2024 Kildare athletics report
Ailbhe Byrne
As we complete one week of the new year, we wave a firm goodbye to 2024. Looking forward to what 2025 will bring to our athletics world; indoor competitions, schools cross-country and a host of more local events to prepare athletes, we can expect an onslaught of events over the coming weeks and months. The inclement weather conditions saw a number of events cancelled last weekend. Including the first round of the National Indoor League, where Kildare had two clubs all set to take part; Newbridge AC and Celbridge AC. However, there were a number of competitions over the past week that did go ahead. From road races to indoor events, the athletes were awakened early from their Christmas stupor. The annual Kildare athletics awards were also announced recently, with athletes representing several clubs the proud recipients of the awards.
The Northwest Games is one of those early indoor games run by Donegal based club Killybegs AC. The post-Christmas event sees athletes from all over the country flock to the Athlone Indoor track. For the juniors and seniors, the aim can be to get an early decent time or distance. For the majority of juveniles it can be either their first foray into indoor competition or to test their training ahead of the regional indoors. Overall five Kildare clubs had athletes taking part: St Coca’s, Suncroft, Crookstown-Millview, Naas and Newbridge AC. It was Crookstown-Millview who secured the most medals, with three gold, three silver and eight bronze across individual events along with a relay silver and bronze.
Some senior and master’s athletes were testing their form ahead of the indoor season. Sophie Byrne (Crookstown-Millview) competed in her first triple jump competition in five months, leaping 10.18 to take the bronze. Leaving her junior days behind, she will for 2025 face her first year as an u23 and senior athlete. She has, however, already experienced success at senior level. A year ago she took the bronze medal in the national senior indoor Triple Jump, while still only u20. Now at university, Byrne will have to navigate a new training regime with her studies. Michelle Cox (Newbridge) was back in action on the track over 800m. Cox who was a member of the Irish 4x800m master’s team that broke the world age group record last summer, finished first in the Master Ladies 800m. Clubmate Karina Cash was second. Neil Cash finished 4th in the Master’s 400m.
The girls u16 200m was a race of national quality. Returning to competition after a long injury lay off was Destiny Lawal (Doneen AC). Lawal broke Rhasidat Adeleke’s u15 60m national record in March of 2024 at the national indoors, an indication of her future potential. Preferring the 200m she ran a very creditable 25.86 to take the gold. In the same event, Saoirse Ballesty Byrne (Naas) crossed the line to take the lead in her heat in a time of 26.98. A time that secured her the bronze medal overall. Had Byrne been in the final heat, with Lawal, there is no doubt she may have mounted a challenge for the overall gold. Charlie Murphy (Crookstown-Millview) demonstrated his potential ahead of the indoor championship season with an excellent second place in the boys u14 200m. The race was won by Eoghan Foely (Doheny AC). In the girls u14 Niamh O’Shea (Crookstown-Millview) won her heat in 27.80 and finished second overall. Newbridge AC’s Alexander Guther on the back of an excellent cross-country season tasted a sample of indoor running when he moved up an age and finished 3rd in his heat of the boys u16 200m, he later raced over 800m.
The 60m sprint as the shortest race on an indoor athletics programme always creates much excitement. No race is more exciting that the girls u16 where two superb Kildare athletes; Saoirse Ballesty-Byrne (Naas) and Rachael Beattie (Crookstown-Millview) constantly go head-to-head. At the Northwest games in 2023 it was a 1:2 for Byrne and Beattie as they clashed in the heat. This year Byrne was up against the national record holder Destiny Lawal, who had already beaten her over 200m earlier in the day. Some of the top age group sprinters were present, making this a race of national quality. As expected, it was Lawal who took the gold, winning her heat comfortably. In the same heat Ballesty-Byrne finished third in a time of 8.49. Rachael Beattie finished second in her heat recording 8.15, which was good enough to take 3rd overall. This is a good start to the season for both these athletes.
Elsewhere five athletes from three Kildare clubs competed in the boys u14 60m. Topping his heat was Daniel Hannon (Crookstown-Millview) with a time of 8.37. This earned Hanlon the bronze medal overall. Not far off that bronze was Henry McCormack (Newbridge) who clocked 8.45. Others to compete were Matthew Ennis (St Coca’s), Charlie O’Neill (Crookstown-Millview) and James Cash (Newbridge). In the boys u16 Finian Sexton (Suncroft) dipped under the magic 8.00 second barrier to record 7.99 – a new personal best.
Ella Murphy (Crookstown-Millivew) was the fastest of the girls u12 from Kildare, but despite winning her heat, she was just marginally outside of the medals. Fifty-six athletes competed in this event.
The standard in many of the middle-distance races was high, creating a mecca for those who intend to do a 600m or 800m for the championship season. While Crookstown-Millview may have been prolific in the sprinting events, it was Newbridge who dominated the middle distance. JP Archbold (Newbridge) had a terrific win in the boys u16 with a time of 2:09, outsprinting Conor O’Brien (Skibbereen). Clubmate Alexander Guther on the back of his excellent cross-country season finished fifth in his heat while moving up an age group. Eabha Brennan (Newbridge) demonstrated why she received the Kildare Athletics award for 2024 as she topped the girls u16 with a time of 2:24.24 after a close race with Sligo AC’s Lucie Cawley. Back in third place Hannah Cash (Newbridge) was proving the strength gained from her cross-country was making a difference. Matthew Ennis (St Coca’s) used the sprint as a warm-up for his main race – the u14 800m. Ennis was drawn in the fastest heat and the u13 year old put the u14s to the test. He finished fourth in his heat to marginally miss out on the bronze medal. The ever-smiling Jack Brennan (Newbridge) who had a tremendous cross-country season was adjusting to the shorter 800m race and finished third in his heat – tenth overall. Again, staying with Newbridge AC, the club had two medals in the boys u16 1,500m. The gold went to Ben Crampton with Ruaidhri Archbold taking the bronze.
