International Selection
Galway City Harriers’ Emma Moore travels to Poland this week as part of the Irish team selected for the World Indoor Championships that starts in Torun this Friday, March 20th. The GCH star, who recently smashed her own Irish U23 record over 800 metres, will race in the heats of the 800 metres on Friday morning, which start from 11.51 am.
National U20 & U23 Indoor Championships
Galway athletes delivered a series of outstanding performances at the 123.ie National U20 & U23 Indoor Championships, which were held over the weekend at the TUS International Arena in Athlone. Competitors from across Galway’s leading clubs secured an impressive haul of medals, showcasing the depth of emerging talent across the county. Among the standout performers was Adill Prochownik of Galway City Harriers, who stormed to victory in the U20 Men’s 60m Hurdles. South Galway AC's Orlaith Mannion also delivered a dominant display to secure gold in the U20 Women’s 60m Hurdles, with a Galway 1-2-3 in the event, as Rachel Warde of Craughwell won silver and Lucy Hounkponou of GCH claimed bronze, further highlighting the county’s strength in hurdle events. Angela Cielecka of West Coast AC claimed the U20 women’s 60m title in an impressive 7.50 secs, whilst clubmate Fauve Aylmer was dominant in winning the U23 800m National Indoor Title. Craughwell AC enjoyed significant success, with Darragh Kelly claiming gold in the U20 Men's High Jump, underlining the club’s consistent production of national-level jumpers. In the U23 category, Athenry AC’s Sean Doggett impressed with a silver medal in the Men’s 200m, stepping down a distance. West Coast AC recorded podium finishes, with Caoimhe Phelan and Daniel Sangodele adding silver medals in the U20 Women’s 3000m Walk and U20 Men’s Triple Jump, respectively.
Loughrea AC celebrated a national title as Darragh Fahy leapt to gold in the U20 Men’s Triple Jump, continuing a fine tradition of jumping excellence for the club. One of the most notable returns of the weekend came from Tuam AC, whose athletes made a major impact on the national stage. Kevin Munnelly captured silver in the U20 Men’s 60m Hurdles, while Savanagh O’Callaghan produced a commanding performance to take gold in the U20 Women’s 3000m Walk, solidifying Tuam’s rising presence in national competition
National Masters Indoor Championships
Not to be outdone, Galway’s Masters athletes were equally active in securing National medals in Sunday's All-Ireland Championships. Among the highlights was a double sprint gold medal win for Linda Nally of GCH in the V55 60m and 200m. Nally secured gold in the W55 200m with a winning time of 28.82 and followed it with a gold in the W55 60m, clocking 8.62 to top the field. Also, for GCH, Evergreen distance star Martin McEvilly claimed a superb double gold in the M75 1500m and 3000m, while Jim Phelan added further sparkle to the club’s performance with victory in the M50 400m and silver in the 200m. Sprinters Alex Lee and David Geraghty also medalled in the V35 and V40 200m. Field athlete Chris McDermott soared to success in the M40 high jump, taking another gold for the club. Middle-distance athletes Conor Byrne and Gerry Carty added bronze medals in the 3000m, contributing to a strong overall tally.
South Galway AC enjoyed a strong showing, headlined by John Whiriskey, who powered to gold in the M45 800m. Teammate Darren Melia added a silver medal in the M50 3000m. Craughwell AC continued to shine on the national stage via Sarah Finnegan, who claimed gold in the W35 triple jump. Meanwhile, multi-eventer Justin Lane won Pole Vault silver and Patrick Carr collected bronze in the 60m hurdles. Tuam AC also celebrated national success, with Baiba Varsberga securing gold in the W40 3000m walk after a commanding solo performance. Corofin AC produced one of the most remarkable sets of results of the championship, courtesy of Margaret Higgins, who swept to triple gold in the W70 60m, long jump, and triple jump. Corofin’s medal tally was further boosted by Mike Furey, who earned silver in the M55 long jump. Loughrea AC’s medal success came through the evergreen Mary Barrett, who struck gold in both the W65 60m hurdles and Shot putt before adding a silver in the weight-for-distance event. West Coast AC achieved two bronze medals, both from sprinter Brian Fallon, who battled strongly in the M50 200m and 60m to secure valuable podium finishes for the club.
