GERARD & EANNA STAR IN SANTRY STORM

Congratulations to our speedy international duo Gerard O'Donnell and Eanna Madden who again underlined their status among this country's top athletes when they finished in the medals at the Irish Life Health Athletics Ireland Senior Track & Field Championships in Morton Stadium in Santry last weekend.

CARRICK-ON-SHANNON AC ARE SPONSORED BY BRADY INSURANCE CARRICK-ON-SHANNON

Gerard and Eanna, both members of the Dublin Sprint Club training group, are almost like a double act at this stage and it would be easy to take for granted the continuing high standards they set themselves and continually meet because winning a National Senior medal of any colour is not a common occurence! We really are very lucky to have them in the royal blue of Carrick AC.

To say conditions were tough last weekend is an understatement with athletes battling winds that reached speeds of minus 8.3 metres per second during Gerard's 110m Hurdles Final on Saturday, testing the resolve and technique of all athletes.

Gerard claimed a silver in Saturday's 110m Hurdles Final, losing out by just two hundredths of a second after a race marred by a clash of hands that robbed him of momentum midway through the race. Gerard finished like a train but was just unable to catch Crusaders' Matthew Behan, his lunge for the line leaving him second with a time of 15.63 to Behan's 15.61 seconds. 

It was disappointing for Gerard to lose his title after five consecutive wins, we're sure he will be back but we must also offer our congratulations to Matthew Behan on winning his first national senior title.

Eanna claimed a superb bronze in the 400m Final on Sunday evening, really showing strength and experience to come through despite running blind from lane eight. Eanna won his heat on Saturday in a time of 49.23 but as the slowest of the qualifiers, it left him out in lane eight for the final.

But Eanna made light of the lane draw, a blistering first 100m setting him up nicely. Contesting the lead with eventual winner Chris O'Donnell from North Sligo at the halfway point, Eanna was right in contention with Clonliffe's Marcus Lawler who started to edge ahead as both entered the final straight. Eanna surged again as the finish line approached but ran out of track as as O'Donnell won in a time of 46.82 with Lawler second in 47.94 and Eanna third in 48.11.

Alannah McGuinness was also in action over the weekend, running a time of 26.99 on Saturday in the 200m heats into a wind of minus 2.5 m/s and 13.27 in the 100m heats on Sunday into a wind of minus 2.8 m/s - Alannah is also training with the lads and the Dublin Sprint Club crew and is showing the benefits in her performances and improved technique of working with such a great group.

The last member of the Carrick AC Dublin Sprint Club contingent is Cathal McElgunn but unfortunately, a slight strain during training a couple of days before the Nationals ruled Cathal out of competing in the 400m but hopefully, he will get back in action quickly. 

Special thanks to Jeremy Lyons, Aideen Sinnott and, of course, our own Gerard O'Donnell who are coaches with Dublin Sprint Club. The work they do is evident in the quality of performances of our athletes and their entire group with Sophie Becker's win in the 400m after a truly epic battle with Phil Healy one of the highlights of an amazing national championships - we really appreciate everything they do for our gang.