International silver for Jayden Murphy
Jayden Murphy (Newbridge) made his international debut
It was an exhilarating weekend of athletics with all eyes focused on the international scene. Kate O’Connor claimed a bronze medal for Ireland at the World Indoors in Torun, Poland in the pentathlon. Setting a new national indoor pentathlon record, O’Connor recorded two personal bests; the shot putt and 800m. It was not just O’Connor and her Irish team mates that were on International duty.
Newbridge AC athlete Jayden Murphy donned his first Irish vest as he took part in the SIAB Cross-Country in Wales. Closer to home Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile) and Terry Shanley (Clane) were part of the Irish team who competed in the Anglo Irish plate, which was held this year in Limerick. At a county level, the North and South Kildare League took place last Saturday with lots of young Kildare athletes gaining valuable experience competing for their clubs.
It’s not all about running, jumping and throwing, on the social side of athletics, the Leinster star awards was held at the Dolmen Hotel Carlow last Friday where athletes and clubs across the province were honoured for their 2025 accolades.
It was off to Bangor in Wales for one young Kildare athlete. Jayden Murphy (Newbridge AC) donned his first Irish vest as part of a team of thirty-six young Irish athletes who competed for Team Ireland at the Schools International Cross-country last weekend. Murphy who qualified based on his performance at the recent Irish schools nationals in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland was chosen to compete on the junior mixed 4x1500m cross-country relay. Joling him were Niamh McNamara (Sligo), Nessa Moloney (Tipperary) and Emmet Coyle (Enniskillen) to complete the quartet.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Faenol Estate, the course itself was an undulating and challenging in picturesque surroundings with some well-earned sunshine and pleasantly dry weather to boost. Teams from Scotland, England and Wales contested each of the six races with points contributing to the title of best overall nation. It was Niamh McNamara who started for the Irish team, handing the baton to Nessa Moloney in first place.
A strong run by Elizabeth Griffiths (England) put the English team ahead. Moloney passed the baton to Murphy who ran the third leg for Ireland. England’s Edward Salter moved the team further ahead. Murphy to his credit ran the second fastest third leg, pulling further ahead of Scoland and Wales. Murphy handed the baton to Emmet Coyle in the silver medal position.
Coyle was up against the magnificient Guy Bowers from England, who pulled his team further ahead of the Irish. Ireland maintained second place, with the team awarded silver medals. Overall it was the Junior and Intermediate relay teams along with the Intermediate girls who scored high for Ireland. All three teams winning silver medals.
Patricia McLoughlin (Le Cheile AC) was once again chosen to represent Ireland at the Anglo Celtic Plate which was held this year in Limerick. Joining McLoughlin this year was Terry Shanley (Clane AC) making his first Anglo Celtic Plate appearance. The Anglo Celtic plate is an annual event where teams from Ireland, Scoland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England compete over a distance of 100km for individual and team honours. The events also incorporated the 100K British, Scottish, Irish and Northern Ireland National Champs.
Overall the Irish ladies team consisted of: Patricia McLouglin, Sinead Egan (Galway) and Julie McNamara (Donegal).
This was McLouglin’s sixth time to represent Ireland, bringing exceptional experience and national record credentials to the team. She holds the Irish 6 hour (74.094 km) and 12 hour (124.459 km) records and has over 100 marathons and numerous ultras completed.
Her major wins include the Wild Atlantic Way Ultra and Longford Ultra. Terry Shanley made his international debut at this years Anglo-Celtic plate. Chosen on the back of his successful 2025 season, where he ran a superb 2.29 marathon in Dublin and finished second in the Donadea 50km.
The overall winner was England’s David Barrett with Jarlath McKenna (Northern Ireland) second and Hugh Tibbs (England) in third. Shanley finished a very creditable seventh with a time of seven hours, eighteen minutes and forty-nine seconds.
