2023 was a very special year in the long storied history of Clonliffe Harriers as we marked and appropriately celebrated 60 years of women’s athletics in our club. There were a number of events held over the course of 2023 celebrating this milestone including a great morning in Poppintree when a huge crowd of Clonliffe women participated in the local Parkrun and, the social highlight of the year, a brilliant gala ball held on September 30. Clonliffe also returned to training in Morton Stadium after a major investment under the stewardship of DCU and a brand new WA Classs II blue mondo track.
Once again Clonliffe Harriers this year hosted and promoted a number of superb athletics events including the Leinster schools cross country championships, the Brother schools cross country invitational, the Dublin cross country championships, the historic Clonliffe 2 and of course Morton Games on July 14.
On the club front we had the ever popular Grand Prix series throughout the course of the year, won by Dave Hanley, club cross country championships, club track championship days in the summer and the club Christmas cake races, all of which provided competition opportunities for all members and sections of the club.
The Clonliffe senior men’s team captured the national indoor league and national road relay titles, finished runner-up in the national outdoor league and bronze in the national cross country. Our senior women took bronze in the national outdoor league and in cross country national intermediate silver and national novice bronze. Individually the clubs senior athletes won several national titles with both Eoin Sheridan (discus) and Cathal Doyle (1500) retaining their 2022 national titles, Eoin Pierce regained his national 1500 indoor title, Grace Casey and Jess Tappin took javelin and 400 hurdles national titles.
Edel Maguire enjoyed an outstanding year, indoors and out, both track and field winning national and Leinster titles, setting numerous national Masters W60 records in the process, and became a world champion winning the world Masters indoor high jump in Torun in March and outdoors winning the European W60 high jump.
Clonliffe Harriers were awarded Leinster Club of the year. Oh, and we had a great morning with Ireland AM from Virgin Ireland TV.
2023 Highlights:
Individual champions:
World Masters Champion: Edel Maguire W60 High Jump (indoors)
European Masters Champion: Edel Maguire W60 High Jump
Senior National Track and Field champions: Grace Casey (Javelin), Jess Tappin (400H), Eoin Sheridan (Discus), Cathal Doyle (1500), Eoin Pierce (1500 indoors), Stephen Scullion (Marathon), Tudor Mireca 50k
National Masters Champions: Cathal McHale M35 5000, Edel Maguire W60 400, indoor 400, indoor high jump, indoor 60, Frances Mansfield W75 Hammer, Niall Sherlock M35 Long Jump, David Donegan M40 Pole Vault, Yuliya Taravosa W35 Marathon, Gary O’Hanlon M45 Marathon.
National Juvenile Champions: Lorcan Benjacar U/18 2000 SC
Team champions:
Men National Indoor League.
Men National Road relays (Stephen Cashin, Eoin Pierce, Efrem Gidey, Jayme Rossiter)
Men National Marathon (Stephen Scullion, Tudor Mireca, Gary O’Hanlon)
Men National 5k Road (Stephen Cashin, Ben Coughlan, Eoin Taggart, Mahed Mohammed Egaal)
Men 4 x 200 Indoors (Craig Duffy, Marcus Lawler, Chris sibanda, aaron Tierney-Smith)
Men Dublin Cross Country (Efrem Gidey, Jayme Rossiter, Colm Rooney, Eoin Pierce)
U/20 Men Dublin Cross Country (Sean Cronin, Mahad Mohamed Egaal, Leon Brady, Cillian Keegan)
M35 National 5k Road (Cathal McHale, Karl Nolan, Tom Sherlock)
Boys U/19 National Cross Country: Sean Cronin, Tom Breslin, Cillian Keegan, Lorcan Benjacar
Boys U/18 National Cross Country: Tom Breslin, Sean Cronin, Matei Ursachi, Rory Quill
Other notable team performances:
Men National Track & Field League silver
Women National Track & Field League bronze
Men National Cross Country bronze (Efrem Gidey, Cathal Doyle, Sean O’Leary, Jayme Rossiter)
U/20 Men National Cross Country silver (Tom Breslin, Sean Cronin, Cillian Keegan, Matei Ursachi)
Women National Intermediate silver (Laura Tuite, Sarah Bateson, Orna McGinley, Rachel McFadden)
Women National Novice bronze (Julie Larkin, Hannah Browne, Sarah Bateson, Jenny Johnston)
W35 Cross Country bronze (Jen Elvin, Yuliya Taravosa, Ciara Peelo, Siobhan Devanney)
Club record breakers:
Chris Sibanda 60M (indoors) – 6.73
Marcus Lawler 200 (indoors) – 21.10
4 x 200 relay Indoors (Lawler, Sibanda, Aaron Tierney Smith, Craig Duffy)
Emma Mitchell 3000 (Indoors) – 9.45.34
Jess Tappin 400 – 53.37
Jess Tappin 100H – 14.02
Jess Tappin 400H – 57.20
Simon Galligan hammer -64.91
Club Champions:
Cross Country: Ian Guiden, Laura Tuite
100: Keith Pike, Leah Bergin
200: Keith Pike, Leah Bergin
400: Oren Kenny, Leah Bergin
800: Rory Quill, Laura Tuite
1500: Lorcan Benjacar, Laura Tuite
5000: Sean Doran, Ciara Peelo
10000: Sean Doran, Meghan O’Keeffe
10 Mile: Sean Doran, Rachel McFadden
Athletes of the year:
Junior: Tom Breslin
Master: Edel Maguire
Men’s Track & Field: Eoin Sheridan
Women’s Track & Field: Jess Tappin
Men’s Road/Cross Country: Stephen Scullion
Women’s Road/Cross Country: Yuliya Taravosa
Harrier of 2023: Johnny O’Leary
2023 was, like every year, also tinged with sadness as the legendary Claire Walsh, Clonliffe Harriers first woman Olympian, and Clonliffe stalworth Larry O’Reilly completed their final laps of Santry and went to their eternal reward.
Congratulations to all our athletes, huge thank you to our club coaches, the committee, officials and volunteers. We look forward with confidence to the challenges that 2024 has in store. Nil desperandum.