2nd in the 400m. Liam also placed an excellent 6th in the 200m on Saturday. Well done Liam.

On Friday evening, David Keogh was a very convincing winner of the U18 800m in a time just outside 2 minutes (2:00.89). On Saturday, David placed 2nd in the 1500m with a time of 4:15. Great stuff David.

Conor McCrossan was the other gold medallist from Lucan, winning the U17 100m hurdles. Great stuff Conor.

Friday evening also saw Tara Andrews placing 2nd in the U10 500m. On Saturday, Tara took another silver medal home when she placed 2nd in the long jump.

Stuart Roche placed 2nd in the U14 80m hurdles on Saturday morning. Later in the day, Stuart snatched the bronze in the U14 80m, with James Power hot on his heels in 4th place.

Elaine Pardy took the bronze medal in the U15 80m. On the Sunday, Sinead Dowling placed an excellent 3rd in the U17 100m while Sinadu Vine placed 4th in the U15 100m. Niamh Power took home the bronze medal in the U11 ball throw after placing 6th in the long jump.

Barry McGraine and Luke Hanlon placed 6th and 7th in their final of the U11 80m. Sean Townsend ran in the U10 500m and 60m, running very well in both. Ciaran Shanley placed 7th in his heat of the U15 100m. Juliette Sejan (U12 600m) and Toirdealbhach Hopper (U14 800m) both had good runs on Friday night. Lorna Costello placed 6th in her heat of the U13 80m, while Chloe McGraine placed 5th in her heat in the same age-group. Both girls also competed in the long jump, along with Rebecca Quirke, with Chloe placing 7th overall in the long jump.

Well done to all from Lucan on a great weekend's competition. If any results have been accidentally overlooked, please speak to one of the coaches and we will correct any mistakes/add the omitted results.

On Fri 16th June, Michael Dunne won the Civil Service A.C. 5km on grass in the Phoenix Park. Michael recorded a time of 18:13 to cross the line well clear of second place. Great running Mick.

On Wed 14th June, Colm O'Connor and Michael Dunne ran in the Dublin Graded Meet in Ringsend. Having been on holidays over the past couple of weeks, Colm O'Connor went into this race with very little training over the last two-three weeks. Despite that, Colm placed 7th in the 'C' section 800m with a very commendable time of 2:12.06. Michael Dunne was boxed in in his race and this possibly cost him a win. Nevertheless, Michael placed an excellent 2nd in the section 'D' 800m with a time of 2:15.80. Well done lads.

On Tue 13th June, Jim Dwyer ran the E.S.B.-sponsored BHAA beach 5km race. Jim clocked 24:47 for the distance. Well done Jim.

On Sat 10th June, Conor McGee ran the 1500m in the British Milers Club Meet in Watford. Conor placed 7th in the section 'E' 1500m with a season's best time of 3:58.28. Well done Conor.

On Sun 4th June, Hilary McGee won the silver medal in the Leinster Senior 800m in Tullamore. Defending champion from last year, Hilary had another very good run this year to place second in a time of 2:29.64. This is a good start as it's Hilary's first outdoor race of the season at her preferred event. Well done Hilary.

On Sat 3rd June, Conor McCrossan and Liam Townsend competed at the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships in glorious sunshine in Tullamore.

Conor McCrossan placed a tremendous 4th in the U17 100m hurdles, just shy of taking home his first National Championship medal. Conor is eligible to compete in this age-group again next year so he will be very hard to stop next year. Congratulations, Conor, on a great run.

Liam Townsend placed 7th in the U17 triple jump competition, down on his best jumps, but another great result. We are sure that, with a few minor alterations, Liam will surprise a lot of people at the Tailteann Games in mid June. Well done Liam.

Liam, Conor and Sinead Dowling (4 * 100m relay) will compete for the Leinster Schools team in their respective events at the Tailteann Games (Schools Track and Field U17 Interprovincial) in mid June. Congratulations to all on their selection.

On Wed 31st May, four Lucan athletes turned in quality performances at the Dublin Graded Meet at Santry Stadium.

Liam Townsend competed in the triple jump -- result to be confirmed. Liam will compete in the All-Ireland Schools U17 triple jump this coming Saturday in Tullamore so this outing will have helped him to make some final adjustments to his technique, run-up, etc. Liam also ran in the 200m, which served as the Dublin 200m Championship. Liam blazed to a time of 24.37 to place 3rd in his heat of the 200m, and 14th overall in the Dublin 200m Championship 2006.

Approximately 40 athletes were entered in the 800m, which served as the Dublin Senior 800m Championship. Of course, everyone couldn't run in the one race so the athletes were divided up into different heat draws, and the final results would be decided on best times.

Stepping down in distance, Conor McGee was first of the Lucan athletes into action and Conor clocked a time of 2:01.31 for 6th place in his heat, having looked to be on for a sub 2 minute clocking until the dreaded (lactic acid) bear jumped on his back 80 metres from the tape.

Next up was Ciaran Hopper. Ciaran continued his series of progressions with a very comfortable looking 10 metre win in his heat, recording a time of 2:01.04 for a new personal best. Ciaran will be sitting his leaving cert exams over the next few weeks so he will not be competing again for a week or two. But surely, there is a lot more to come from Ciaran after that display.

Last to go from Lucan was David Keogh. David injected pace at almost the exact same spot as Ciaran had in the previous heat, just over 200 metres from the finish. This burst quickly took David into a 10 metre lead which he extended to 15 metres by the tape. David's time of 2:00.73 was only a fraction outside his lifetime best. David has peppered the 2 minute mark his last few races and he is clearly back to full strength after a chest infection a few weeks ago. He looks set to run sub 2 in the near future.

Once all the results were collated, the Lucan lads placed 5th (David Keogh), 7th (Ciaran Hopper) and 9th (Conor McGee) in the Dublin Championship 800m 2006.

Well done to all of the above on fine performances.

On Sat 27th May, Conor McGee ran the 5000m at the Irish Milers Club Meet at Irishtown Stadium. The blustery conditions did not stop many athletes recording new personal bests on the night. Conor placed 11th in a time of 15:12.03, well outside his best, but it's very early days in the season. Well done Conor. Full Results.

