The Newcastle AC Trio in Tullamore

With the ‘big black yoke’ packed with camping chairs, cool boxes, spikes and pigeons, three young athletes and their support crews set off for the 120 mile trip to Tullamore, Co Offaly early on Sunday morning, with hopes and dreams of an outstanding day at the National Juvenile Track & Field Championships and to produce notable performances against the country’s best.

The championships marked the culmination of a long season that for some included Indoors, Schools and Club Ulster and National competitions, with the Newcastle trio proudly representing the club on the national stage.

Aoife Grant became the only club athlete this season to qualify for all three Track and Field National Finals – Indoors, Schools and Clubs – a remarkable achievement that reflects her consistency across the year.

Aoife on track to 6th place in the 2000m walk

Her campaign has required her to adapt to three different race walk distances, ranging from 1,200m to 2,000m, while also competing in her throwing events. Having previously qualified for two events on the same day at the Schools Championships, Aoife learned how demanding that tight schedule can be on the body. This time, she made the decision to focus solely on the race walk and set the throws aside for this competition.

First into action for the club at the National Juvenile Track & Field Championships in Tullamore on Sunday, Aoife lined up in the Girls’ 2000m Race Walk.

The event was closely monitored by six race walking judges, leaving little room for technical errors. Officials were kept busy throughout the race, issuing yellow paddles and red cards for infringements of the race walking rules.

In simple terms, a yellow paddle is a warning that an athlete is either losing contact with the ground or failing to keep the supporting leg straight from first contact until it passes beneath the body. It gives the athlete an opportunity to correct their technique. A red card means the judge believes the athlete has continued to infringe the rules. Three red cards from three different judges results in disqualification. 

Delighted with her performance

Aoife had been technically flawless all season, reaching her third National Final without receiving so much as a warning. That perfect record came to an end on the second lap when she was shown a yellow paddle. Later in the race, the same judge deemed that she had failed to lock her knee correctly again, earning Aoife a place on the red card board alongside 12 other athletes who picked up more than one.

Showing great composure, Aoife responded brilliantly. She tightened her technique, avoided any further infringements from the other 5 officials and produced a strong finish to safely cross the line. Building on her fifth-place finish at the National Indoor Championships in April, she delivered another excellent performance to finish sixth in Ireland, capping off a phenomenal competition season.

The formidable form of Harry McVeigh took to the line of the 2nd U14 boys 800m heat. This season continues to roll off exceptional performances from this young man and needless to say even his qualifying heat time was mere seconds of the standing 800m PB time he clocked at the Ulster Schools final, crossing comfortably in 2.13, tasked to come back just over an hour later for the final. However, Lorcan Grimes of St.Peters AC who took the Gold at the Ulster Championships, failed to make the cut for the final.

Harry in full flight

In the meantime, Jamie O’Flaherty was next to compete. Over the past four weeks, Jamie has had something of a whirlwind relationship with the steeplechase, transitioning from being a solid 3000m track runner to demonstrating a natural ability to navigate a busy field of athletes, clear barriers with confidence and attack the water jump.

A whirlwind relationship with the Steeplechase led to 7th in Ireland

Along the way, he has witnessed fellow athletes suffer some quite severe falls and injuries. Even on Sunday, his 2000m race demanded composure as he negotiated a dramatic contest featuring plenty of action at the water jump. At times, it resembled a collie dog charging through a puddle rather than a gazelle elegantly clearing a river.

Despite the chaos unfolding around him, Jamie remained composed throughout, showing maturity well beyond his years. He produced a superb race, steadily hunting down athletes one by one as he stuck to his controlled race plan before going all-in over the closing stages. Combined with flawless barrier technique, that approach secured him an outstanding seventh-place finish nationally in his first season of competing in the event. 

No barrier too hard to navigate

In the U14 Boys’ 800m final, Harry produced the performance of his season. Drawn into a high-quality field, he showed tremendous confidence from the moment the gun fired, immediately taking control of the race and dictating the pace from the front. Running with composure, he ensured the race was run on his terms before injecting a decisive surge at the halfway stage that strung the field out and forced his rivals to respond.

New personal best of 2.09 for 800m

As expected in a national final, the chasing pack fought back over the closing 200 metres, with the battle for the medals going right to the line. Despite the relentless pressure, Harry dug deep, refusing to surrender his position. Displaying remarkable determination, courage and strength in the final metres, he held on to secure a superb silver medal. The reward for such an outstanding performance was a huge new personal best of 2:09, capping off a race that demonstrated both his tactical maturity and his continued development throughout the season. Yet Harry’s season is far from over. Having already claimed the Ulster 1500m title, he will return to Tullamore in a fortnight’s time to contest the National 1500m final. After already collecting three national medals this season, he will be aiming to add a remarkable fourth to his growing collection. Judging by his performances this year, few would bet against him giving it everything once again and possibility of doing the double with Cross Country and Track National titles. 

The three performances capped an outstanding day for Newcastle AC, with a large contingent of club members making the journey to Tullamore to cheer on the athletes throughout the championships. Their vocal support around the course, coupled with the many messages of encouragement from those following the live stream back home, created a fantastic atmosphere and gave the athletes an extra lift when it mattered most.

The club’s success was also a testament to the commitment of its coaches, parents and volunteers, whose dedication behind the scenes has helped nurture the athletes’ development throughout the season.

Returning home with a national silver medal, two top-seven finishes and three exceptional performances, Newcastle AC can reflect with immense pride on a memorable day at the National Championships. The results were a fitting reward for the countless hours of training, perseverance and commitment shown by these young athletes, while also providing plenty of optimism for the future as they continue their athletics journey. Also happy to report that all the pigeons who made the journey to Tullamore, won the race back home to Drumee.