Carroll family hit right note in Tyrone race

OVER the past two weeks Drogheda & District AC has seen a whirlwind of running events, with the Easter eggs well and truly eaten and athletes taking on challenges across the country and even venturing abroad.

Last weekend Storm Kathleen raged her blustery winds across the country, tearing down trees left, right and centre, but she didn’t stop Drogheda & District runners braving the elements and performing to the best of their ability, determined to push themselves to new heights.

Earlier in the week, some steadfast club members opted to trade Easter eggs for racing shoes, showcasing their commitment at the Moynalty AC 4-Mile Road Race.

It was a true family affair, with Nuala Reilly completing the race in 32:09, Aishling Reilly finishing in 35:06 and Olivia Reilly crossing the line in 36:13.

On Easter Monday the Dundalk Gaels 5K saw Matthew O’Shea storm to third place in an impressive time of 16:29 in a fiercely competitive race against Declan Toal and Maurice McMahon of North East Runners. Hugh Callan completed the race in a strong 20:43, while Glenn Gorman finished in 27:59.

Elsewhere, Dominick Branigan took the long trip to conquer the Mallow 10-Mile race with a fantastic result of 1:02:44, showcasing his strength and endurance on the road.

Further afield, Tadhg Donnelly represented Iona University, New York, at the Raleigh Relays, achieving a new personal best with a time of 13:53.12.

Drogheda & District members faced the daunting challenge of Storm Kathleen in the Bear Races Dundalk Half-Marathon & 10K.

As flat as the roads are in Dundalk, the strong winds made for a challenging race, but despite the adverse conditions the D&D runners tackled the course with grit and determination, with notable performances across both distances.

In the 10K Anna Marie Bolton completed the course in 1:24:22, Fiona Branigan finished in 59:40, Paul Browne crossed the line in 51:36, Claire Corcoran finished in 1:09:20, Liam Farrell completed the race in 53:07 and Sarah Monaghan finished in 1:29:10.

For the Half-Marathon, Seamus Flannery completed the distance in 1:26:29, while Emmett Stevenson clocked 1:53:33 and Barney Flannery crossed the line in 2:14:37.

In Tyrone, the Carroll family embraced the winds at the Omagh Half Marathon & 5K, securing impressive results in their respective categories.

Aine Carroll finished the 5K in 23:30, earning second place in the Female U15 category, while Niamh Carroll completed the distance in 25:20, securing second place in the Female U17 category, whilst coach and mother to the girls Maeveen Carroll finished in 32:28.

Last but not least, a group of 20 Drogheda & District runners finally had their pay off and embraced the vibrant atmosphere and historical streets of the 2024 Berlin Half-Marathon after months of training in what must have been the wettest and longest winter we’ve seen in years.

Johnny Breen finished in 1:24:15, David Lennon crossed the line in 1:39:37 and Martin Duffy completing the distance in 1:44:59. Theresa Eccles finished in 1:56:49, Elva Maree in 1:57:14 and and Karen O’Connell in 1:59:39.

Other notable results came from Paul Reilly (1:43:47), Michael Aylward (1:48:24), Joe Carroll (1:50:17), Brenda Kirwan (2:04:22), Unai Diaz Orueta (2:05:09), Raymond Hoey (2:10:43), Louise Irvin Aylward (2:23:22), Alan Floyd (2:25:11) and Mairead O’Connell (2:59:37).

A full list of our athletes and their outstanding performances can be found on the Drogheda & District AC Facebook page.