Cullen, Walsh and Daly send Leinster records tumbling

It was another fantastic week of athletic competitions that culminated in provincial records being set by three local athletes - Alex Cullen, Amy Walsh and Molly Daly - at the Leinster Schools track and field championships.

Alex Cullen, a versatile athlete, has accumulated national medals in high jump, long jump, hurdles, 400m and the combined events. To have a strong ability across a number of events often makes the choice for an athlete difficult. The past year the Kilkenny City Harrier has favoured the 400m hurdles over his traditional specialty, the long jump.

Cullen’s win at the 2023 national championships in the 400m hurdles (with a time of 55.86) and improved speed over 400m have given him the confidence to continue to pursue the hurdles. His convincing win and new Leinster Schools record last week have finally convinced him that he made the right decision.

Running in lane seven, oblivious to the position of his opponents, CBS student Cullen hit each hurdle with the perfect steps and stride pattern. He was aware of the improved form of Eoin McMuiris (Gonzaga), the 2023 All-Ireland bronze medallist.

From lane three, McMuiris had a perfect view of Cullen. Rounding the final bend, Cullen realised that he had the lead. Try as McMuiris might, he could not catch the flying CBS student as he powered down the back straight to take the gold. His time of 54.18 smashed the 22-year-old record of 54.3 set by David McCarthy (Coláiste Ciarain) back in 2001. Cullen also took silver in the 110m hurdles.

Amy Walsh (St Joseph’s) has had a phenomenal year so far, winning the Andalusian Championships in Spain, the national indoors and the World Athletics calendared event at the Pink Rock more recently. Last Saturday Walsh recorded 5.26 for the 1,200m junior walk to surpass the old record of 5.31 set by Emily McHugh (Naas) back in 2017. Walsh was a full minute ahead of the second placed athlete, which in a race the distance of 1,200m is an incredible performance.

Setting records and taking gold medals have become the norm for Molly Daly. The last schools record she set was back in 2023, when she smashed the record set by her mother! Daly has been concentrating on the 200m this year and has already achieved the qualifying standard for this year’s European under-18 championships in Slovakia in July.

Competing over the slightly longer distance of 300m in the schools track and field, Daly had easily won the South Leinster schools. Running in lane six, she had full view of her main rival Cassie O’Byrne in lane eight. By half-way Daly had drawn level with O’Byrne. Continued focus for the second half of the race saw her clock a final time of 39.11, almost a second ahead of O’Byrne in second. It was also over a second faster than the existing Leinster record of 40.3 which was set by Karen Woods of Pembroke School back in 1996 - Daly had just broken a record which had stood for 28 years.

Fourteen Golds

A total of 14 gold, 15 silver and seven bronze medals were won by Kilkenny athletes over the course of the two-day Leinster Schools Track and Field. The grand haul of 36 medals is one of the highest achieved in recent years.

Alex Cullen (centre) - set a new record in the 400m hurdles

Aisling Phelan (Castlecomer CS) won her first schools title. The first year student looked strong as she took the 100m title with half a second to spare over Siofra Fitzmaurice (Loreto Stephens Green).

The throwers had considerable success. Gold went to Caoimhe O’Brien in the senior hammer, while Leanne Patterson finished second. In the senior discus Rachael Gardinar (Borris VS) took bronze. As expected, the All-Ireland junior champion, Kilkenny College student Andrew Cooper, won the senior shot with a throw of 14.02, almost a metre ahead of his nearest opponent.

Cooper also took silver in the hammer.

Doireann Kelly won the minor hammer with her Brow Rangers clubmate Robert Patterson was the junior boys’ hammer winner.

Victor Lamph (Clongowes Wood College) recorded a victory in the 110m hurdles. The Thomastown athlete, who finished third in his age group in the All-Ireland indoors, left no stone unturned as he produced a victory that was over half a second faster than Daniel Redmond (New Ross). Lamph was also third in the 200m.

Ellen Daly (Loreto) took success in her stride as she won the junior girls’ 200m race. She finished second in the 75m hurdles later in the day. Her 200m time of 25.74 was a personal best.

Clodagh O’Callaghan had a convincing victory in the intermediate girls’ 800m. O’Callaghan looked comfortable for the entire race as she crossed the line in 2.14 over two seconds ahead of her opponents.

It is interesting to note that there are still two Kilkenny records that stand. In the senior hammer Eileen O Keeffe still has the record of 49.51 set in 2001 while, in the intermediate girls’ discus, Marita Walton’s record of 43.84 was set back in 1976. At 48 years old, it is one of the longest surviving records yet.

Carpendale takes Gold

Charlotte Carpendale, competing for the Abbey Community College, won the Munster Schools intermediate 3,000m.

Carpendale was in command of the race from the start and, with fellow St Senan’s clubmate Abigail O’Regan (St Declan’s Kilmacthomas), led the field for the first three laps.

Caoimhe Barry in action in the intermediate girls’ steeplechase at the Munster Schools track & field championships

Eve Dunphy (Abbey CC), competing in the senior girls’ race, has also qualified for the All-Ireland schools. Dunphy set a new personal best the previous week at the Belfast Milers Meet and her aim was to sit back and qualify for the impending All-Ireland schools in as comfortable a manner as possible. With opponents such as Claire Crowley and Nicole Dineen (Leevale), the race could be very fast from the gun or slow with a fast wind-up. It was the latter. Happy to shadow the two Cork girls, Dunphy qualified comfortably for the All-Ireland schools.

Caoimhe Barry (Abbey CC) finished third in the intermediate high jump with a new season’s best of 1.55m. Barry had raced in the steeplechase earlier in the day and finished fourth.

Road Championships

The All-Ireland 5km road championships were held in conjunction with the Irish Runner Road Race series. Over 1,600 athletes took part in this event, which brought participants through the Phoenix Park in the search for the new national champion.

While the majority of the athletes taking part were Dublin based, there was some representation from Kilkenny athletes. The race was won by Kieran Kelly (Raheny) in a time of 14.30. Ger Forde was the first Kilkenny athlete home in a time of 14.55.

Lauren Dermody (Castlecomer) was the first Kilkenny female home. Dermody finished eighth in a time of 17.42. The winner was Amy Greene (Finn Valley) in a time of 16.41.