This current Women in Sport Week is extra special for Clonliffe Harriers as this year we celebrate 60 years of women’s athletics in Clonliffe Harriers. Throughout the course of the year we look back fondly on the achievements of the clubs women athletes since 1963, and there will be a series of events throughout the year, the next which will take place this Saturday, March 11 when the clubs women athletes, and of course men are also cordially invited, will travel en masse to mark International women’s day by taking part in the Poppintree Park run (more below)
It is also fitting that we look back to this week 9 years ago when Sarah McCormack won the national senior cross-country title. The last Clonliffe woman to do so. Sarah joining as Clonliffe individual national cross country champion Mary Donohue (1986), Katheryn Davis (1978) and Ann O’Brien (1968, 69, 70 and 71) The 2014 National’s took place on 2 March in Dundalk IT. Sarah went to the start line as one of the favourites, she had been on the podium in the past but had never taken top spot. On the day Sarah time things perfectly, she was always in the top 3 with the great Maria McCambridge (DSD) and Michelle McGee (Bros. Perase), for company. Sarah played the waiting game to perfection waiting until the final bend to make the break pulling away to take the national title by a margin of 9 seconds. The women’s team on the day took bronze, Sarah was follows home in 10th by Ailish Malone, 17th Eimear O’Brien, 22nd Maura Matthews and 26th Jacqui Dunphy. The junior women’s team took silver. The team on the day was Hope Saunders in 5th, a couple of years later of course hope took the national junior cross country title, Greta Streimyte 9th, Alannah Cooley 10th, Laura Tuite 11th and Stephanie McCaul 12th.
The club is now looking forward to next Saturday, the 11th and the “Morton Marvel” gathering of Clonliffe women and girls, including past members, to mark International women’s day at the Poppintree Parkrun. Women’s Captain Jenny Johnston extends an invitation to all to run, jog or walk Poppintree Parkrun at 9.30am on Saturday 11th March to mark International Women’s Day and “Women in Sports” week, 2023. All lads welcome to join and support too!
In Women in Sport week we celebrate and wholeheartedly appreciate each and every girl and woman in our club who competes, coaches and volunteers for the club and has done so over the past 60 years. With all women members kitted out in 60th Anniversary commemorative T-shirts it’s sure to be a marvelous spectacle.
Poppintree park run starts at 9.30am and please allow time to collect T-Shirts also.
Details of this Park run can be found on https://www.parkrun.ie/poppintree/ (Don’t forget your Park run bar code)