On Sat 27th May, Lucan athletes ran in the Intel-sponsored BHAA 5 mile road race in Leixlip. The wind made chasing fast times almost an impossibility but all athletes put in a hard effort that will stand to them on better days. Gerry Byrne was first athlete from lucan in a time of 33:08 followed by Breffni Worrall in 33:52 and Jim Dwyer in 37:47. Well done to all. Full Results.

On Sat 20th May, Conor McGee ran the 1500m at the British Milers Club Meet at Loughborough University. Conor placed 10th in the section 'C' race with a time of 3:58.31 in his first race of the outdoor track season. This time is only half a second or so outside Conor's best 1500m time of last season so it is a very encouraging start. Well done Conor. Full Results.

On Sat 20th May, Liam Townsend struck gold, Conor McCrossan silver and David Keogh took bronze, all in different events, at the Leinster Schools Championships in Santry Stadium.

Liam Townsend, fully recovered from a hamstring which cramped up on him at the West Leinster Schools, took the gold medal in the U17 triple jump at the Leinster Schools Championships with a new personal best leap of 12 metres 10 centimetres. Great jumping Liam! Liam will now compete in the All Ireland Schools Championships in Tullamore on Saturday June 3rd.

Conor McCrossan took a very impressive silver medal in the U17 100m hurdles with a time of 15.60 seconds. A measure of this achievement is that Conor will compete in this same age-group again next year. Fantastic Conor. Conor, too, will run in the All Ireland Schools Championships in Tullamore on Saturday June 3rd.

David Keogh ran a great race in the U20 800m to take the bronze medal in a time of 2:01. This result is all the more remarkable since David missed two weeks training in the past month due to a chest infection. David showed incredible tenacity in fighting for that medal. Great stuff, David.

Sinead Dowling placed an agonising 4th in the U17 100m in a time of 12.96 seconds. Sinead also added a 4th place in the U17 long jump with a leap of 4 metres 69 centimetres. Just like Conor McCrossan, Sinead is one of the few athletes capable of competing against the very best athletes a year older than her. Sinead is eligible to compete in the same age-group again next year so she has time on her side. Brilliant result Sinead.

Ciaran Hopper took a very courageous 5th place in the blue riband event, the U20 1500m. Waking up with a cold the morning of the race did not help matters but Ciaran battled hard and placed a highly creditable 5th in 4:26.56. Ciaran has made some phenomenal progress in recent months and we are sure to see plenty more of him soon. Well done Ciaran.

These above results bring the grand total of Leinster Schools Track and Field medals by Lucan athletes this year to 4 -- one gold (Liam Townsend U17 triple jump), two silver (Conor McCrossan U17 100m hurdles, Elaine Pardy U14 80m) and one bronze (David Keogh U20 800m). In addition, Lucan had two fourth places (Sinead Dowling U17 100m & long jump), a fifth place (Ciaran Hopper U20 1500m) and a 6th place (Orla O'Farrell U14 long jump). Congratulations to all of our athletes on fantastic results. Full Results.

On Thur 18th May, Colm O'Connor and Michael Dunne ran in the Trinity Track Relays on the grass track in Trinity College. Colm placed 2nd in the 800m, having made a bold strike for victory with 250metres remaining in the race. That move almost paid off as Colm was only caught inside the last 10metres, eventually placing second. Behind him, Michael Dunne placed 4th in, this, his first competitive 800m in years. Later in the evening, both men lined up again, this time for the 1500m. Colm again placed 2nd with Michael again taking 4th place. Well done, lads, on a great nights running.

On Wed 17th May, Elaine Pardy won a magnificent silver medal in the U14 80metres at the Leinster Schools Championships in Santry. In a blanket finish, Elaine was just outleaned for the Leinster title by a mere two hundredths of a second. Elaine's time was 11.12 to the winner's 11.10. This is a tremendous result, Elaine! Fantastic running!

On Wed 17th May, Orla O'Farrell placed 6th in the U14 long jump at the Leinster Schools Championships in Santry. Orla jumped 3.96metres, slightly down on her best but again in the hunt for the medals. Well done Orla on another great result.

Orla and Elaine were both part of their school U14 team, St Joseph's, which placed 4th in the 4*100m relay final in a time of 57.30. Well done again girls. The competition for U14s in the schools ends at the provincial level, but we hope to see these girls next year at U15 in the Leinster Schools and possibly All-Ireland Schools.

On Sun 14th May, Lucan athletes ran in the Sportsworld 5 Mile Classic in Walkinstown. Great runs came from Eileen O'Brien who placed first in her age-category with Ann McGee placing second in her category. Tommy Buggle, fresh from his mile track win during the week, was first from Lucan home in a scorching 28:45, a big personal best. Other Lucan athletes with good runs were Bernie Stapleton and Jim Dwyer, and some of our mini marathon women, who look to be right on course for the women's mini marathon in three weeks' time. More detailed results will be posted when available. Well done to all.

On Fri 12th May, Hilary McGee placed first in the Ballinhassig Road Mile in Cork. Hilary recorded a time of 5:39, some 9 seconds faster than her time at the same race last year. Very well done, Hilary.

On Fri 12th May, Lucan's young athletes competed in the second Dublin juvenile track and field league of the year in Ringsend.

Tara Andrews had a great run to win the U10 500m. Tara followed this result up with an excellent 4th place in the ball throw. Fantastic results, Tara!!

Stuart Roche took 2nd place in the U14 80metres. Stuart is really going well this year. Another fine run, Stuart.

Laura Murtagh placed 6th in the U13 high jump. This is an event for which we have no equipment with which to practice so Laura did very well indeed. Well done Laura.

On Wed 10th May, four Lucan athletes ran in the Dublin Graded Meet in Santry Stadium. In his first ever Dublin Graded track meet, Tommy Buggle ran a very astute tactical race in the 'D' section mile to claim a terrific win in a new personal best 5:03. Michael Dunne, in his third race in a week, was close behind in 5:07. In the 'C' section mile, Colm O'Connor was only a stride away from a win and he came in 3rd in a near personal best 4:55. Colm will undoubtedly improve upon that time later in the season. Ciaran Hopper ran another top class race with a 4:34.92 mile in the 'A' section mile to place 8th overall. Excellent running lads.

On Tue 9th May, five Lucan athletes ran in the Government Services-sponsored BHAA 5 miles road race in Dunboyne. John O'Leary squeezed home first for Lucan (31:04) ahead of a good run from Brian Brunton (31:12), Gerry Byrne (31:31), Breffni Worrall (33:08) and Jim Dwyer (37:31). Well done lads. Full Results.

