ACE Athletic Club enjoyed an outstanding weekend at the 2026 Leinster Indoor Championships in Athlone, returning home with multiple gold medals and a strong overall medal haul across a range of age groups.
Sholah Lawrence emerged as one of the standout athletes of the championships, completing a superb double in the Under 19 category. Having produced a perfectly judged tactical display to win the 1500m and claim Leinster gold on day one, Lawrence returned to the track to secure the 800m title, an achievement made all the more impressive given the demands of the 1500m final less than 24 hours earlier.
Chloe Cooney also delivered a championship performance in the Under 18 1500m, controlling the race from the gun to secure an emphatic Leinster title. Showing real resilience, she came back the following day, despite the toll of the 1500m final, to claim Leinster bronze in the Under 18 800m and cap an excellent weekend of racing.
There was further success in the boys Under 18 800m where Daniel Hanley produced an impressive run to take silver in 2.06, while Tadhg Forde Dunne claimed bronze in 2.08. Two athletes from the same club sharing a Leinster podium in a middle distance event is a rare sight and highlighted the strength of the club’s development in that age group.
In the boys Under 19 1500m, Ruairi O’Grainne delivered one of the performances of the day, finishing a brilliant fourth and narrowly missing out on bronze in a dramatic finish. Rhys Clarke also ran strongly in the same race, continuing his steady progress.
Caoimhe Carolan showed excellent consistency across the weekend. She finished fourth in the Under 14 girls 60m on the opening day before returning to win her 800m semi final. She then secured a Leinster bronze medal in the Under 14 800m with a personal best of 2.21, booking her place in the National Final with a top class performance.
Aoife O’Connor impressed in the Under 17 60m hurdles, running a personal best and qualifying for the national final with a composed display that promises plenty more to come this spring.
Jamie O’Reilly and Fergus Nolan had very brave runs in the boys u18 800m with Nolan only narrowly missing out on a medal. Farrah Smith and Smirthi Prasad competed strongly in the 60m heats. Ruairi Cooney narrowly missed out on the final of the boys Under 14 800m after a strong run in his heat, while Tayo Lawrence finished fourth in his semi final to secure qualification for the final. Ella Doyle and Sophie Black made their indoor debut in the girls Under 13 600m, gaining valuable championship experience that will stand to them as the season progresses.
With multiple provincial titles, podium finishes and national qualifications secured, it was a highly successful Leinster campaign for ACE AC and the indoor season is shaping up to be one of the club’s strongest in recent years.
