2024 Carlow athletics report
Matthew Callinan Keenan Photo: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
2024 was a great year for Carlow Athletics. Aaron Shorten competed at the Paris Paralympics, the St Laurence O’Toole ladies competed with Ireland’s elite clubs at the premier division of the National Track and Field league after a gap of almost two decades. There were international vests for Jack Keating, Jamie Hyland, Cassie O’Byrne, Kara Morrissey and Darragh Corcoran along with a host of Leinster and National medals for several athletes. Maria Dunne was a member of the Irish over 45 team that secured a world record in the 4x800m relay. At the national seniors twelve Carlow athletes competed securing two gold medals and two silver. While the medals at National level have all come from St Laurence O’Toole athletes, it is important to remember the contribution that other clubs in the county make to their accomplishments. Along with the significance of medals at lower levels such as Leinster and county by athletes from all clubs. It would be wonderful to list every athlete’s name from every club but suffice to say, everyone makes a difference in this sport at all levels.
Ten athletes donned the Irish vests in 2024. It was the cumulation of years of hard work for Aaron Shorten (SLOT) when he competed at the Paralympics in Paris in September. En-route to his qualification he finished 4th at the World Grand Prix T20 1500 in that same Paris Olympic stadium. At the Paralympics Shorten finished 7th over 1,500m in the T20 class with a season’s best of 4:02.71.
Five Juvenile athletes competed in the Irish vest; Firstly in the SIAB International in Wales: Cassie O’Byrne, Jack Keating, Daragh Corcoran, Jamie Hyland and Kara Morrissey. Jack Keating took silver in the 400m Hurdles. Later in the season an Irish team was selected to compete in the Scottish Nationals in Grangemouth. Jamie Hyland took gold in the Pole Vault with Cassie O’Byrne reaching the 200m final. In December Jack Keating finished in 9th place at the SIAB Combined events where he was instrumental in assisting the Irish team to secure their bronze medal.
Maria Dunne was part of the Irish 4x800m over 45 team that set a new world best for their age group not just once but twice. The ladies regained their world record battering the mark set by the USA to take the record down to 9:26.49. At the European Masters in Poland, Bronwen McDonald secured a bronze in the over 40 400m. David Hayde, also earned a European bronze medal competing with the 4x200m mixed relay.
Medals were in abundance at the National Indoors at all levels. The seniors saw four gold and one silver with eleven Carlow athletes taking part. There was gold for Matthew Callinan Keenan who defended his Pole Vault title for the third year in a row. Adam Nolan took gold in the 60m hurdles to earn himself his first senior title. Molly Scott took silver in the 60m hurdles clocking a pb of 8.31. Scott did not finish there and claimed Carlow’s third gold to win the 60m sprint. There was a fourth gold when Kara Morrisey earned her first Senior women’s title in the Pole Vault.
There were three gold medals in the u20 and u23 national indoors with Lelia Colfer winning the u20 60m (and taking bronze in the 200m). Arabella Adekoya and Adam Nolan won their respective u23 60m hurdles. 16 years old Jamie Hyland took silver in the u20 Pole Vault with lee Prendergast taking bronze.
Jamie Hyland began set the first of his national records at the u17 indoors when he leaped 4.21m to take gold. Lelia Colfer took gold in the u19 60m with a new personal best. The gold was dropping at the Carlow athlete’s feet when Reuben McCarthy won the U19 60m Hurdles and Lee Prendergast in the u19 Pole Vault. It was silver for Emily Lawlor in the u18 60m Hurdles.
In total Carlow athletes earned 29 national medals over all age categories in the track and field. 14 of these, almost half of which were gold. Twelve athletes contested the national seniors, with two gold and two silver medals being the output. For a small county this is a phenomenal result. Matthew Callinan Keenan took the pole vault title with Jennifer Sawyer defying the torrential rain being rewarded with the gold in the 400m hurdles, her first National Senior Title in a personal best of 1:01.87. There were silver medals for Molly Scott in the 100m hurdles and Adam Nolan in the 110m hurdles. His rain slide to the finish is one of the unforgettable photographic moments of the championships. In August, there was gold for Jennifer Sawyer in the u23 400m hurdles, Adam Nolan in the u23 110m hurdles and Arabella Adekoya in the u23 110m hurdles.
It is worth mentioning Jamie Hyland again at this point. Hyland secured silver at the national u20 championships. However, the highlight of his track and field season has to be his championship record of 4.51m which he set at the Tailteann Games, obliterating the old record which stood for over 20 years. The SLOT athlete also won the u17 title with a new championship record of 4.40m. This was one of four gold medals achieved by Carlow athletes at the National Juvenile Championships. Other golds came from Lee Prendergast in the u19 Pole Vault, Emily Lawler in the u18 400m hurdles and Chloe Ryan in the u18 girls discus. Other medals were won by Ruben McCarthy, Cassie O’Byrne, Jack Wickham and Emily Kidd.
Other names worth mentioning for track and field are James O’Toole (St Patricks AC Tullow) and Lucy Malone (Ballon AC) both of whom competed at national juveniles/schools and have a bright future ahead of them.
It has been almost two decades since a Carlow club competed in the premier division of the national league. Molly Scott opened their campaign with a notable victory in the 100m hurdles. Scott later finished second in the 100m. Other notable performances came from Maria Dunne in the 800m, Jenny Sawyer (400m Hurdles) and Kara Morrissey (Pole Vault). While the team may not have secured the overall victory, the victory for St Laurence O’Toole’s was in the participation itself. It is hoped that their performances can be repeated in 2025.
In recent years, Carlow may have earned less Cross-Country accolades that a decade ago. However, that tide may be turning due to some notable performances at both Leinster and National level. At the National Cross-Country in Enniskillen Jack Mahon (SLOT) finished 6th in the boys u16 and also secured gold with the winning Leinster team. In doing so he has qualified for the Celtic International to be held in Leeds next month. Also competing was his clubmate Dylan Byrne who contested the boys u18 race. Mahon went on to finish 8th in the u17 All-Irelands in Tramore, running one year out of age.