On Sun 7th May, Michael Dunne had a great win at the Leixlip Amenities 3 miles road race. Arguably Lucan's most improved athlete this season, Michael showed no signs of fatigue from his run in the Tom Byrne Memorial 5km road race in mid week when he effortlessly put more and more distance between himself and the opposition as the race progressed. In the end, Michael was well over a minute in front. This is a man who is really enjoying his running at the moment. Well done, Michael.

On Sun 7th May, Lucan Harriers hosted the Women's Meet and Train road league 3 mile race. Lucan's athletes again impressed at this race, held on a beautiful Sunday morning. Derval McCarthy was again first Lucan athlete to finish, placing 17th overall in a time of 20:41. Freda Comiskey was next from Lucan in 21:21, followed by Emer McCarthy (22:49), Lorraine Heffernan (TBC), Maisie McGlone (23:08), Bernie Stapleton (24:30) and Myra Nolan (24:40). Well done to all our athletes.

On Sat 6th May, Fintan McGee placed 6th in the 3000m at the Irish Milers Club Meet in Irishtown Stadium, Ringsend. Fintan recorded a new personal best time of 8:29.59 in a top class race that saw 5 personal best times recorded. After a 5000m personal best recently in Belfast, Fintan is looking very well positioned to run very fast over his preferred distance, the 800m. Great running, Fintan. Full Results.

On Fri 5th May, Lucan's young athletes did well in the first Dublin juvenile track and field league of the year in Santry. Stuart Roche took 3rd place in the U14 200metres while Ailbhe Breen also finished 3rd in her U15 200m. Laura Murtagh placed 5th in the U13 shot putt and Alva Corcoran placed 5th in the U10 60 metres. Well done to all on great starts to the season.

The age categories in the schools competitions are minor (U14), junior (U15), intermediate (U17) and senior (U20). The first two finishers in the following events -- 100m, 200m, 400m, sprint hurdles and distance hurdles (eg 300m hurdles) -- and the first three in all other events at the West Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships qualify to compete at the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in Santry in mid May. The same qualification procedure is in place in the North Leinster, East Leinster and South Leinster regions, and a similar procedure is in place in the various regions in other provinces to qualify for their provincial schools championships.

Once an athlete has qualified from West Leinster ( -- our region -- ) to compete at the Leinster Schools Championships, they will then be seeking to qualify for the All-Ireland Schools T&F Championships, one of the highlights of any young athlete's athletic career. How do you qualify from the Leinster Schools T&F Championships to the All-Ireland Schools T&F Championships? You must place in the first two finishers in a laned event -- i.e. 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, sprint hurdles and distance hurdles (eg 300m hurdles) -- or place in the first three in any other event (U15, U17 or U20) at the Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in mid May.

Note that there is no All-Ireland Schools Competition for the minor (U14) age-category. Competitions in this category finish at the provincial level.

Ok, enough rules and regulations... here are some results!!!

On Thur 4th May, Lucan's young athletes competed at the West Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in Santry.

Ciaran Hopper was first into the action on a very wet Thursday morning. Ciaran ran an absolute blinder in the U20 1500m, placing second to last year's U17 All-Ireland Schools 1500m champion, John Coghlan. Ciaran ran a cracking time of 4:14.3, and definitely turned some heads with his aggressive style of racing. Ciaran came back only two hours later to place fifth in a loaded U20 800m final in a new personal best time of 2:04. Ciaran will run in the blue riband event (-- the 1500m --) at the Leinster Schools 1500m on May 20th. Top class running Ciaran.

Sinead Dowling added to her long jump silver from Tuesday with another silver, this time in the U17 100m. Sinead is delighted with her form, only returning to training very recently after a three week spell out through illness -- bronchitis. Great stuff Sinead.

Liam Townsend, multiple medal winner over the years, added to his mountain of medals when he jumped 11.69metres in the first round of the U17 triple jump to win the event. Liam later helped his school team (Castleknock) to 3rd place in the 4*100m relay. Liam unfortunately sustained a hamstring injury during his efforts but hopefully it won't prove to be too serious and Liam can be again soon. Fantastic Liam.

Twins John and Ed Grimes competed in the U15 800m and 1500m respectively. Both placed in the top 8 in their races. These two guys are naturals and we are hopeful that with a few months more training that we can have John and Edward pushing for medals soon. Well done lads.

On Wed 3rd May, Lucan hosted the Castlethorn and Construction Tom Byrne Memorial 5Km Road Race.

On a deceptively challenging new course, Mark Ryan, representing Rathfarnham W.S.A.F., took first place overall in the race held in blustery conditions in a time of 15:40 from Paul Balfe, 15:44, (Liffey Valley A.C.) and defending champion, Davey Byrne (Sportsworld), 15:53.

The women's race was even more loaded with talent. Irish cross country international, Orla O'Mahony (Raheny Shamrocks) took the win from world sculls champion and Irish Olympic oarswoman, Sinead Jennings (Donore Harriers), with defending champion Eimear Martin (Sportsworld) in third.

The Tom Byrne Perpetual Trophy for first local athlete went to race winner, Mark Ryan, on the men's side, with Lucan's Hilary McGee taking home the Tom Byrne Perpetual women's trophy, having recorded a new p.b. of 19:57 in the race.

The women's team title was won by Sportsworld from Donore Harriers and Clonliffe Harriers. The Lucan women's team placed 8th. The men's team title was won by Tallaght from Liffey Valley (on countback) and Rathfarnham W.S.A.F. Lucan's men placed 9th overall, led by Tommy Buggle in 17:04 and Michael Dunne in 17:40.

Other outstanding runs from Lucan Harriers came from under 17 winner Katie Reid and under 19 winner Patrick Martin.

Overall: First three women were Orla O'Mahony of Raheny Shamrocks, Sinead Jennings of Donore Harriers and Eimear Martin of Sportsworld.
Overall: First two women over 35 were Mary Hanley (18:09) of Na Fianna and Lucy Darcyl (18:22) of Sportsworld.
Overall: First two women over 40 were Bernie White (19:50) of Sportsworld and Miram McCormack (20:19) of Rathfarnham W.S.A.F.
Overall: First woman over 45 was Nuala Riley (21:03) of Drogheda & District. [Second to be confirmed].
Overall: First woman under 17 was Katie Reid of Lucan Harriers.

