Duleek & District Athletic Club by Meath Herald

INSIDE ATHLETICS FOR ALL

Page 2

McNallys 365 Pharmacy Duleek & District Athletic Club 5k Road Race.

Page 3

Club history

Page 4

Chairman Niall Doyle

Page 6

First Chairman Fran Power

Pages 8 & 9

Karen O'Sullivan

Page 10

Ruairi Nestor

Page 11

Maria Nestor

Page 12

Lisbon Half Marathon

Pages 14 & 15

Lisbon and Berlin

Page 16 5K Snapshots

Page 18

Oliver Cudden

Pages 21 & 22

Photo Parade

COVER:

TOP: THEY’RE OFF…… Racing away from the start at the 2025 McNallys 365 Pharmacy Duleek & District Athletic Club 5k Road Race at the end of February.

BOTTOM: Duleek ladies after finishing the Lisbon Half Marathon in early March.

Duleek & District Athletic Club

2025 Duleek & District 5k A Big Success

More than 330 athletes took part in the hugely popular McNallys 365 Pharmacy Duleek & District Athletic Club 5k Road Race at the end of February.

Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers was first home in the men's race in a time of 15 minutes and 35 seconds while Orla Walsh of Crusaders was the first woman to cross the line in 18 minutes and 21 seconds. The top three finishers and the winning team in each category is listed below.

MEN

Overall - 1, Sean Doran (Clonliffe Harriers) 15:35; 2, Eric Keogh (Donore Harriers) 15:44; 3, Liam Mulligan (Drogheda & District) 15:47.

M40 - 1, Brian Martin (Drogheda & District) 16:38; 2, Will Foot (Unattached) 17:59; 3, Fergal O'Brien (Unattached) 18:28.

M50 - 1, Colm Murray (Rathfarnham WSAF) 18:28; 2, Joe Bannon (Na Fianna) 18:54; 3, Shane Larkin (Drogheda & District) 19:16.

M60 - 1, Francis Crowe (Star of the Sea) 20:02; 2, Patrick Boyne (Na Fianna) 22:06; 3, Mark Fox (Bray Runners) 22:36.

M70 - 1, Ernest Hall (Newcastle & District) 22:14; 2, Michael Knight (Bray Runners) 23:01; 3, Barney Flannery (Drogheda & District) 26:58. Team: 1, Bray Runners (James Foot, Drew Donohoe, Ryan Jenkins).

WOMEN

Overall - 1, Orla Walsh (Crusaders) 18:21; 2, Louise Bailey (Na Fianna) 18:56; 3, Eimear English (Dunboyne) 19:06.

F40 - 1, Louise Bailey; 2, Pamela Howard (Drogheda & District) 21:45; 3, Ciara O'Reilly (Drogheda & District) 22:17.

F50 - 1, Maria Dolan (Raheny Shamrock) 20:14; 2, Suzanne Foot (Bray Runners) 20:57; 3, Carmel Thorpe (Fr Murphy) 22:21.

LEINSTER FARM MACHINES

F60 - 1, Mary Watters (Unattached) 22:17; 2, Sharon McGrane (Civil Service) 23:03;

3, Nuala Reilly (Drogheda & District) 24:58. F70 - 1, Orla Phillips (Bray Runners) 27:10.

Team - 1, Drogheda & District (Pamela Howard, Ciara O'Reilly, Helen Dillon).

Sean Doran of Clonliffe Harriers on the way to victory at the 2025 McNallys 365 Pharmacy Duleek & District Athletic Club 5k Road Race at the end of February.

Enthusiasm Key in Development of Duleek & District Athletic Club

BY CONALL COLLIER

The idea that prompted the formation of Duleek & District Athletic Club arose in 2012 after a couple of enthusiasts, Ruairi Nestor and Fran Power, began running together.

Fran is a Dublin man, from Artane while Ruairi hails from Mayo – an almost perfect combination for success once they made a plan.

The first informal committee meeting of what would become Duleek & District Athletic Club took place in May 2012.

Other enthusiasts were brought on board and after a number of meetings there was contact with Athletics Ireland for advice and guidance and Regional Development Officer Bart Rogers provided much-needed direction.

One requirement was affiliation to Meath Athletics Board and

following meetings and discussions there was a green light for the new club – Duleek & District AC.

“We had to comply with the

usual requirements which were fairly straightforward, but it was all new ground for us,” stated the club's first chairman, Fran Power.”

