Mooney sets new national U-20 5,000 metre record
Cappincur woman achieves qualifying time for European and World U-20 championships
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LAURA Mooney has set a new Irish U-20 womens 5,000 metres outdoor record. The Cappincur woman had a super race in America yesterday to set the new record of 16.19.43 – she beat the previous record of 16.19.80 of Sarah Collins by a fraction of a second.
Mooney is on a scholarship at Providence College in Rhode Island and she set the record at the Virginia Grand Prix in Charlottesville. Incidentally Collins was also in Providence College when she set her record in California.
McGlynn “gutted beyond belief” as Copenhagen marathon cancellation adds to woe
Olympic options running out for Mucklagh woman
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“I AM gutted beyond belief but very grateful to cross the line in 2.29.34, albeit four seconds short of the qualifying time for Tokyo Olympics,” reflected Ann Marie McGlynn on Tuesday morning as she came to terms with Sunday s agonising near miss.
The Mucklagh native ran a sensational personal best at the Cheshire elite marathon in Wrexham to finish third woman and just four seconds outside the 2.29.30 qualifying time for the Tokyo Olympics.
It was a magnificent performance, full of character and guts, for McGlynn, a three minute plus improvement on her previous time but she was left devastated after going so close. She hadn t raced to potential in her previous attempt in Valencia late last year but she answered all doubts quite spectacularly on Sunday and was within touching distance of the Olympics.
The inauguration took place at the Athletics Ireland Congress 2021 which was held Virtually.
His elevation to the top spot in Irish Athletics came exactly 47 years to the day after his first race in the colours of Glenree AC.
Cronin served as Competition Secretary for Offaly Athletics and was honoured with Life Presidency in 2020, he was also honoured by Offaly Sports Partnership for “Lifetime Contribution to Sport” in 2016.
The Donegal man was elected chair of Leinster Athletics and elected to the Board of BLE in 1998 and Team Manager for Irish Athletics team for Riga International (Latvia) in 1999.
After working for almost twenty years in athletic administration at county and provincial level John continued at National level, as a Member of Athletics Ireland Technical Committee, and Member of Athletics Ireland Competition Committee, both of which he chaired.
The proud Harriers stalwart who has reached the summit of Irish athletics
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LOOKING back on his subsequent progress up the Irish, and indeed world, athletics ladder, it is hard to believe that John Cronin was not elected in his first attempt to get involved at committee level in the Tullamore Harriers. The Tullamore resident will be elected unopposed as president of Athletics Ireland at Congress on Saturday and he hopes serve the permitted two terms of two years each.
A fine 800 metre runner in his youth, Cronin took up running in his native Donegal, winning the national U-16 800 metre title in 1976. He continued his athletics career in UCG in the late 1970s and competed in Tullamore in the Quinlan Cup while a member there.
Death of a Kilbeggan athletics and GAA stalwart
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THE death has taken place of a former athletics and GAA stalwart in Kilbeggan. Jimmy McDonnell died at his home in Ballinderry Big, Kilbeggan and leaves a treasure chest of cherished memories for family and the many people who loved and admired him.
A dignified and personable man, Jimmy McDonnell was one of the early members of Tullamore Harriers Athletics Club in the 1950s while he also had a tremendous passion for the GAA.
He played football with Kilbeggan in his youth and after emigrating to New York in 1959, he starred with the Westmeath club there for several years. He played both football and hurling for them, winning a championship in 1963. After returning home to Kilbeggan with his wife Maureen and growing family, he immersed himself in the Kilbeggan Shamrocks Club and was particularly involved in the development of their pitch from the late 1970s.