Overall: First three men were Mark Ryan (15:40) of Rathfarnham W.S.A.F., Paul Balfe (15:44) of Liffey Valley A.C. and Davey Byrne (15:53) of Tallaght A.C.
Overall: First two men over 40 were Phelan Glynn (16:23) of Dunboyne A.C. and Edwin Keville (17:30) of Rathfarnham W.S.A.F.
Overall: First two men over 45 were Paddy Mangan (17:01) of Dunshaughlin A.C. and Gerry Carr (17:05) of Civil Service A.C.
Overall: First two men over 50 were John Cullen (17:08) of Liffey Valley A.C. and Barry Potts (18:20) of Donore Harriers.
Overall: First two men over 40 were Phelan Glynn (16:23) of Dunboyne A.C. and Edwin Keville (17:30) of Rathfarnham W.S.A.F.
Overall: First man under 19 was Patrick Martin of Lucan Harriers.

Thank you to all who helped make the night such a success.

Dublin Novice results can be found on the dublinathletics.com website. Tom Byrne Results.

On Tue 2nd May, Lucan's young athletes competed at the West Leinster Schools Track and Field Championships in Santry.

Elaine Pardy continued on her winning ways from last year with a magnificent win in the U14 80metres. Elaine was Dublin Primary Schools Champion last year, and 5th in the National U14 60m Club Championships last summer, so she is no stranger to this level of achievement. Well done Elaine.

Also in the U14 category, Orla O'Farrell placed a fine 2nd in the long jump. Orla is developing into a very good long jumper and she is always in the reckoning for medals. With the confidence gained from this result, she has the capabilities to jump a lot farther. Great stuff Orla.

Michaela Kinsella placed an agonisingly close 4th in the U14 shot putt. By all accounts, Michaela had probably the farthest throw in the competition but was unable to stay inside the circle. Well done Michaela, you'll get that medal at the Dublin Championships.

On Sat 29th Apr, four Lucan athletes ran in the RTE-sponsored BHAA 5 mile road race in Donnybrook. Finishing on the set of RTE's soap 'Fair City', Breffni Worrall was first athlete from Lucan in a time of 33:28, followed by Jim Dwyer in 38:10, Maisie McGlone in 40:45 and Bernie Stapleton in 42:05. Well done to all. Full Results.

On Tue 25th Apr, Conor McCrossan placed 2nd in the U17 100m hurdles at the West Leinster Schools Championships. This is Conor's first year (of two years) competing in the U17 age-group in schools competitions. Each year, the hurdles get higher but Conor seems to make the transition to the higher hurdles seamlessly. This run qualifies Conor, the Leinster Schools U15 Champion from last summer, for the Leinster Schools Championships in two weeks' time. Well done Conor.

On Sun 23rd Apr, Lucan's womens teams ran in the Meet & Train 2 mile road league in Raheny. Derval McCarthy was again to the fore, placing an excellent 15th overall in a time of 13:24. Freda Comiskey was close behind in 21st (13:35), followed by Lorraine Heffernan (14:22) in 34th, Amber Nugent (14:28) in 36th, Myra Nolan (14:34) in 39th, Emer McCarthy (14:46) in 42nd, Claire Buckley (14:50) in 44th, Maisie McGlone (15:09) in 55th and Bernie Stapleton (16:00) in 69th. Well done to all.

On Sun 23rd Apr, Gerry Byrne ran in the Flora London Marathon. Gerry recorded the excellent time of 3:44:06 for the classic distance. Well done Gerry.

On Sat 22nd Apr, Jim Dwyer ran in the Kepak 8 mile road race in Clonee. Jim is coming back into form after his injury lay-off. His time of 63:38 is his best run in recent weeks. Well done Jim.

On Sat 22nd Apr, Fintan McGee placed 3rd in the 5000m at the Irish Universities Track and Field Championships in Belfast. This was a great run from Fintan, better known as an 800m runner. Fintan's time of 15:03 on the Antrim Forum track was a big personal best and adds to his growing reputation as a man who can compete at all the distances. Great run Fintan.

On Tue 18th Apr, Colm O'Connor won the 'B' section mile race in the ALSAA Track Series. Having arrived too late to run in the 'A' race, Colm showed his quality in the 'B' race, burning off all opposition to record a time of 5:04. Clearly Colm is in good shape as the track season commences. Great running Colm.

On Sun 16th Apr, Lucan won the senior men's team title at the prestigious Dunboyne 4 mile road race. Lucan's men proved their national result ( -- 6th in national road relays two weeks ago --) was no flash in the pan with a great team win in Dunboyne. This is a phenomenal result for Lucan, Dunboyne being one of the biggest events on the domestic road racing calendar. Conor McGee, 5th overall (19:45), and Fintan McGee, 7th overall (20:05 -- p.b.), led the way for Lucan with some great runs. The unsung heroes, Tommy Buggle (22:07 -- p.b.) and Michael Dunne (23:07 -- p.b.) brought it home for Lucan. Tommy Buggle as always pulled out a big run, another personal best, when it was needed. And Michael Dunne suffered through a stitch for miles 2 and 3 of the race but he never gave up and he recorded a personal best also. Michael even said two hours after the race that he still felt that stitch!! With four team members to count on the day, Lucan's combined score edged Tallaght A.C. in the team standings.

Other good runs from Lucan came from Gerry Byrne (25:20) who is running really well at the moment. He will be confident of a good run in the London marathon next week. Henry Langton (24:24) and Sean McEvoy (24:30) both enjoyed good runs as did Vinny Murtagh (26:00) who is improving by the week. Gerry Martin (26:08) is returning to the action after injury as is Jim Dwyer (31:04). Eileen O'Brien had another very good run with a time of (29:08) as did Lorraine Heffernan (31:19) and Mairead Heffernan (35:54) in her first road race since giving birth recently. Well done to all. Full Results.

On Sun 16th Apr, Hilary McGee ran in the Leevale Open Sports at Cork I.T. Hilary ran a very strong race to place 5th in 5:15, just 2 seconds outside her personal best. Well done Hilary.

On Sun 9th Apr, Noelle Dunne and Bernie Doyle ran in the BUPA Ireland 10km road race in the Phoenix Park. Noelle had a good run finishing in 57:52. We have yet to confirm Bernie's time but she is clearly feeling well recovered from her half marathon in Berlin from last week. Well done to both.