“Following some in-depth

analysis of our credentials at a Meath Athletics Co Board meeting in Navan and some serious debate, there was almost unanimous approval for our

application and were were up and running,” he added.

The club has made steady progress and more than a decade after it was established there are plans for further development on top of what has already been achieved.

The club had a significant role in the development of a Community Facility in a joint-project with Duleek / Bellewstown GAA club and that project, the first phase of the development, was completed and ready for use in 2022.

Plans are well advanced for the next phase with a sports hall and a running track adjacent to the Community Facility where weekly training is organised throughout the year.

The club has also established a fine reputation for its two road races - the McNally's Duleek & District 5K and the Indaver Duleek 10K in February and June each year respectively.

Members from the Duleek & District Athletic Club who competed in the annual McNallys 365 Pharmacy 5k Road Race at the end of February.

Carlow Man In The Duleek Chair Optimistic About Future of Club

BY CONALLCOLLIER

Carlow man Niall Doyle took over the position of Duleek & District Athletic Club chair when he was duly elected at the last annual general meeting in November 2024, but he has over a decade of service to his credit in various roles.

Niall suggested that the club has made tremendous progress since it was established back in 2012 and cites the Community Facility that is located on the Navan adjacent to the Duleek / Bellewstown GAA club as evidence of the tremendous support and cooperation from the people of the area.

“The Community Facility development was a joint-initiative between the Duleek & District Athletic Club and Duleek / Bellewstown GAAclub,” he explained.

“Initially, about five years ago, a steering committee with representatives from each club was formed to drive the proposed project forward.”

“I suppose we all realised that something like this was a necessity for the village and of course it was beneficial for both clubs,” explained Niall.

“Prior to this development, the Athletic Club used to meet and train at the green area in the village and there is a building there owned by the Heritage Group and also a Parish Centre but it wasn’t ideal as other

organisations were availing of those facilities.”

“As the club was growing it became apparent that we would actually need a home, but we had to make a good presentation if something as ambitious as what we now have was to be achieved.”

“Following discussions with the GAAclub, a Development Committee with Oliver Cudden and Shane Harford from the GAA club was formed while the Athletic Club was represented by Graham Byrne and Fran Power and it was through that initiative

that it was possible to raise the finance necessary for the project,” he added.

Niall stressed that the ethos of the club is one of friendliness and encouragement and it is a formula that has paid dividends.

“I would like to stress that the philosophy of the club, friendliness is hugely important and we are very conscious that a new member, male or female, has to feel welcome,” he said.

“In a relatively short period of time the club has progressed, starting with nothing except good intentions to where we are now with the Community Facility that is advantageous for so many groups in the area apart from ourselves and the GAA.”

“Predominantly, at the moment, our club would cater for the Fit For Life and the Couch to 5K groups, but we have had plans approved for a track development and that will broaden our ability to expand our activities,” he suggested

Finally, the question arose about how a man from Carlow ended up in the Royal County and close to the Wee County?

Niall commented “I had moved to Meath from Carlow, but it was purely accidental, a friend was selling a house in Duleek and we came up from Carlow just to have a look at the property and by pure chance there was another house for sale close by.”

“At the time I was looking for somewhere in North Co Dublin, but then ended up in Duleek, that

was about 2008 and it was even accidental that I took up running.”

“My wife Helen worked in Dublin, I used to collect her from the train station in Gormanston but the train schedule used to fluctuate from time-to-time and when I was waiting I decided to go for a relatively short run around Gormanston College.”

“That’s how I developed an interest in running and when the club formed here in Duleek in 2012, it was the sensible thing to do, I decided to join and it was a good decision,” he pledged.

Apart from the regular schedule that club organises, training twice a week, there are lots of demands on the members of the committee, especially with the next phase of the track development although the regular schedule has to be maintained.,

“We have orgainsed training twice a week and a run each weekend,” explained Niall.

“We have a good option of routes, even in the winter months, routes that have good public lighting and as a result are safe for running, obviously it’s easier in the summer months.”

Niall concluded by saying “We have our monthly meetings at the Community Facility and then there are the two road races which are the McNally 5k which initially started as a fun run for a local school, and there is the Indaver 10k, both of these races are now part of the MeathAthletics Co Board annual schedule, long may it continue.”