The Long Jump and Triple Jump on each occasion produces several medals for Kildare athletes. It has become a sort of speciality within the county with many national and Leinster medals in the pot for 2024. It was gold for the national silver medallist Anna Taylor (Crookstown-Millview) in the girls u18 Triple Jump. Clubmate Amelia Walsh took bronze in the u18 Long Jump. JP Archbold (Newbridge) produced an 11.25 to win the u16 triple jump. It was a double gold when he later won the long jump. While another national medal winner Georgia Myerscough (Crookstown-Millview) took gold in the girls u16 triple jump with a good season opener of 10.22. Clubmate Annalise Moore was 5th. Myerscough and clubmate Rachael Beattie battled for the bronze in the long jump with Beattie taking the bronze by 5cm. There was no stopping Henry McCormack (Newbridge) as he topped the table in the boys u14 Long Jump surpassing the five-meter mark to jump 5.01, thirty-one centimetres ahead of his nearest rival Robert Kwak (Athlone). Dylan Burke found inspiration from his elder Crookstown-Millview clubmates as he took silver in the boys u12. As did Georgia Coughlan when he claimed the gold in the girls u12. An age group that had 50 competitors on the start list. Coughlan then went on to record an outstanding victory in the girls u12 60m hurdles.
There were further gold medals for Newbridge AC as the tall figure of Ben Crampton took the top honours in the boys u16 high jump. Crampton cleared 1.65m. Clubmate Ruaidhri Archbold was third. More medals were coming to the Crampton’s as younger brother’s Max and Paddy finished second in the boys u14 and 12 High Jump respectively. Max later finished second in the 60m hurdles.
Crookstown-Millview had two relay medals; girls u16 4x200m taking bronze and their girls u12 taking sliver.
The county athletics awards mark the contribution the athletes make at their county championships throughout the year. Athletes are judged based on their placings in all county championships with awards going to both male and female under 12 and over 12 and seniors. While many other athletes may go on to scoop Leinster or National medals, the award is based on their achievements at county level. This year’s recipients were:
Boys u12: Cian D’Rosario (Clane AC)
Girls u12: Ailbhe Byrne (Suncroft AC)
Boys over 12: Jack Gilmartin (Celbridge AC)
Girls over 12: Eabha Brennan (Newbridge AC)
Senior Men: Eoghan McGrath (Celbridge AC)
Senior Ladies: Michelle Cox (Newbridge AC)
Cian D’Rosario (Clane AC) is the winner of the boys under 12 male County Kildare Athletics award. D'Rosario started his 2024 campaign with victory in the u12 Kildare Indoors. This was followed with a silver in the 60m at the first day of the county track and field. There were two further track and field medals; a gold in the 600m after a magnificent run where he beat Charlie McCabe (Newbridge). D'Rosario managed to impress in the field events where he took silver in the u12 shot putt. The talented Clane AC athlete finished second in the u12 county cross-country championships.
Ailbhe Byrne (Suncroft) is the winner of the 2024 under12 female County Kildare Athletics award. The Suncroft AC athlete had featured in all three championships; Indoors, Track and Field and Cross-Country. For the main part her year was dominated with a battle for gold with Ava Waugh (Eire Og). Byrne managed to be victorious over Waugh in both indoors and track and field, with Waugh avenging her defeat to snatch the gold in Cross-Country. Back in January Byrne won the county indoor 600m beating Ava Waugh (Eire Og) in the process. Moving forward to the track and field in May she secured a double victory securing a win over both the 60m and 600m. At the end of September, it was silver in the u12 Cross Country making it three gold and one silver from the 2024 Championship races.
Jack Gilmartin (Celbridge AC) is the winner of the 2024 over 12 male County Kildare Athletics award. While Gilmartin was successful in achieving both Leinster and National medals, it is his county accolades that the award focused on. The season opened well for Gilmartin when he secured a double gold at the county indoors back in January. It was gold in the u16 200m and later in the day another gold over his signature event the 800m. There was another gold at the county track and field, over 200m. The cross-country produced yet another gold for the Celbridge AC athlete as he secured victory in the u16 county cross-country and was runner-up in the u17 race.
Eabha Brennan (Newbridge AC) is the winner of the 2024 over 12 female County Kildare Athletics award. Initial success for Brennan came at race-walking. However, over the past two years she has made an impact at middle distance, now making this her primary focus. The county indoors started Brennan’s 2024 campaign, where she won the walk u16 and finished second in the 800m to clubmate Rachael Keaney. Brennan was second in the u16 1,500m track and field and took another silver in the u16 Cross-Country. The following week she turned silver to gold as she took the u17 title in a convincing manner.
Eoghan McGrath (Celbridge) is the winner of the 2024 Senior male County Kildare Athletics award. A versatile athlete who has a prolific amount of medals over both sprinting and jumping at both Leinster and National levels, McGrath is a regular at the county indoors and track and field dominating both the long and triple jumps and the sprinting events. His award is based on these achievements with his indoor long jump victory kick starting the year.
Michelle Cox (Newbridge) is the winner of the 2024 Senior female County Kildare Athletics award. Cox has had a great 2024 season with a medal at the World Masters and subsequently being a member of the Irish team that set a new world record for the age group 4x800m relay. Whether it is on the track or at a cross-country race, the name Michelle Cox pops up ubiquitously. Her first county victory in 2024 was at the indoor 800m which she won in a convincing manner. She won the 400m, 800m and 1,500m at the county track and field. Then there were county road victories before rounding the season off with a victory in the master’s cross-country.
