Kealy and Nolan strike gold at Morton Stadium
Daena Kealy (St Abbans) reacts after clearing 1.87m in the high jump. All Photos: Perri Williams.
Kealy’s success was one of several notable performances involving Carlow athletes. St Laurence O’Toole AC also enjoyed another productive championships, securing a full medal set as Adam Nolan retained his 110m hurdles title, clubmate Ruben McCarthy took silver and Molly Scott won bronze in the women’s 100m.
Away from the local interest, Rhasidat Adeleke provided one of the standout moments of the weekend, producing a championship record of 22.80 seconds in the 200m to secure automatic qualification for the European Championships.
Kealy’s return to the top of Irish athletics was one of the most uplifting stories of the championships. Having battled back from an 18-month foot injury, she captured her first senior outdoor high jump title with a personal best of 1.87m.
Her progression over recent years has been steady, moving from bronze in 2022 to silver in 2023 before winning the national indoor title in 2024. Injury then interrupted her momentum, but she returned in emphatic fashion last weekend.
The St Abban’s athlete first cleared 1.85m on her second attempt to set a new personal best, sparking emotional celebrations with supporters. Moments later she raised the bar once more, clearing 1.87m at the first attempt to secure gold. She later admitted she was “over the moon” with the performance, adding that it exceeded her expectations.
Kealy finished well clear of runner-up Suin Quinn, winning by 7cm. Meanwhile, clubmate Michaela Šubrtová finished 11th in the women’s triple jump with a best effort of 10.34m.
St Laurence O’Toole’s medal haul continued later on Saturday when Adam Nolan successfully defended his national senior 110m hurdles title.
Although the event attracted a smaller field than expected, Nolan still delivered when it mattered, overcoming a summer disrupted by injury. The title defence had been a key target for the Carlow athlete and he achieved it comfortably.
Clubmate Ruben McCarthy finished second to earn his first senior national medal, completing a one-two finish for St Laurence O’Toole.
In the women’s 400m, Jennifer Sawyer progressed from the heats after finishing second to Irish international and Olympian Sophie Becker. Having chosen to focus solely on the 400m at nationals following a strong Leinster Championships performance, Sawyer qualified for the final but eventually finished eighth. The race produced one of the surprises of the weekend as Rachel McCann defeated Becker, clocking a personal best of 52.93 seconds.
The women’s 200m was among the most anticipated events of the championships as Rhasidat Adeleke returned to national competition seeking European qualification.
Her season had been disrupted by inconsistent performances and withdrawals from international meetings. However, any doubts disappeared in a matter of seconds. Facing an in-form Sharlene Mawdsley, Adeleke powered around the track before storming down the home straight. Mawdsley unfortunately pulled up with a hamstring problem, leaving Adeleke to finish strongly in 22.80 seconds.
The time shattered the championship record and secured her place at the upcoming European Championships.
The men’s 200m final was equally competitive and featured Tinryland athlete Adam Murphy, whose progress this year has earned selection on Athletics Ireland relay squads.
Murphy qualified impressively for the final and lined up against some of the country’s top sprint talent, including Sean Aigboboh and Benjamin Richardson, the Waterford athlete who recently switched allegiance from South Africa.
Running in lane eight, Murphy started strongly but found it difficult to stay in touch with the leading pair as the pace increased entering the straight. Richardson ultimately defeated Aigboboh for the title, while Murphy finished fifth in 21.55 seconds.
Elsewhere, Leila Colfer placed third in her heat in 25.26 seconds, ranking 10th overall.
The championships also provided valuable senior experience for younger athletes. Isabelle McCormack, still competing in juvenile ranks, finished eighth in the women’s javelin with a throw of 32.23m, while David Martinec also placed eighth in the men’s competition.
The 800m produced some of the most exciting racing of the weekend.
Bobby Crowley won his heat comfortably in 1:51.31 and advanced to the final as the third-fastest qualifier from a field of 49 athletes. In a championship missing the injured Mark English, many expected Cian McPhillips to take the title, but the final developed into a fiercely competitive contest.
As McPhillips and Cillian Kirwan battled at the front, Crowley positioned himself perfectly within a chasing pack contesting the bronze medal. However, as the race entered the final stages, he briefly became boxed in and lost vital momentum.
Crowley finished strongly over the final 100 metres but narrowly missed out on a medal, placing fourth by just two-hundredths of a second. Despite the disappointment, it represented an improvement of two places on his result from last year.
In the 1500m, Aaron Shorten finished 13th in a highly competitive heat won by Irish record holder Andrew Coscoran, while Dylan Byrne also placed 13th in his respective heat.
The final medal for St Laurence O’Toole came through experienced sprinter Molly Scott in the women’s 100m.
Scott progressed confidently through the rounds, finishing second behind defending champion Ciara Neville in both her heat and semi-final. Her semi-final time of 11.61 seconds secured a place in a high-quality final that also included Northern Ireland’s Lauren Roy.
A packed stadium watched the final during prime television coverage. Roy was initially disqualified for a false start, and when the race eventually got underway Scott reacted brilliantly, leading the field during the opening stages.
Neville eventually edged ahead midway through the race, but Scott remained firmly in contention. The battle for the minor medals was exceptionally close, with just five-hundredths of a second separating second, third and fourth places. Scott held on to claim the bronze medal and complete an excellent championship for the Carlow club.
Elsewhere on the final day, Lee Prendergast finished sixth in the pole vault with a clearance of 3.80m after earlier placing ninth in his 100m heat.
With gold medals for Kealy and Nolan, silver for McCarthy and bronze for Scott, it was another memorable national championships for Carlow athletes, who produced strong performances across a range of events in front of record crowds at Morton Stadium.