Wishing Continued Success to Duleek & District Athletic Club

Duleek & District Athletic Club Chairman Niall Doyle

Duleek & District Athletic

Members from Duleek & District Athletic Club in action during the Dublin City Marathon

First Chairman Fran Power Reflects On The Development of Duleek & District Athletic Club

Dublin man Fran Power had the distinction of landing the role of first chairman of Duleek & District Athletic Club back in 2012 and he was also the driving force as affiliation with Meath Athletics Co Board was achieved.

Growing up in the Artane area of Dublin, Fran, and his brothers Terry and Graham, were involved in the usual sports which included football and athletics.

“When I was growing up there was a local athletics club and that was how I got involved, I really enjoyed the athletics,” he said.

“I also played under-age for St Kevin's Boys, as it was at the time, I think now it's just St Kevin's and I also played with Artane / Beaumont, the usual stuff, athletics in the morning at the weekend and football in the afternoon, that sort of thing,” he added.

However, the journey to Duleek wasn’t just as simple as a trip down the M1 and branch off at Drogheda, there was a diversion via Australia.

“Myself and my wife, Samantha, we came home from Australia and we didn't want to move too far out of Dublin so that we could be close to our parents,” he explained.

“At the time, Duleek was on the radar with housing developments ongoing, like a lot of people, we purchased off the plan and then

waited for the building work to complete. We settled into Duleek and at this stage we have three children, Doireann, Saoirse and Rian and I’m delighted that they also have a keen interest in sport, that’s very important.”

“They have all represented Duleek & District Athletic Club at county, provincial and national

levels and Rian is getting on well also at the Gaelic football,” stated Fran.

Winding the clock back some 12 or 13 years to the origins of what is now a very well respected club throughout the county and further afield, Fran recalled the circumstances that saw Duleek & Distrct Athletic Club evolve from a

modest beginning to being an integral part of the community.

Fran explained that the initial plans for a club in Duleek were hatched during casual conversations with Ruairi Nestor (a Mayo native) as the two men jogged around the village on a semi-regular basis more than a decade ago.

“I had a chat with Ruairi, he had children of similar ages and we made a decision that we would attempt to form a club in Duleek,” explained Fran. “I wanted to get the children involved in athletics, my eldest at the time was about five years old and that was about the same age that I had started when I was a child.”

“We had considered joining clubs nearby, but the closest to Duleek were either in Drogheda or Cushinstown and when we made enquiries neither of them could facilitate any new members. We put the word out and there was a great reaction locally, we did

plenty of research and contacted the local school in an attempt to gauge the level of interest, that was the easy part, but we decided to give it our best shot,” he added.

Following the initial enthusiasm, the members of the fledgling club, with assistance and advice from Bart Rogers of Athletics Ireland, Duleek & District Athletic Club was established and the process to finalise affiliation was initiated.

“We had sent flyers (leaflets) around the schools and the feedback from the adults, from parents / guardians, was really encouraging and that spurred us on,” explained Fran.

“It wasn't all plain sailing though and we were met with some resistance in our efforts to affiliate to the Meath Athletics.

“Those obstacles were overcome with a detailed presentation to the Meath Co Board that outlined the vision of the embryonic club supported by insightful data.”

“After a nervous wait outside the board room at the monthly meeting in Claremont Stadium, Navan the delegates unanimously endorsed the club and then the hard work really started.

“Apart from affiliating the club, one major issue that had to be addressed was the lack of facilities locally and that’s not meant as a criticism in any form. Thankfully, there was tremendous effort and co-operation regarding what is now the current Community Facility.”

“It was developed adjacent to the GAA ground and credit must go to a separate Development Committee that was formed to drive that project forward,” concluded Fran.

Fran Power made a presentation to Michelle Clarke at the inaugural Duleek & District Athletic Club awards night at the D Hotel, Drogheda in 2012 to celebrate the club's first year.

Fran Power with his son Rian on a recent visit to Anfield for a Premier League game

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Karen O’Sullivan Plays A Crucial Role In Duleek & District Athletic Club

BY CONALL COLLIER

Dublin woman Karen O'Sullivan is now a 20-year Duleek resident with her husband Bryan and is one of many stalwarts of the Duleek & District Athletic Club (D&DAC) where she has a dual role as coach and assistanttreasurer.