On Sat 8th Apr, four Lucan athletes ran in the Dublin City Council-Sponsored BHAA 4 mile road race in St Anne's Park, Raheny. Michael Dunne was first Lucan athlete home in 23:27, eclipsing his time by 23 seconds from the St Patrick's day 4 miler in the Phoenix Park. Michael is improving all the time and finished in 34th position overall (out of a field of over 150) with this run. Behind him, we also had good runs from Gerry Byrne (25:21), Brian Brunton (25:46) and Jim Dwyer (33:12). Well done to all on good runs. Full Results.

On Fri 7th Apr, Fintan McGee won the colours match 600m in a wet and windy Ringsend Stadium. The colours is the annual competition between Trinity College and UCD. Fintan, representing Trinity College, led the race from the gun and pushed the pace hard, clocking a time of 1:24.14 to win well. This was great running, especially into that strong wind twice in the race. Well done Fintan.

On Wed 5th Apr, John and Edward Grimes ran in the Schools Distance Relays Invite in Santry. This event is being used as a low key introduction to the secondary schools Track and Field competitions which are kicking off in about two weeks time. John and Edward, both running a 600m leg for Kings Hospital, helped their team to 4th overall in the U17 4*600m event out of a total of 17 teams taking part. Well done guys.

On Wed 5th Apr, Ciaran Hopper and Hilary McGee competed in the 600m at the first Dublin Graded Meet of the year in Santry. On a cold and slightly breezy night, both athletes placed 5th in their events with Ciaran clocking an impressive 1:28.8 and Hilary a 1:49.0. It's good to see these athletes with a few early season races under their belts. Well done to both. Full Results.

On Sun 2nd Apr, a contingent of 16 Lucan athletes travelled to Germany for the Berlin Half Marathon. Best result of the day came from Eileen O'Brien who crossed the finish line in 1:43:41, a fantastic run, which got her third place in her category. We had some excellent runs too from Derval McCarthy (1:44:11), Myra Nolan (1:47:20), Freda Comiskey (1:49:38), Bernie Stapleton (1:59:01), Lorraine Heffernan (2:03:05), Evelyn McMahon (2:04:18), Emer McCarthy (2:07:23), Ann McGee (2:07:48), Ursula Murphy (2:08:36) and Bernie Doyle (2:14:22). Unfortunately, Jim Dwyer has some achilles problems and was forced to walk to complete the distance. Also running -- but we don't have their results confirmed yet -- were Emer O'Sullivan, Alan and Marian Flynn, Mairead Heffernan, Eithne Reid and Liz Ryan. Well done to everyone on some great runs.

On Sun 2nd Apr, Lucan's men's teams were 6th in the senior race and 10th in the masters race at the National Road Relays Championships in Raheny. These are fantastic results and highlight the growing strength of the men's section at the club. The course was around a housing estate in Raheny and each lap was a little over a mile in distance. Congratulations to Colm O'Connor (1 lap -- 5:09), Tommy Buggle (2 laps -- 10:50) and Brian Brunton (1 lap -- 5:38) on the masters team, and Fintan McGee (2 laps -- 9:31), Ciaran Hopper (1 lap -- 4:53), Conor McGee (3 laps -- 14:53) and David Keogh (2 laps 10:33) on the senior team. Best results ever from the club at these championships as far as we know. Well done lads!! Full Results.


On Sat 1st Apr, David Keogh won his second National medal in a week with a silver in the U18 indoor 800m Championship in Nenagh. The 1500m bronze from last week instilled a lot of confidence in David and he showed it today, as he powered his way to a time of 2:00:41, matching his fastest time from last summer's outdoor campaign. David is on fire at the moment. Once he runs outdoors, we are sure to see David running some even faster times. Fantastic running, David!!

On Sat 1st Apr, Liam Townsend placed 4th in the U18 triple jump at the National Indoor Championships in Nenagh. Liam was very unlucky to miss out on the medals, jumping a distance of 11.69m, just one centimetre behind 3rd place. Well done Liam on another great performance for the club.

On Sun 26th Mar, David Keogh won a hard-earned bronze medal in the U18 1500m at the National Indoor Championships in Nenagh. Having won his heat on Saturday in a personal best (p.b.) time, David came back again on the Sunday to record another p.b. (4:13), taking a further 3 seconds off his best time. David is better known as an 800m runner, having represented Ireland in that distance last summer at the Schools Track and Field International, but this result at 1500m shows that David can be equally as effective over 1500m. David has put in a lot of work this winter in training and he is starting to reap the rewards already. Well done, David -- everyone at the club is delighted to see you doing so well.

On Sun 26th Mar, Claire Buckley ran in the Connemara Half Marathon. Conditions were difficult with the wind and some tough hills but this didn't prevent Claire from recording the excellent time of 1:58 for the distance. Well done Claire.

On Sat 25th Mar, Lucan's young athletes competed at the National Indoor Championships in Nenagh.

Sinead Dowling showed that she is back to her formidable best when she placed 5th in the final of the U17 60m.

Liam Townsend ran 56 seconds to place an excellent 5th in the U18 400m. Liam followed this up with a jump of 5.51metres to place 5th in the long jump.

David Keogh showed how assured he is competing at this level when he won his heat of the U18 1500m in a new personal best time of 4:16. David will compete in the final of the 1500m tomorrow (Sunday).

Well done to all our athletes on their efforts this weekend.

On Sat 25th Mar, three Lucan athletes ran in the N.U.I. Maynooth-Sponsored BHAA 4 miles cross country in Maynooth. Men's coach, Colm O'Connor, led by example finishing in 34th position in a time of 25:51 with Gerry Byrne having a good run in 27:40 with Jim Dwyer finishing in 35:13. Well done lads. Full Results.

On Tue 21st Mar, Fintan McGee won the ALSAA Winter Track League 3000m at the Aer Lingus Sports Complex. With some positive front-running tactics, Fintan soon drew clear of the opposition as he ran to a very impressive time of 8:41, lapping much of the field in the process. Jim Dwyer also had a good run finishing further down the field. Great running lads.

On Sun 19th Mar, Conor McGee won the Shamrock Scramble 5km road race in Wallkill in upstate New York. On a bitterly cold day, Conor won the race by 15 seconds with a final time of 15:35. Well done Conor. Full Results.

