Drogheda & District AC athletes enjoyed a hugely successful weekend at the Louth Novice and Uneven County Championships held at the Louth GAA Centre of Excellence in Darver. The club celebrated two individual county champions, one team county title, and two individual bronze medals, with standout performances from Eve Cunningham and Emily Garvey.
Ladies Novice 3K
In the opening race, the Ladies Novice 3K, seven Drogheda athletes took part. Sophie Kinsella had a superb run to finish third, while Helen Dillon, Mary Ann Kinsella, and Andrea McCabe backed her up strongly to take the County Bronze team medal.
There was also a rare mother-and-daughter combination on the same team, with Kerry O’Connor and the Reilly sisters, Olivia and Lorraine, all putting in great performances — it was Lorraine’s first-ever cross-country race.
Men’s Novice 6K
The men’s race saw three competitors represent the club — Ernesto Saborio, Alan Wade, and Seamus Roe. Ernesto, a 400m/800m athlete, used the event as part of his winter training and produced an excellent performance to finish fourth overall. Alan and Seamus also impressed with strong runs as they prepare for the upcoming indoor and road racing seasons.
Juvenile County Championships
The club fielded 15 young athletes across the Juvenile U9, U11, U13, and U15 events, with some competing out of age categories and over longer distances.
In the U8/U9 races, there were fine performances from Donnacha and Daisy Monaghan.
In the Girls U11 1500m, Eve Cunningham produced a superb final 200m to take first place and become Louth Cross Country Champion, followed by strong runs from Bahar Nuri and Juliet Reilly.
The Boys U11 1500m saw excellent performances from Cathal Monaghan, Sean Óg Monaghan, Conal Crosbie, and Luie Monaghan.
In the U13 2500m, Cian Bolton and Dearbhla Johnson ran well out of age, while Yasmin Nuri had her best race of the season. Nessa Foley, recently back from illness and injury, also ran strongly.
The Girls U15 3500m was one of the standout races of the day, with Emily Garvey crowned Louth Cross Country Champion 2025 after a dominant performance. Eve Russell finished third, Beatrice Cunningham took fourth, and Clodagh Johnson delivered another consistent run. Together, the team claimed U15 County Team Gold.
Other Results
There were further successes for the club’s senior and international runners over the weekend.
- Barry Foley smashed the Chicago Marathon, running a personal best of 3:03.
- Mike Staunton completed his third Royal Parks Half Marathon in 1:57:53, taking in iconic London landmarks including Hyde Park, The Mall, and Westminster.
- In Germany, Liam Farrell completed the Munich Half Marathon in 1:58:04.
It was another excellent weekend for Drogheda & District AC, with club athletes representing their colours with pride both at home and abroad.