Involved from the outset, when a number of enthusiasts established the fledgling club, with the initial steps taken in 2012, Karen has retained her enthusiasm over the intervening 13 years and explained how she set up home in Duleek

“I'm from Clondalkin originally, my husband (Bryan) and myself were house-hunting and we were looking around the Drogheda area, but we couldn't find anything that we felt was suitable for us,” she recalled from about 20 years ago.

“That was around 2005, but when we were in Drogheda we saw a sign for houses in Duleek

and decided to have a look so we followed the directions and we were lucky enough to find a property.

We are well settled into the area now and we have two teenage daughters, Sophie and Pippa. I'm lucky in the sense that I can work from home while Bryan is able to

work from home two days a week,” she added.

Karen explained that she was involved in many sports as a child, but particularly athletics due to the proximity of a club in the Clondalkin area of Dublin.

“When I was a child there was an athletics club in the Clondalkin area, that’s how I started and I kept that going at school although I never considered myself a serious athlete,” she explained. “I was at the Community Games, they were in Mosney at the time, and I also competed in various event at Morton Stadium in Santry (Dublin), I used to like the hurdle races.”

Karen remembered “When we moved to Duleek, I got to know the local people and that included Ruairi Nestor and Fran Power and they were discussing the possibility of establishing a club, initially it was just casual discussions sitting around various kitchen tables. That’s how it started off, and there was great

reaction locally and we knew we would have to do it properly if it was to succeed.”

“I attended an Athletics Irelandorganised coaching course at Claremont Stadium in Navan and that was sufficient for the role I felt would benefit the club, but I never expected to run in the Dublin City Marathon.”

“However, it shows how the club has evolved as there would usually have up to a dozen members who would run Dublin now, I did it twice myself, and that was a real different experience.”

“I found my first marathon was a real challenge, outside the comfort zone, a different head-space, you have to become super-focused, it almost takes on a life of its own, it’s all-consuming in terms of planning and preparation. In my first one, by the time I reached 37 kilometres (23 miles) I felt that the wheels were coming off, that I couldn't go on.”

“That was when the training and preparation clicked in, I was

expecting to see my children at the finish line and I didn't want to let them down, that was a big motivation.

“Then there was the two other people I trained with, they were with me, side-by-side, I suppose we kept each other going. The crowd, the spectators, they are unbelievable also, people you don’t know and they provide tremendous encouragement, shouting your name which is visible on the running bib, that's hugely motivational.”

“The last mile is called the purple mile, a reflection on the sponsor (Irish Life), the road is purple and once you reach that you know it's nearly over and it helps you across the finish line,” she said.

With the experience of two Dublin marathons and many half marathons to her name, Karen is an ideal person to motivate new members of the club who might be finding it difficult just to get going in the weekly ‘meet and train’ groups.”

“The adult section of the club has really expanded over the last couple of years and a lot of that is due to the social-type of aspect that we apply,” she explained.

Duleek

District Athletic Club coach

“It's a real friendly environment and it's fairly easy-going, that appeals to a wider group of men and women, we make it known that we are not focused on elite athletes although we can cater for them also.”

“My focus is primarily on the 'meet and train' groups and very few of my crew, as I'll call then, would be overly-interested in a competitive aspect of athletics, it would be more a matter of maintaining some form of fitness.”

“The age-range could be quite broad as members come and go,

but it's primarily adults that I deal with. At this stage we have various sections or categories within the club, we train on a Tuesday and Thursday and it's the responsibility of the designated coach for a particular week to organise the activity, the route and the distance.”

“When it's my week, I have to take into consideration certain factors, one of which would be what will best suit the group for that week. We will all start together with the fastest and fittest at the front, but we have a rule that

no one will ever be left to run alone and to facilitate that we have a sweeper system in operation and it rotates amongst members.”

“The objective is that the last runner will have the sweeper for company who will make sure that he or she gets back to base safely, that base is now the Community Facility and it’s a great boost to have that available to us.”

“It's a system that works well, everyone knows the score and what is required and it also encourages the newer members to get going and to keep going because they know about the support they will get.”

everyone they give it 100 per cent,” she remarked.

While Duleek & District Athletic Club started out with very little in terms of facilities, the development of the Community Facility adjacent to the Duleek / Bellewstown GAA club has been a major benefit.

Further developments are in the pipeline over the next 12 months and Karen believes that will have a positive impact for everyone.

