by Perri Williams
If we can sweep past the veils of storm Eowyn, we may have caught a glimpse of the preliminary races of the 2025 Irish Schools Cross-Country season. Three of the four Leinster regional races along with some of the Connaught fixtures managed to be squeezed in before the storm raced up from the south Atlantic. The remainder of the races scheduled for the coming week.
In my own juvenile years, the schools cross-county was always a big event. Initially it was the day off school for the regionals, followed by another day for the provincials. This of course has always enticed non-athletes to give cross-country a go. We would do anything to get out of the classroom. The school’s races still remain one of the best means of enticing new teenage entrants into the sport, at an age when we also loose many others.
The Irish Schools was founded in 1916, some 109 years ago and has produced a plethora of young stars that have gone on to become international athletes of note. The inaugural All-Ireland Schools' Cross-Country Championships for boys took place at St Joseph's College, Garbally Park, Ballinasloe, Co Galway in 1964. The winner on that day was Peter McManus of Blackrock College (Dublin). In 1965 and 1966 the infamous Donie Walsh (North Monastery CBS, Cork) secured victory with Malcom Edgar (Royal Belfast Academic Institution) claiming the 1967 title. The following year (1968) was probably one of the most outstanding feats of the school’s history; Eddie Leddy (St Felim's College, Ballinamore) not only won the senior race but also claimed the Intermediate title less than an hour before. While Donie Walsh may have long exited the school’s system, his alma mater the North Monastery CBS dominated the Senior Boys Cross Country with a stagging ten titles between 1989-1998. Athletes from the North Mon to win during this period were Mark Carroll (1990 and 1991) and David Healy (1993). Incidentally the double World Cross-Country Champion John Treacy never won and Irish senior cross-country title.
The first ladies race took place in 1970 in Monaghan with Vera Sherry (Monaghan Vocational School) laying claim to the title. Vera later became Vera Duffy and represented Ireland at the World Cross-Country Championships on several occasions. The 1982 winner was Amanda Nolan, whose son Cormac Dalton has competed at the European Cross-Country Championships. Looking through the list of former winners, I see names from my own running days, Marie Gormley (1984) – now a coach at Ennis Track, who I often meet at Cross-Country races. Then there is Tina Moloney my training partner who won the title in 1985 and subsequently headed for Providence. Tina finished 8th in the 1988 NCAA Cross-Country.
In 1987 the great Sonia O’Sullivan took the senior girl’s title. In that same race Catherina McKiernan finished 9th. McKiernan won the title the following year. In what was a golden period for the ladies, Sinead Delahunty (the current assistant coach at Providence College) won the 1989 title. Fionnuala Britton (McCormack) won the 2002 title while Ciara Mageean was a double champion in 2009 and 2010. Perhaps the most exceptional feat amongst all the title winners was that of Síofra Cléirigh Buttner and Sarah Healy. Cléirigh Buttner won the 2013 and 2014 senior schools titles. And Sarah Healy won the 2018 and 2019 titles. Both athletes ensured their names will be etched in the annals of schools’ athletics as they are the only two athletes to win six consecutive titles, with Healy being the first schools’ athlete ever to win titles in all four age categories.
Since the Schools All-Ireland was first held, it has only ever been cancelled once. That was back in 2001 due to foot and mouth disease. In 2020 it was held just a week before the entire country and world went into lockdown for Covid. Unless we have another explosive cyclone like we had this week, we should see the 2025 event go ahead in March in Galway.
Athletes across four age categories can climb the qualification stairway to the All-Ireland. This past week some of the minors, juniors, Intermediates and Seniors have started that upward climb, as the competed in their regionals. Lorraine O’Connor, Emily Bolton, Niamh Garvey, Cillian Gleeson, Ruairi McEvoy, Lucas Lyons and Francis Donoghue all sealed their provincial qualification. The remainder will compete next week. The first 15 in each age category and the top three teams will then contest their respective provencials. From the provencials, the top 15 along with the top three teams will reach the All-Irelands. Last year the titles went to Cormac Dixon and Anna Gardiner – both of whom are now on scholarship at Providence, under the tutelage of Ray Treacy and Sinead Delahunty. All eyes will be on the races for the next few weeks as we watch what may become some of Ireland’s greatest athlete of our future time, lay their foundations to that future success as they climb their way through the schools cross-country.