Donore Harriers athletes bag National Road Relay medals
DONORE Harriers enjoyed their share of success at the National Road Relay Championships in Raheny last weekend.
The club’s M50 ‘A’ team of Phil Hennessy, Des Tremble and Donal Iremonger secured gold, with the former producing a solid opening mile leg in 5.30 as Clonliffe Harriers opened a sizeable lead compliments of David Dunwoody who clocked 5.12.
On the longer two-mile leg, Des Tremble (11.01) kept the team in contention, before Donal Iremonger (5.20) turned a 33-second deficit into a three-second victory over Clonliffe on the final one-mile circuit with Sportsworld in third (23.08).
Iremonger now has the rare distinction of medalling in the National Road Relays at three different age grades, having previously picked up honours at senior degree in 2004 and as an M35 master in 2011.
Templeogue’s Nadia Power with her DCH team mates Edel Monaghan and Jodie McCann after finishing second in the Senior Women’s race
The Women’s Over 35 team accounted for Donore’s other medal at these national championships after they finished up third behind winners Raheny Shamrocks and Finn Valley Athletic Club.
The opening leg saw Sinead O’Reilly (5.42) hold fourth place, before releasing Barbara Cleary who ran the fastest two-mile leg in 11.13, overtaking Emma Boland of Newbridge AC into third.
Team captain Florence Curley (6.07) raced the final leg, gaining 10 seconds on second place Kay Byrne of Finn Valley AC, but fell just two seconds short of clinching silver.
Donore fielded a young team in the senior men’s race, with 19-year-old Gavin Curtin handing over to James Bolton (16) in fourth.
John McCabe of Rathfarnham hands over to team-mate Sean McCreery
Bolton, the second faster ‘miler’ on the day, ran a sensational leg to consolidate fourth place before Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan (just one week after completing the Charleville Half-Marathon) and Louis O’Loughlin ran strong legs to hold on to fourth position.
Meanwhile the Donore Harriers M50 ‘B’ team, consisting of Tom Fagan (6.08), Peter Nugent (12.27) and Frank McNally (7.01) finished up in ninth, while the club’s two M35 teams emerged seventh and ninth.