“We do not have any track facilities at the moment and that's also a significant factor in relation to who might want to join a club, but there are plans well-advanced for a track at the Community Centre,” she said.

“January would be particularly busy as we start a 'Couch to 5k' programme with a specific coach, Trevor Sharkey, and the annual 5k road race in February as a target for anyone who wants extra motivation, it works well and all the participants enjoy it.”

“We have a good mixture of men and women involved and that's encouraging, the men can be a bit reluctant at the beginning, but once they get to know

“Once we get the track up and running, that will change the dynamics of the club as well and it will be a tremendous asset for the area and will give the club more options.”

“We have training scheduled throughout the year for members, every week with the exception of the Christmas period, with a rota for the coaches who give a commitment, once every three weeks.”

“We also select our own club teams of four or five athletes each and we then run in six selected road races organised by other Meath clubs throughout the year, that adds a little competitive edge for everyone. It's called the Captains' Series and it is an important part of the calendar for our members, there can be as many teams as there is demand for and it's a popular initiative with Oonagh Lynch and Hugh Morris co-ordinating, we have about nine or 10 teams this year.”

“Later this year we have a group of about 20 members who will be running in the Belfast Marathon in May, we have never attempted a full marathon, outside of Dublin, with that many before and already this year, early March, some 50 members participated in the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon,” she concluded.

Duleek & District Athletic Club coach and assistant-treasurer Karen O'Sullivan with chairman Niall Doyle in the impressive Community Facility.

Duleek ladies after finishing the Lisbon Half Marathon in early March included Melissa O'Connell (left) in a time of 2:14.35, Celena Tierney in 2:36.54 and Karen O'Sullivan in 2:16.02.

Lapping The People On The Couch

CONALL COLLIER paid a visit to Ruairi and Maria Nestor for a chat about the origins of Duleek & District Athletic Club

Drogheda woman Maria Nestor always had an interest in sport due mainly to her brothers, Mark and David Brodigan, who played Gaelic football with St Colmcille’s. She also savoured the good times that the Royal County footballers enjoyed under the tutelage of Sean Boylan.

A Drogheda woman, Maria emphasised that she is very much on the Meath side of the border and also explained that she didn’t actually meet her husband Ruairi, a Mayo man, until after 1996.

“I ended up with a Mayo man for a husband, it’s a topical subject with my brothers and what’s even more interesting, we have three children and they wear red and green, that’s not easy to admit, but in fairness they are getting more outings with Mayo, you know what I mean,” she said.

“I’m from a GAA background, a Drogheda woman on the Meath side of the border, very much green and gold and not red and white, but every weekend it was football in our house when I was growing up.”

“I have to put on record that I didn’t know Ruairi until after 1996, that’s some form of mitigation on my behalf, but people still talk about that, but really the Mayo folk should just build a bridge at this stage.”

“The same could be said for the Louth people, but at least that’s more recent (for then), it’s only 15 years ago since that epic Leinster SFC final at Croke Park and I

won’t say any more about it as this is supposed to focus on athletics,” she stated forcefully.

Getting down to basics, the formation of the new club in Duleek seemed like a good question to get back on track?

“Fran (Power) was the driving force behind the formation of the club and he used to encourage me to try running and to take it from there,” she commented.

“I thought it was a great idea that we would have a club in Duleek, Ruairi (husband) was also involved and from the outset it was very much focused on the local community.”

“We used to meet at the green area in the village for our training sessions when we started and that

has transformed into the impressive Community Facility beside the Duleek / Bellewstown GAA club, it’s a great facility and a big asset for the locality.”

“I never tried athletics, I had played basketball at school in St Oliver’s (Drogheda), there wasn’t too many opportunities for girls to play football at that time, thankfully it has changed now.”

“The success of Duleek & District Athletic Club is down to the commitment of a small number of people initially, but it couldn’t have been sustained to the level it’s at now without tremendous input from the people of Duleek and the also the wider Duleek area.”

“And when I say success, it’s not

about what has been achieved by athletes winning titles, it’s the social aspect of the club and the welcome that is extended to new members, regardless of ability, that would be my view.”

“There are very good people involved with the club and that’s vital, there are always people prepared to volunteer to help out at small events and at the bigger ones also, the 5k road race, a lady like Orla Hillman who helps me out with the catering, the food for the runners after the race is as important as the race itself.”

“That’s something that we put a lot of emphasis on in the club, the post-race food, very important.

