FOUR Fermanagh students made the long journey south on Saturday having been selected to represent Ulster at the schools inter-provincial Tailteann Games in Carlow.
This is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to compete in a team environment as teams from the four provinces battle it out against each other in all the track and field events and based on the results of this event the top two in each event are selected to represent Ireland in the Schools International in Derby next month.
The first of the local athletes into action was Tori Lilly of Enniskillen Royal Grammar. Lilly, who is a novice in the event, gave a very good account of herself in the 300m Hurdles and has great scope for improvement. With the training in her club over the next 12 months this will see her move up the rankings in her age group.
Next up was another Enniskillen Royal athlete Annabelle McKenzie who lined up in a very strong Girls 1500m Steeplechase. McKenzie, who finished fourth against the same competitors at the Irish Schools three weeks ago, once again was just shy of the medal podium again finishing fourth but after a very strong performance bettered her personal best set at the Irish by a further four seconds which is a magnificent achievement.
Also competing in the Steeplechase this time in the Boys event was Jack Donnelly. Again, like McKenzie, the St Michael’s lad was fourth but also shaved four seconds off his personal best which he can be delighted with.
Another St Michael’s athlete Jack O’Connor was the final local athlete to compete in the 200m. After a strong showing he looked slightly disappointed when finishing third to the top two in the 100m only this time they reversed positions.
Jack was back on track an hour later to help Ulster to Silver in the 4 x 400m Relay. O’Connor who has been plagued with a hamstring issue over the last few years will no doubt bounce back again in 2026 and beyond after a solid winter in the gym and a programme of plyometrics and stretching under the watchful eye of coach Shaw.
NI Masters Championships
Subject to confirmation Tina Gallagher set two Irish age group hurdle records at the Northern Ireland Masters Championships at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast on Saturday.
In the Long Hurdles where the distance is 300m for the Over 60 age category the OMG athlete stormed to a win in 55.50 and, later in the day Gallagher was as equally impressive when taking the win in the 80m Hurdles stopping the clock in 14.93 seconds which bettered the old figures of 15.06 set back in 2019 by Loughrea’s Mary Barrett.
Gallagher made it four titles on the day as she also topped the podium in her age group in Shot Putt with a best 7.52m, while in the Javelin her best effort was measured at 18.29m
Also medalling on a good day of competition was Enniskillen’s Heather Williams. A hurdler in her youth days with City of Lisburn, Heather returned to the track and brought home a silver medal taking second in the W50 400m
Road Race round-up
Clones Athletic Club are celebrating fifty years in existence in 2025, and one of the main events of their year took place last Friday evening as the annual Clones Credit Union 5k took place in sweltering conditions with the club being fortunate to have the superb Peace Link facility as their race headquarters.
Over 300 athletes toed the line on a challenging route that crossed the border four times on the three-mile route. Young Harry McKenzie from Enniskillen really put it up to eventual race winner Conor Duffy for the first three kilometres before the former 5000m National Champion pulled away to win in a time of 15.19 with McKenzie in second and another U20 athlete, John Hanley of Glaslough Harriers in third.
In the Ladies Category Denise Toner made it three from three in the month of June, the host club athlete clocking a time of 18.12 to take the win.
In the age group categories Eamon Monaghan of ERC and Irene Clements had convincing wins while Aimee O Driscoll from Brookeborough, running in the colours of Clones took 2nd Prize in the Women’s U20.
Conan Mc Caughey continued his fine run of form as the Lisnaskea resident really had to dig deep to reel in 17-year-old Lucas Lyons from North Leitrim to take the win in the Streets of Sligo.
Lyons took the race out hard and built up a nice lead but by the three-kilometre marker the North Belfast athlete using all his experience had bridged the gap and with just under a kilometre to go McCaughey made his bid to take the win which he duly did crossing the line in 14.50 some fourteen seconds clear of Lyons with Matthew McMeekin in third.