On Fri 17th Mar, Michael Dunne ran in the KBC-sponsored Metro St Brigid's 4 mile road race in the Phoenix Park. Michael showed he is improving with each run as he clocked a time of 23:50 to finish in the top 40 overall. Well done Michael.

On Fri 17th Mar, Hilary McGee won the Rising Sun 5km road race in Ballinhassig, County Cork. It's been a busy week for Hilary, after her run in the National Short Course Cross Country earlier in the week. Nevertheless, Hilary displayed impressive form on the freezing day with a clear win in 20:37. Well done Hilary.

On Sun 12th Mar, Hilary McGee ran in the National Senior Short Course (4km) Cross Country Championships in Tymon Park. Hilary placed 23rd in the race, a great run which should give her lots of confidence as the track season approaches. Well done Hilary. Full Results.

On Sun 12th Mar, James Carroll won a bronze medal in the U14 long jump at the Dublin Indoor Championships in Santry. James adds this medal to the bronze he won yesterday in the 60m. Great stuff James.

Our girls U15 4*100m relay team of Michaela Kinsella, Bebhinn NiChiosain, Ailbhe Breen and Elaine Pardy placed 4th in their final. Well done girls. Hopefully they will get amongst the medals outdoors.

Orla O'Farrell and Michaela Kinsella competed in the U15 long jump, with Orla O'Farrell just outside the medals in 4th position. A few of our athletes just missed out on medals in 4th position in these championships but hopefully, they will get their reward for all the hard work in other competitions this season.

On Sat 11th Mar, Lucan's young athletes added 6 more medals to the club's haul on Day 3 of the Dublin Indoor Championships in Santry.

Conor McCrossan is undefeated at these championships, indoors or outdoors, since 2004(!) and he again dominated to win in the U17 60m hurdles.

David Keogh lined up for his first ever competitive outing at the 1500m less than 24 hours after his 800m win. David came up just short of completing the 800m/1500m double but he ran a great race to place 2nd in a time of 4:18.5 in the 1500m to fellow Irish international, Robert Fitzsimons from Tallaght.

Sinead Dowling placed a very close 2nd in the final of the U17 60m, having won her heat. Sinead adds this medal to the bronze she won in the long jump last week.

What can you say about Liam Townsend? The guy is unbelievable. After having won the long and triple jumps last week, and a 5th place in the 200m, Liam came back for more this week. On this occasion, Liam took 3rd place in the 400m with a whopping new personal best time of 52.9 seconds. This time hacks over 2 seconds from Liam's best from last summer, and his decision to pursue track training singlemindedly this year is already paying off. Lucan Performance of the meet. Well done Liam!

Elaine Pardy placed a very close 3rd in the U15 60m final, having won both her heat and her semifinal earlier in the day. This was a great run from Elaine, and there was little to separate the first three.

James Carroll ran a very brave race to place 3rd in the U14 60m final, having placed 2nd in his heat earlier. James actually had a slight injury from the heat but he felt well enough to run the final and had a great race. Well done James.

Tara Andrews had a great series of races in the U10 60m where she placed 4th in the final after placing 2nd in her heat and semifinal. Tara also had the 500m in her legs from the previous evening so she is a very tough runner.

Other great results included a 4th place in the U13 60m final from Gareth Scanlon, 4th in the U15 60m hurdles final from Michaela Kinsella, a 4th place in her semifinal of the U15 60m from Ailbhe Breen (having placed 3rd in her heat), and a 4th place in the heat of the U14 60m from Ciaran Shanley.

On Sat 11th Mar, Colm O'Connor, Gerry Byrne and Jim Dwyer ran in the NCF/AIB Sponsored BHAA Cross Country in Swords. Colm had a very good run placing 29th overall in a time of 30:32. Next from Lucan was Gerry Byrne who has improved immensely over the last few weeks. This time Gerry clocked 33:51. Jim Dwyer, back from a few weeks out of action due to an achilles injury, finished in a time of 41:28. Jim will be back up to speed in no time. Well done to all.

On Fri 10th Mar, David Keogh (Gold) and Tara Andrews (Silver) added to the Lucan medal tally at the Dublin Indoor Championships in Santry.

First to race on the night was Tara in the U.10 500m. Tara had an absolute blinder, placing 2nd to take home the silver medal for her first ever Dublin Championship medal. We're sure there'll be plenty more medals for Tara in the future.

David Keogh arrived at these championships as the defending champion and as an Irish Schools 800m International athlete from last summer. David was most definitely the man to beat so all eyes were on him as the gun sounded for the combined U.18 and U.19 800m race. David (U.18) moved into the lead immediately, reaching the bell in a shade outside 63 seconds with plenty of company. David then wound the pace up over the next 200m so that with 200m to go, the race was down to two -- between David and the Celtic A.C. athlete, a year older than David. The Celtic athlete accelerated hard and passed David with 150m to go but, clearly, David was not finished. David bided his time and again showed his quality when he drew level with 50m to go and moved away over the last 30metres. It was a great race to watch and David's final time of 2:02.2 was pretty impressive considering the cagey early tactics in the race, and the bitterly cold conditions. Well done to our athletes on their great runs. More results tomorrow from Day 3 of the Dublin Juvenile Indoor Track and Field Championships.

On Tue 7th Mar, Ciaran Hopper and Derval McCarthy took the tape in the club Winter/Spring track series Mile in Lucan. Quite a strong wind was blowing so conditions were pretty difficult and prevented fast times being run. Nevertheless, Derval McCarthy reeled out a very consistent set of splits to come home a convincing winner in 6:33 from Myra Nolan (7:10), Emer McCarthy (7:12), fast-improving Evelyn McMahon (7:31), Lorraine Heffernan (7:37), Bernie Stapleton (7:40), Claire Buckley (7:50), Maria Byrne (8:21), Bernie Doyle (8:49) and Noelle Dunne (9:24). On the men's side, Ciaran Hopper had a strong run to win in 5:13 with Oisin Langan finishing in 6:49. Well done to everyone.

On Sun 5th Mar, John O'Leary, Freda Comiskey and Maisie McGlone ran in the Ballycotton 10 mile road race in County Cork. Despite some blasts of hailstone right at the start, John ran a very good time of 66:58, Freda posted a very impressive finishing time of 1:18:30 with Maisie turning in a good run too with 1:34:53. Well done to all.