“As a club, we will try to support races that are organised by other

clubs and apart from the Meath events we go to, we always support the Drogheda & District club.”

“And it’s a great way of making friends, people I met when the club was formed are still friends today, Karen O’Sullivan, Orla Hillman, Celena Tierney, Dáire McDevitt-Ludlow, Gillian McEntaggart, people like that.”

Maria finished the interview by saying “My philosophy would be that the athletic club can be a great outlet for people who want to get active and just need some encouragement, it doesn’t matter how slow you might be, anyone who has a go, they are lapping the people on the couch, that’s how I would describe it,”

Ruairi and Maria Nestor outside their home in Duleek when I visited them to have a chat about the origins of Duleek & District Athletic Club earlier this month

Divine Intervention Helped Form A Mayo And Meath Partnership

BY CONALL COLLIER

Mayo man Ruairi Nestor was one of the driving forces behind the formation of Duleek & District Athletic Club with support from his wife, Maria, a Meath woman from Drogheda that he met with some assistance from a priest, Fr Oliver Devine.

Some 20 years ago Ruairi was a newly-qualified Garda Siochana who had completed his training in Templemore and his first posting was to Drogheda.

“My intentions were to try to get a posting a bit closer to home in Mayo, but a more experienced colleague in Drogheda actually laughed when he heard that,” explained Ruairi. “He duly told me that what would most likely happen would be that I would meet someone and settle down in Drogheda, that was my turn to have a good laugh.”

“However, he was correct and while I did manage to get out of Drogheda, I only got as far as Duleek as I met my future wife (Maria Brodigan) and I suppose I can honestly say that there was some Fr Devine intervention involved.”

“How it came about, well, I had finished my shift one evening and was just taking it easy with another colleague (Alan) when we were both approached by a priest who was looking for volunteers for his choral group.”

“He had heard that we both played instruments, I used to play the concert flute and Alan was handy with the guitar, so this priest, Fr Oliver Devine, asked us to join up but we tactfully declined.”

“Priests don't give in too easily and Fr Devine played his trump card when he said he had a few females who were interested, it was a crafty move, but we both agreed to 'give it a go'.

“The first practice was in the parochial house and we duly arrived, Maria was there, a singer as it turned out. It was to be a folk group and we got together, but only lasted for two Masses, we weren't very good.”

“On a more positive note, myself and Maria have lasted a bit longer, we now have three children, all teenagers at this stage, Aebhín, Caoimhe and

Fionn,” he added.

“Getting back to the main topic, the formation of Duleek & District Athletic Club, and a serious effort to avoid any chat about a certain game between Meath and Mayo in 1996, Ruairi took the ball and headed off on a solo run.”

“I never played any sport at a serious level, that would be a reasonable description, the athletics certainly helps with fitness. I was involved at committee level with from the outset, but now I just help out when required,” he explained.

“I ran a few half marathons and will probably try the marathon at some stage, the usual 5k and 10k races annually are also on the agenda, but I did about four years on the committee from the beginning in 2012.”

“I think that's probably an ample amount of time to contribute from the perspective of enthusiasm and freshness and we had good people involved, the evidence is the way the club has developed over the past 10 years or so.”

“Myself and Fran (Power) used to go out for a run around the Commons in Duleek and we would have a chat along the way, that's how we got the idea of forming a club, we were good friends, my wife Maria and Fran's wife Samantha.”

“We made contact with Bart Rogers who was Regional Development Officer with Athletics Ireland, he met us and explained everything, he was very helpful.”

“We prepared a proposal for

While I did manage to get out of Drogheda, I only got as far as Duleek as I met my future wife (Maria Brodigan) and I suppose I can honestly say that there was some Fr Devine intervention involved.”

affiliation to Meath Athletics and we had heard that some clubs had concerns, but we went to the meeting at Claremont Stadium in Navan, myself, Fran and Ciara Devitt.”

“We made our submission and there was what you could call some robust exchanges, but we had all the details and we were able to allay any fears that the other clubs might have.”

“Basically, Duleek was a growing area in terms of population and we wouldn't be recruiting members from outside our own area, that wasn't our intention.”

“Once affiliation was achieved we could concentrate on satisfying all the necessary guidelines and it wasn't too long before we had up to 200 members,” he added.

Proper organisation and solid structures were important for the officials of the newlyaffiliated Duleek & District Athletic Club and this was emphasised by Ruairi.

