Massive congratulations to Newcastle AC’s Harry McVeigh who won the U13 National XC Championship in Dublin on Saturday 7 December.
Harry won on the 2,500m course in a time of 08:48 ahead of Philip Griffith (Claremorris AC) 08:56 (2nd) and Donal Devlin 09:00 (Keep ‘Er Lit) (3rd).
Harry McVeigh – U13 Champion with Dad Connaire
Read the race report by Siobhan Grant here: Harry’s all Ireland win
We’re delighted to unveil the 2025 Christmas Cracker Medal Design—a truly special creation crafted by the talented Newcastle AC Juniors! This year’s young designers produced an incredible range of entries, each one bursting with creativity and festive spirit, making the final choice no easy task.
After reviewing all the entries, Emily Kerr’s standout design was selected as the winner, and she was proudly presented with a Newcastle AC hoodie. Our fantastic runners-up also received club T-shirts in recognition of their brilliant work.
Everyone who completes the course on Saturday 27th December will earn one of these bespoke medals—an unforgettable keepsake from this year’s Christmas Cracker!
Newcastle AC Juniors presented with prizes for their winning medal designs
The Post-Primary runners have once again embraced Mountain Mondays, bringing with them a mix of challenge, adventure, and team spirit. From tackling the hills of Castlewellan to climbing through Donard Wood and up to the Quarry and the Mast, every step tested their endurance and determination.
It was an incredible effort — where the views were earned, spirits ran high, and excitement grew as they now look forward to the cross-country season ahead.
Newcastle AC Juniors at training in Castlewellan
Newcastle AC Juniors (plus some coaches!) at training in Donard Park
Report by Siobhan Grant
It’s 3 in a row for Harry!
It seems Athletics NI have some unpublished agreement with the Weather Gods that every year the NI & Ulster Cross Country Championships will be accompanied by a named storm. After last year’s encounter with Storm Bibet, where provisional rerouting measures were in place, this year it was Storm Ashley who had participants refreshing social media and emails from Friday evening wondering if the event would even go ahead.
Report by Siobhan Grant
It was a bumper weekend of action for the Newcastle AC Juniors as they headed to Tullamore for the 2nd weekend of the National Juvenile Track and Field Championships.
It’s a big ask to expect young athletes to maintain a high level of commitment and training at the start of their summer holidays with family trips away planned and the burn out from a tough year hitting the books kicking in. Though nothing was ever too much to ask from the Newcastle athletes as they trained around home and away, keeping their bodies and minds fresh for their trip to National championships to perform against the best in the country. Continue reading