On Sun 5th Mar, all three competing Lucan athletes won medals on Day One of the Dublin Indoor Championships in Santry.

Liam Townsend won the U.18 long jump with a 5.63metres jump. Liam is actually concentrating on the 400m this year so he has done no specific jumping practice at all this winter!! Right after the long jump, Liam also placed 5th in the 200m -- Liam's strength work is going very well this winter and he will be flying once he starts into his speed program very soon. Later, Liam placed first in the triple jump in a new personal best leap of 12 metres 7 centimetres. Last summer, Liam placed 3rd in the National Championships outdoors in the triple jump so Liam is no stranger to podium finishes in this event. So all in all, it was a very busy and productive day for Liam.

Holly Kinsella took the silver medal in the U.15 shot putt with a personal best throw of 6.45metres, an event which she can make her own in the coming months.

Sinead Dowling, having just finished her mock exams for the junior certificate in the last few days, placed an excellent 3rd in the U.17 long jump and 5th in the 200m. Due to their top four finishing positions, all of these athletes have now qualified for the National Indoor Championships to be held in Nenagh in early April. The Dublin Indoor Championships continue next Friday evening in Santry and go right through the weekend. Well done everyone!! Full Results to be posted soon.

On Sat 4th Mar, Bebhinn NiChiosain ran in the All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships on the sports grounds of D.C.U. Bebhinn had a very strong showing, finishing in 70th position overall in the U15 2000m girls race, an improvement of over 30 places from last year. Bebhinn's school team (Maynooth Post Primary) placed 10th team overall. Well done Bebhinn, the hard work is starting to pay off. Full Results.

On Sat 4th Mar, Tommy Buggle was first Lucan athlete home, storming to 15th place in the Garda-Sponsored BHAA 4 miles Cross Country race in the Phoenix Park. This was the best run that Tommy has had yet at this level so everyone is delighted to see Tommy running so well. Michael Dunne is really coming into his own too and he showed a lot of patience and poise in moving through the field to finish in 28th position overall. Gerry Byrne also had a great run. Well done lads.

On Sun 26th Feb, Derval McCarthy was 13th overall and Lucan won the silver team competition at the Meet & Train Cross Country League in Irishtown Park, Ringsend. Derval McCarthy, who has consistently been on the verge of top 10 finishes all season, again led the way for Lucan, this time placing an excellent 13th overall with her shadow, Freda Comiskey, very close in 15th position. Eileen O' Brien (28th), Amber Nugent (29th), Myra Nolan, Lorraine Heffernan, Emer McCarthy and Claire Buckley all placed high up in the race which is seeing increased numbers of competitors from previous years. These good individual runs meant that, collectively, we did really well too as our silver team placed won top prize in their category. Well done to all.

On Tue 21st Feb, several athletes turned in good performances at the ALSAA Winter Track League mile. David Keogh was first Lucan athlete, and second overall, in a new personal best time of 4:47. Colm O'Connor is showing a return to form with a very impressive 5:01. Michael Dunne showed a good turn of speed down the stretch to clock 5:20, with Henry finishing in 5:25 and Brian Brunton 5:35. Gary O'Connor, brother of Colm, posted a cracking time of 5:40 in his debut race. Great running lads.

On the weekend of Sat 18th/Sun 19th Feb, three Lucan athletes competed in the National Indoor Championships in Belfast. The Odyssey Arena proved to be a very impressive setting and was a real motivator for a lot of the athletes who travelled for these championships. First up for Lucan on Sat evening was Fintan McGee, who looked extremely impressive in placing 2nd in his 1500m heat in a time of 4:02.86. This placing advanced Fintan to the final the following day where Fintan placed a brave 7th in 4:03.34. Conor McGee placed 9th overall in the men's 3000m final on Sat night in a season's best time of 8:43.78. Hilary McGee placed 4th in her heat of the 800m with a lifetime best time of 2:27.34 (at 10pm!!). Great running from the Lucan trio and hopefully we will see these athletes and more from Lucan at the outdoor nationals. Full Results.

On Sun 12th Feb, Hilary McGee ran in the National Intermediate Cross Country Championships in Carraig na bhFear. On a wet and windy day, Hilary had a very strong run to place 16th in the 4km race. Great running Hilary.

On Sat 11th Feb, Breffni Worrall and John O'Leary ran in the Aer Lingus BHAA 5 miles cross country in ALSAA. Breffni had a great run clocking 34:21 on a difficult day while John was timed at 35:10. Well done lads. Full Results.

On Wed 8th Feb, three Lucan athletes competed at the Kit Kat Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships on the grounds of D.C.U. Bebhinn Ni Chiosain helped her school, Maynooth Post Primary, to the bronze team medals in the girls U15 1500m race. Individually, Bebhinn had a solid run, placing in the top half of the field. With this top three team placing, Bebhinn and her school team have now qualified to compete at the All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships (also at D.C.U.) on March 5th. Later in the afternoon, David Keogh and Ciaran Hopper both ran in the U20 6000m race. David placed 21st in the race with Ciaran finishing further back, having suffered a fall in the middle of the race. These guys will now look ahead to the track competitions coming up from April onwards.

On Tue 7th Feb, the Lucan Winter/Spring track league continued with a 3000m. It was a windy and wet night and lane one was a bit waterlogged in places so conditons were not easy. Still, the show went on. Freda Comiskey was first to finish amongst the women in a very good time of 13:02 from Eileen O'Brien (13:51), Myra Nolan (14:06), Lorraine Heffernan (14:52), Claire Buckley (15:18), Ursula Murphy (15:29), Evelyn (15:31) and Berni Doyle (16:59). Conor McGee took first place in the men's section in a time of 9:07, from Colm O'Connor (10:38), Michael Dunne (11:11), Henry (11:12), Brian Brunton (11:49), Brendan Maher (12:31) and Terry (13:13). Well done to all.

On Sun 5th Feb, Sinead Dowling ran in the Scottish Indoor U17 Championships in Glasgow. Sinead had a very busy day with 3 races in all. Sinead clocked 8.21 to place 3rd in her heat of the 60m and progressed to the semifinal where she recorded the exact same time to place 4th in her semifinal, just missing out on a spot in the 60m final. In the 200m, Sinead recorded 28.68 for 5th in her heat. Well done, Sinead, on a great start to the season!!