“We organised a number of categories, Little Athletics, Meet and Train, Fit4Life, Fit4Youth

and some hill training,” he explained.

“The hill training was a real eye-opener as the‘infamous ‘Baw Hill’ also known as the ‘Baw Breaker’ was conveniently close to Duleek and we used it from sessions from time-totime.”

“The track at the Lourdes Stadium, Drogheda was used for Meet and Train, and interval training for juveniles and adults, with juvenile training sessions also at Cushinstown AC.”

We also organised the 5k and 10k road races and I had the

pleasure of meeting Graham Geraghty who was the guest of honour at the launch of our first 10k road race in 2013, we didn’t discuss football.”

“However, some 600 runners registered for that first race and we made sure to have an unrivalled spread of food afterwards, that’s very important.”

“The first 10k was sponsored by Indaver and it duly became the Indaver Duleek 10k subsequently and both events are still on the calendar annually,” he concluded.

Ruairi Nestor takes in the view of Duleek from the ‘Baw Hill’ which is also know as the ‘Baw Breaker’ and running up the steep incline is sometimes used in training for the members of Duleek & District Athletic Club.

Ruairi Nestor with his wife Maria at the inaugural Duleek & District Athletic Club awards night in 2013 where he proved adept in the role of MC.

The Marathon Men and Women of Duleek & District Athletic Club

BY CONALL COLLIER

More than 50 members of the Duleek & DistrictAthletic Club travelled to Portugal during March 2025 to participate in the 34th Lisbon Half Marathon.

The 2025 Lisbon Half Marathon was won by by Amauri Rodriguez (Comoros EastAfrica) in a time of 1:03.58 and the top Irish finisher was Brian Glynn in 15th position overall in a time of 1:11.13. The top female was Marco Bofante (Italy) in a time of 1:14.16 with Niamh Vincent the top Irish woman (W40) in 1:29.28.

The Lisbon Half Marathon, a distance of 21 kilometers (a little over 13 miles) is organised by the Marathon Club of Portugal (MCP) and was first contested in 1991.

The start of the Half Marathon takes place on the impressive and iconic 25th April Bridge and the race has grown in stature since it took place for the first time in 1991.

The Marathon Club of Portugal was founded in 1989 by a group of friends that began running to fight stress and lose a “bit” of weight.

As the popularity of the club increased and the running got more serious, the club started competing in other events in Portugal and then abroad and became a top competitor on road and cross country events.

The first Half Marathon took place in March 1991, MCP organised its first running event, the Lisbon Half Marathon, a race that held the Half Marathon World Record, 58:23, from 2010 to 2019.

Every year, the Lisbon Half Marathon features up to 35.000 runners that cross the 25th ofApril bridge, a structure that is an iconic symbol of the city of Lisbon.

Annually, the Marathon Club of Portugal organises five major running events in Lisbon ranging in distances from 5kms to 42kms along routes that are considered as some of the fastest and most beautiful in the world.

Duleek & District Athletic Club members Celena Tierney (left), Susan Murphy-Durnin and Tracey Doherty

ON THE BRIDGE: Ready for the start on the 25th April Bridge were Anita Lenehan (left) and Mary Murray.

Duleek & District Athletic Club members Dolores Myles, Carmel Byrne and Thelma Tuohy

The Duleek & District Athletic Club men and women who travelled to Portugal during March to take part in the 2025 Lisbon Half Marathon

At the Lisbon Half Marathon were Amanda Duff (left), Oonagh Lynch, Orla Hillman, Marie Fitzgerald, Aisling Duff and Debbie Fitzgerald.

A view of the iconic 25th April Bridge from where the Lisbon Half Marathon starts annually.

Duleek & District Athletic Club

(left)

RAINING MEN: Duleek & District Athletic Club men included Conor Noone (left), Alan Kearns, Mick Hillman, Paul Fitzpatrick, Derek Kellet, Tom Conroy and John Wall.

DULEEK & DISTRICT ATHLETIC CLUB 5k ROAD RACE

Following the Duleek 5K Road Race the Duleek & District AC chairman Niall Doyle (left) and race sponsor David McNally made the presentation to Mary Watters who won the F60 category. Mary is well known in Meath athletics and has represented Ireland at the British & Irish Masters Cross-Country Championships while David competed in the 5k in the M40 category completing in a time of 32:52.

