Dolmen AC raises over €4,000 for Women’s Aid
Dolmen AC was set up in 2019 and is based at Carlow Rugby Club Photos: Paul Curran
CARLOW’S newest athletics club has shown that community spirit runs deep, raising an impressive €4,046 for Carlow Women’s Aid in just two weeks from conception to completion of its charity run event.
Dolmen AC, which was established in 2019 and became affiliated to Athletics Ireland five years ago, organised the fundraising run from its base at Carlow Rugby Club. The 2.5km out-and-back route started at the arch at Oak Park and was professionally organised with cones, like a proper race, while remaining accessible to families and friends who wanted to walk or jog alongside the runners.
The fundraising success came through a combination of sponsorship, direct donations and a raffle, making it the club’s biggest charity run to date. TD Jennifer Murnane O’Connor attended the event and was presented with an honorary medal of participation. Forty medals, sponsored by a local company, were distributed as spot prizes and saved for donors who couldn’t attend.
Following the run, participants gathered at The Coffee Pot, which generously donated coffees, teas and treats for all attendees.
The inspiration for supporting Carlow Women’s Aid came from club PRO and registrar Roisin Whitty, who explained: “I was driving past one of the Women’s Aid safe houses in Carlow and started wondering about the children staying there, thinking about the opportunities that most other kids get to go on holiday.”
What started as a small group of eight recreational runners has grown into a thriving club of 70 members, ranging in age from their 20s to 60s. Based at Carlow Rugby Club, Dolmen AC welcomes new members and describes itself as more social than competitive, though members do actively compete in events such as the Dublin and Limerick marathons and have won county medals.
“Our coaches have done the Athletics Ireland coaching courses, so we’re fully set up as an athletics club,” Roisin said. “We see it as more social than competitive – it’s a social running club.”
The club organises charity runs every few months for various causes. Roisin was particularly pleased with the community response to this event: “I don’t think there was a single member that didn’t donate and buy tickets by the end of it. I honestly thought €3,000 was my dream target, but we made it to €4,000.”
Looking ahead, the club is considering introducing chip timing for future events to make them more formal, but Roisin emphasised that this run was “more about what the cause is for – put your donations in, buy raffle tickets and turn up on the day”.