On Sun 5th Feb, Lucan athletes picked up prizes at the Raheny 5 mile road race. Eileen O'Brien picked up first prize in her age-category, Ann McGee took third prize in her category (44:38), Antoinette Holland was fourth in her category, and our women's team of Derval McCarthy (who had a fantastic run with a time of 34:50), Freda Comiskey (36:02) and Eileen O'Brien (36:40) took third prize in their team category. Also running well on the day was Bernie Stapleton. Well done to all.

On Thur 2nd Feb, Hilary McGee competed in the Crusaders AC winter track league in Irishtown Stadium, Ringsend. Hilary again had a very strong run, this time posting a time of 11:31, only a few seconds outside her best. Well done Hilary.

On Fri 27th Jan, David Keogh delivered a polished performance to placed 4th in the U20 5000m at the East Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships in the Phoenix Park. This result, from the Irish schools 800m international, matches his 4th place from last year's U17 East Leinsters. And in our opinion, this year's run is even better than last year's. You would never guess it when you see him run, but David, at 16 years of age, is about as young as he could possibly be in the U20 age category. With this run, David, representing the Institute of Education, now qualifies for the Leinster Shools Cross Country Championships on Wednesday week. Well done David.

On Thur 26th Jan, Ciaran Hopper and Bebhinn Ni Chiosain provided the big performances at the West Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships in the Phoenix Park. Ciaran Hopper, representing Lucan's Colaiste Cois Life, had a great great run in the U20 4500m race placing a first-class 9th overall. This run from Ciaran secures his automatic qualification spot for the Leinster Schools Cross Country Championships in two weeks' time. Bebhinn Ni Chiosain also had a stirling performance placing 15th in the U15 2000m, despite her limited number of competitive outings this winter. This result follows up Bebhinn's 12th place finish in the U14 category last year. Bebhinn helped her school, Maynooth Post Primary, to the silver team medal. Bebhinn and her team also qualify to compete in the Leinster Schools Championships. Patrick Martin had a strong start to the U17 3000m race, eventually running out of gas in the second half of the race. Still, his 22nd place overall was a very commendable run from Patrick. With a bit more race experience, Patrick has the capabilities to be challenging for medals. And in the U15 2500m race, twins John and Edward Grimes, representing Kings Hospital, finished in the top quarter of their race. Again, this is the first competition since last summer for these very talented young guys. With a little more dedication to racing and training from our athletes throughout the season, there is no telling how well they can do, so come on guys and girls... get out and race!!! In the meantime, well done to all on excellent results.

On Sun 22nd Jan, Fintan McGee and Conor McGee won medals in the 3000m at the Scottish Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Fintan clocked a time of 8:39.85 on the Kelvin Hall track to take the silver medal -- in fact, Fintan was only 26 hundredths away from taking home the title. Conor finished with a time of 8:50.18 for the bronze medal. Very well done lads on fine performances.

On Sat 21st Jan, Lucan's women competed at the Meet and Train 2 miles Cross Country league in Tymon Park. Once again, the Lucan athletes were to the fore with Derval Cusack finishing in 12th place, her best performance yet in the league. Breathing down her neck was Freda Comiskey who had a great run in 14th position overall, also her best finishing position yet. Lucan were missing the talents of Lorraine Heffernan on the day but other athletes stepped up as Lucan packed well with Amber Nugent in 32nd, Eileen O'Brien in 33rd, Bernie Stapleton in 45th and Claire Buckley in 52nd. Great to see so many athletes in form. Well done to all.

On Sat 21st Jan, John O'Leary and Jim Dwyer ran in the Dublin Bus-Sponsored BHAA Cross Country in Templeogue. Despite some recent bad luck ( -- John in a traffic accident, and Jim with some achilles problems -- ), both had strong runs in the 5 mile event. Well done lads.

On Tue 17th Jan, David Keogh, Ciaran Hopper and Jim Dwyer all competed in the 3000m at the ALSAA Winter Track League. On a breezy night, all three acquitted themselves admirably as David ran 9:57, just one second outside his best time, while Ciaran debuting at the distance demonstrated his impressive range with a 10:02. Jim posted 13:37, a good start to the season. Well done lads.

On Sun 15th Jan, Jim Dwyer ran in the Dublin Masters Cross Country Championships in Tymon Park. Jim placed 59th amongst a big field of athletes. Well done Jim.

On Sun 8th Jan, Lucan hosted the women's Meet and Train Cross Country League. First to finish the 2 mile race was Derval Cusack who placed an excellent 13th overall, closely followed by Freda Comiskey in 15th, Lorraine Heffernan in 25th and Eileen O'Brien in 27th. Well done to all who took part. More results will be posted when received.


On Sat 7th Jan, four Lucan athletes travelled to Belfast for the Stormont Cross Country International. In the men's Under 20 race held over 5900m, David Keogh placed 20th and Ciaran Hopper 22nd. These were excellent performances from the lads. In the men's senior 9800m race, Conor McGee placed 32nd and Fintan McGee 44th, again great running against some top class opposition from as far afield as Kenya, Ethiopia, U.S. and Britain. Well done everyone.

On Sat 7th Jan, Lucan athletes competed at the South Dublin County Council- Sponsored BHAA Cross Country races in Tymon Park. Hilary McGee provided the top performance for Lucan with an excellent 9th place finish amongst the senior women. Tommy Buggle was first Lucan man to finish, placing a commendable 29th in a very competitive field. Colm O'Connor and Jim Dwyer also put in solid runs. Well done to everyone on some good results.

On Sun 1st Jan, Fintan McGee placed a magnificent 3rd in the Tom Brennan Memorial 5km road race in the Phoenix Park. In very blustery conditions, Fintan clocked a time of 15:26 for the distance, the time not at all reflecting the quality of his performance. Ahead of Fintan, two sub 4 minute milers battled it out for the win with, Olympian and European indoor silver medalist, James Nolan prevailing over Mark Christie. Fintan's older brother, Conor, had a very strong showing too, placing 6th in the race with a time of 15:41. Further down the field, Breffni Worrall clocked 19:30 exactly and Jim Dwyer also ran well but no time confirmed yet. The Lucan lads combined to place 7th in the team event. Well done to all on a good start to the new year.