First female in the Duleek 5K Road Race was Orla Walsh (Crusaders).

Crossing the line at the Duleek 5k road race were Darragh Ryan (7572) with Conor Evans (7247) from Bray Runners with Kells AC duo Bruce O'Brien and Frances O'Brien.

Katarzyna Zaremba (7607) crosses the line with Nuala Reilly from Drogheda & District AC (right) and another Drogheda runner Fiona Murphy (7537) in the Duleek 5K road race.

Helen Myles and David Heavey at the Duleek & District AC 5k Road Race.

Duleek & District Athletic Club was well represented at the 5K Road Race by Elaine O'Gorman (7615), Sheree Kennedy (7608), Lauren Mooney (7617) and Rachel Byrne (7619).

An illuminated view of the impressive Duleek-Bellewstown Community Facility.

Crossing the finish line at the Duleek 5k Road Race were Na Fianna athletes Joe Bannon and Louise Bailey.

Community Facility Development a Boost For The Area

When Duleek & District Athletic Club and Duleek / Bellewstown

GAA embarked on a jointinitiative to develop and enhance the sporting facilities of the area back in 2016 it demonstrated what could be achieved through co-operation on what was an ambitious project.

The combined enthusiasm of a club with a relatively short history (the Athletic Club) coupled with the longevity of Duleek / Bellewstown GAA club produced a winning formula with a muchneeded new development for the rapidly expanding Meath village.

The fruits of that co-operation and the completion of the initial phase of the project was the opening of the Community Facility adjacent to the GAA club's impressive ground. To move the

idea forward when it was first mooted back in 2016, a fourperson committee was formed comprising two officials from each club and other members who were willing to assist in any way that was required.

Representing the GAA club was Oliver Cudden who is chairman of the Duleek, Bellewstown & District Community Facility. Also from the GAA club was Shane Hartford while the Athletic Club was represented by Declan Foran and Graham Byrne.

"I suppose the groundwork, the paperwork, began back in 2016 with some informal discussions initially, but we had to make sure that we had a good plan before we could apply for either funding or planning permission," explained Oliver Cudden who is the chairman of Duleek, Bellewstown

& District Community Facility Steering Committee.

"The Community Facility building that is in place now was the first phase of the overall plan and the next phase, that we hope to finalise, will include a sports hall and there is also a running / walking track in the pipeline as well.”

"This was a big undertaking for everyone and it's great to see such a positive reaction locally. In terms of finance, I suppose when everything is completed the expenditure on the overall project will be in the region of €2,000,000,” he added.

While the GAA club is, and has been, an integral part of the Duleek and Bellewstown areas for many years, the Athletic Club was only formed some 13 years ago, but is now a well-established

organisation with affiliation to Athletics Ireland through Meath Athletics. "The formation of the club in 2012, it was a boost for everyone and there was a lot of enthusiasm for it,” stated Oliver.

“What they have achieved is a credit to them because when they started they had no facilities at all and the training used to be on the

green in the village. “I'd say that when we get the next phase of the development project completed with the sports hall and the track, that will give the athletics a broader appeal and it will also make it easier to organise events and that’s a positive for everyone,” he concluded.

Duleek, Bellewstown & District Community Facility Steering Committee chairman Oliver Cudden.

History Maker for Duleek &

EARLY CLUB INITIATIVES

As part of the schedule to promote the Duleek & District Athletic Club when it was first established in 2012, club officials organised Little Athletics training for children. The children were aged from five years old upwards and the training was held on a weekly basis. Initially, the venue was the Parish Hall and adjoining field and the initiative was based on an Athletics Ireland programme designed for children that focused on introducing the fundamentals of athletic

movement in a fun and non-competitive environment.

For the adults, there was a Fit4life programme on a weekly basis on the Duleek Village Green for adults of all ages and fitness levels.

A key attraction was that no previous experience was required and the emphasis was on meeting with people of a similar ability on a regular basis to walk or run, and to help develop fitness in a fun, sociable environment.

A group of children involved in the Duleek & District Athletic Club Little Athletics in 2013 soon after the club was established.

Ready for a training session on the green area in the village with Duleek & District Athletic Club

Success for Duleek & District Athletic Club at the Meath long jump championships in 2015 where Doireann Power took the gold (podium 1) and Meghan O'Connor won bronze (podium 3).