by Perri Williams
Castle Irvine Estate, close to Enniskillen, is the venue to be at this weekend. Under the looming presence of the 17th century Necarne Castle, the National Senior, Junior and Juvenile even age Cross-Country will take place. With the u20 and u23 races already having been reviewed, its time to review the pinnacle of all the races, the National Senior Ladies and Men, where places on the Irish team for the impending European Cross-Country will be up for grabs.
This year the distances will take a nosedive from 9,000m to 7,500m while maintaining their gender equalization status. The effect of which will suit some and not others.
Senior Men
The Senior Men’s competition will see the 2023 reigning champion Cormac Dalton (Mullingar) eager to defend his title. Dalton finished 8th in the 2023 edition of the European Cross Country but received a set-back early in 2024 though injury. Despite that setback he did manage to compete in the European 10,000m in Rome in June. A stint of altitude training in France in September, has provided a good backbone to his cross-country season. While last year’s number two and three Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis) and Hugh Armstrong (Ballina) are not down to race, this does not mean Dalton will have it all his own way. Clonliffe’s Efrem Gidey finished 6th in the World Athletics Cross at Cardiff recently, showing some good form and beating reputable athletes in the process. With faster 5km and 10km times than Dalton, overall and in particular this year, he looks poised to make his mark on that leading position. Back in 2019 the Clonliffe Harriers athlete finished 3rd in the u20 European Cross-Country in Portugal. Then two years ago he was 5th u23 in Italy. He certainly has the pedigree behind him.
Then of course there is Sean Tobin. Tobin finished second in the Autumn Open to Keelin Kilrehill. A tough competitor, the Clonmel man is not one to discount on any occasion. Tobin has competed in five European Cross-Country races, his last one being five years ago. Kilrehill is another athlete who has been well up at nationals in recent years. Though it is hard to see the Sligo man or the Clonmel man, challenge for the title. Pierre Murchan (DCH) had a nice win at the Intervarsity Cross Country last month and he will be hoping to snag a spot on the Irish team. The race will be without National Marathon Champion Hiko Tonosa (DSD), Emmet Jennings (DSD) and Kilkenny City Harriers Peter Lynch, who will not be coming home from the US for the race. Also absent from the entry list is Darragh McIlhenny (Bantry) and Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers). Finlay Daly and Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers) finished 3rd in the Autumn Open and 4th in the IUAA Cross-Country respectivly. Both should make the top ten but will have to work hard to produce further placings.
Kilkenny City Harriers pulled off a phenomenal win in 2023 on home county soil in Gowran. While they do have some fantastic talent coming through from the u20s, the club’s sole representative this year is u23 athlete Cathal O’Rielly. 2023 runners up North Belfast Harriers may have an opportunity to take that much coveted gold as all their 2023 silver medal winning team are down to run. Clonliffe strengthened by Gidey may just have that edge over Mullingar. Their fourth runners could decide the ranking positions.
Senior Ladies
It is hard to look beyond Íde Nic Dhómhnaill (West Limerick AC) and Fiona Everard (Bandon) in the Senior Ladies race. While Everard had a big win at the IUAA Cross-Country last month and was 3rd in the Autumn Open, it was Nic Dhómhnaill who beat her at the Open event. Everard won her first national senior cross-country title in Gowran last year, where much of winning was about how you perform in very muddy conditions. Nic Dhómhnaill did not run. Some of the big names like the Flanagan twins (Finn Valley) and Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) are absent from the entry list. In the case of Richardson, she intends to focus on the 2025 season. The Flanagan’s secured entry in 2023 despite not racing in the Nationals in Gowran. However, running this year is Danielle Donegan. Donegan had a fantastic performance in last years European Cross-Country and replicated that into this year, finishing with a win in the Billy Neal Cross-Country in Belfast recently. Donegan was third in the 2023 edition being pipped at the line by Mary Mulcaire (Portlaoise). Mulcaire competed in Cardiff and will also be looking to make an impact. Sunday will mark the first time both Donegan and herself will race the same cross-country race this season. Both will have to work hard to pull back Everard and Nic Dhómhnaill. Claire Fagan (Mullingar) looked very impressive at the Leinster Senior recently. And will look to better the 5th position she finished in last year. Some surprises might be in store as Jodie McCann is on the entry list. McCann has not run nationals in some time and if she run’s her performance will be boost the DCH team. Cheryl Nolan (St Abban’s) has been performing well. So too has Grace Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) who is likely to come into the race with more expectations that in previous years. Richardson had a terrific 2023/2024 season in America racing for NYU and is one to watch. Ann-Marie McGlynn will be racing her heart out despite her national marathon win last month. At 44 she is still in top ten shape.
It is hard to look beyond DCH for the ladies title; Edel Monaghan, Jodie McCann, Lauren Tinkler, Orla Duffy, Cliona Murphy to name but a few. The girls may not be contenders for the individual gold medal but grouped together they will be hard to beat. DSD were second last year but in the absence of Grace Lynch and Megan Ryan it will need a good race from u23 athletes Eimear Maher and Emma McEvoy to pull of another good team effort. Whereas Tullamore, led by Danielle and Nadine Donegan who were the 2023 bronze medallists have been strengthened by the transfer of Evelyn Coughlan to the Offaly club.