He was the third scoring member of the Irish team. The Irish men’s team finished third behind England and Northern Ireland. Patricia McLoughlin finished 4th overall female, winning the over 50 age category. The Irish ladies team led by McLoughlin, finished third behind England and Scotland.
The annual Leinster star awards were held last Friday in the Dolmen Hotel in Carlow. The best male and female juvenile and overall senior athletes from each county are honoured based on points they accumulate at their respective Leinster championships.
The female juvenile award went to Amber O’Connor of Éire Óg, who had tremendous success at the indoor and outdoor championships gaining medals in the sprints, hurdles and long jump. Kyle Byrne-Ward (Newbridge AC) was chosen as Kildare best male juvenile.
Like O’Connor, the Newbridge AC athlete is best known for his track and field endeavours, particularly for hurdles. He won both the long and short hurdles at last years Leinster track and field and was second in the 400m. Eoghan McGrath (Celbridge AC) is no stranger to Leinster awards. A regular competitor at the Leinster championships McGrath has previously been a recipient of the Leinster awards. Best know for his feat over the long and triple jumps, Gleeson continues to be a strong and regular force on the Kildare senior athletics scene.
In addition to the individual athlete awards, several counties and clubs were recipients of the best overall county and club in several categories. County Kildare won the best cross-county county in Leinster, beating strong contenders like Wicklow, Meath and Westmeath. 2025 was a particularly successful year for the county, winning county team medals in most age groups. Naas AC were the overall winners of the Leinster Shield for the best overall club in the u9-11 pairs.
The first stage of the Kildare League took place last Saturday, with the county divided into North and South.
There were over 170 young athletes from Naas, Newbridge, Crookstown Millview, Suncroft and Kildare AC competing in round 1 of the South League which took place at he Indoor arena in Athlone. With the day’s events consisting of sprints and middle distance events, the athletes competed in both gaining points for their club. It was Newbridge AC who topped the table after the first stage, cumulating a staggering 1,032 points.
Some notable performances on the day were from Simone Coughlan (Crookstown-Millview) and Wynter Thackaberry (Newbridge) who topped their u 8 girls category. Ruairi Brennan (Newbridge) the only athlete across all the age groups to take home a maximum of 80 points. In the u9s it was Lucy Mc Carthy (Naas) and Kildare AC’s Madison Evans who had impressive performances. The u10 boys races where dominated by Tom Holland (Naas) who secured victory in both the 60m and 500m races.
His clubmate Isla O Connor Doyle (Naas) finished second in the 60m and first in the 500m. Aoife O’Brien (Naas) was another double winner, taking gold in both the u11 60m and 500m. For the boys the most impressive performances came from Conor Farrell (Newbridge) and Ben Fahy (Suncroft).
The Northern League took place in Abbottstown where over two hundred athletes from St Coca/s, Clane, Le Cheile, Celbridge and the combined forces of Eire Og and Tir Mona battled for top honours. In the girls u8, St Coca’s proved very strong with Naoise Byrne winning both the 60m and 250m races. Jim Connolly (Eire Og/Tir Mona) and Pierce Kennedy (St Coca’s) were the winners of their respective 60m and 250m races. Jack Begley (Eire Og/Tir Mona) took double gold in the boys u9 with Clane AC’s Sofia O’ Broin doing the girls double. Aoife Lambe and Rose Hurley (St Coca’s) battled for top honours in the u10 girls 60m, with the victory going to Lambe.
Hurley however took the 500m. It was another St Coca’s athlete that took the boys u10 title: Conor Maguire. Le Chile proved the stronger club in the u10 500m with a 1,2 from Tiernan Taylor and Louis Cradden respectively.
Finally once again it was Amelia Brogan who stole the show in both the 60m and 500m in the girls u11. Brogan’s winning margin in both showed a lot of promise. It was a clean sweep for St Coca’s in the boys u11 60m as Frankie O’Mally took gold from his clubmates: Sean Og Cawley and Eoghan Walsh. Sean Og Cawley took the 500m title.
