Dave Hooper
THE old say goes: if you wait around long enough for one bus, two buses come in quick succession, a saying apt for Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club.
For 58 years the wait seemed eternal for the Raheny senior men’s team, the title of ‘Irish Champions’ always seemed to be just out of reach.
Since 2006, the club landed seven silver and two bronze medals in this event as Dublin rivals Clonliffe Harriers AC and Dundrum South Dublin AC stole the show.
There was no show to steal in Abbotstown on November 26, no question marks or doubts as Kevin Dooney led Raheny Shamrock to a two-in-a-row All-Ireland Cross Country championship victory.
The hoodoo was finally broken in 2016 when Rio 2016 Olympian Mick Clohisey led the Raheny Shamrock men to their first national cross country title, the club’s women’s teams having won the women’s titles in 1968, 1971 and 2013.
Twelve months later and minus Clohisey, the title was successfully defended with the trophy returning to Raheny village. This time it was Kevin Dooney who led the team home. Dooney, national junior cross country champion in 2012, battled with Ballina man Hugh Armstrong and eventually lifted individual silver.
In club athletics it’s a four-man team that lands the silverware and Conor Dooney was the next ‘Shamrock’ to pass the finish line in ninth place, just 41 seconds behind Pollock.
Eoin Strutt came home in 13th place. The new member of the senior team becoming the third scorer and taking the Under 23 silver medal which was run in conjunction with this race.
Mark Kirwan came home in 18th place to secure an unbeatable score of 42 points, gold medals and the title as Ireland’s top club.
Kilkenny City Harriers took silver with 69 points, with Dundrum South Dublin taking bronze totaling 78 points.
The day will be remembered as one of the most successful in the club’s history as Brian Fay took silver in the junior men’s race after a titanic battle with North Down’s Craig McGeehan.
The exploits of Kevin Dooney, Eoin Strutt and Brian Fay saw the trio selected as part of the Irish team for the European Cross country championship in Slovakia in the senior, under 23 and junior races respectively.
The women were not to be outdone either, as the latest seed started to bloom in Abbotstown. The club’s junior women’s team landed the silver medal with Niamh Corry leading the team home in 20th place followed by Ailish Murtagh, Lucy Barrett and Aoibhinn McGoldrick.
In August 2018, Raheny Shamrock will celebrate its 60th birthday and is currently enjoying its most successful period. The club will bring over 4,000 people to Raheny village on January 28 for the AXA Raheny 5, showcasing their hometown.
Seven days later their green and white singlets will once again compete in the European Club Cross Country championship.
