With it being International Women’s Day, we thought it might be a nice time to have a short look back at the history of Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club and our proud female members.
Raheny Shamrock was founded 60 years ago, in August 1958.
At that time two athletic federations ran the rule over Irish athletics, the NACAI and the AAUE. Raheny Shamrock were members of the NACAI.
There is a secondary context, one which this author, in this era, struggles to comprehend as actual events.
In the 1950’s John Charles McQuaid, the archbishop of Dublin ran a tight fist over Irish life.
With his fist clenched in control of society, stories exist of McQuaid controlling the film censor, attempts to control RTE and various other aspects of Irish life.
One item that McQuaid definitely was, was anti-women-in-sport.
McQuaid stating “mixed athletics and all cognate immodesties are abuses that right-minded people reprobate, wherever and whenever they exist”.
McQuaid added: “God is not modern; nor is his Law” while women competing in the same sporting arenas with men were “un-Irish and un-Catholic”.
It is on this background that some nine years after the club’s founding in 1967, Raheny Shamrock became the first NACAI club to open their doors to female members.
And it did not take long for the Raheny Shamrock name to light up the podium in women’s athletics.
The Raheny Shamrock women’s team would win the BLE (a merger of AAUE & NACAI in 1968) National cross country championship in 1969.
Mary Lynch won the 1971 national inter-county cross country title and retained that title 12 months later while also adding the 1972 inter-club title and the 1973 3,000 metre title.
While Ursula Kennedy would become the first Raheny Shamrock athlete to compete in the World Cross Country Championship in 1968.
In total, there has been 20 national senior championships won by nine Raheny Shamrock female members since 1967, and they are;
Mary Lynch – Inter-County Cross Country – 1971 | Mary Lynch – Inter-Club Cross Country – 1972 | Mary Lynch – Inter-County Cross Country – 1972 | Mary Lynch – 3,000 Metres – 1973 |
Sally Wigesundra – Javelin – 1987 | Rose Hayden – Half Marathon – 1988 | Olive Bollard – Half Marathon – 1989 | Annette Kealy – 1500 Metres Indoor – 1995 |
Annette Kealy – Marathon – 2003 | Orla O’Mahoney – Half Marathon – 2005 | Orla O’Mahoney – Short Course Cross Country – 2006 | Orla O’Mahoney – 10 Kilometers Road – 2007 |
Orla O’Mahoney – 10 Kilometres Road – 2008 | Anette Kealy – Marathon – 2009 | Barbara Sanchez – Marathon – 2010 | Siobhan Eviston – 800 Metres – 2011 |
Siobhan Eviston – 800 Metres – 2012 | Zoe Brown – Pole Vault Indoor – 2013 | Zoe Brown – Pole Vault Indoor – 2014 | Zoe Brown – Pole Vault – 2014 |
And for the day that’s in it here are our female members who have won national junior titles,
1968 – Ursula Kennedy – 800m | 1971 – Eileen O’Driscoll – Long Jump | 1984 – Ann Dunne – 400m Hurdles |
1986 – Pauline Durnan – 3000m | 1987 – Pauline Durnan – 3000m | 1990 – Audrey Farrelly – 100m |
2001 – Helen Buckley – High Jump | 2011 – Isuelt O’Donnell – 800m | 2011 -Alice Fennell – 3000m Steeplechase |
And our Under 23 national champions;
1986 – Ann Brady – 800 metres | 2010 – Susan Scallan – 400 metres | ||
2013 – Maria O’Sullivan – 5000 metres | 2014 – Maria O’Sullivan – 5000 metres | 2014 – Iseult O’Donnell – 400 metres |
51 years ago, it took a brave decision in a country that was changing to make the right decision, a decision that made Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club a better club!
Happy International Women’s Day
Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club female members who have competed in international games and championships.
World Cross Country
Ursula Kennedy – Blackburn – 1968 & Clydebank – 1969
Ann Keating – Blackburn – 1968
Siobhan Lynch – Blackburn – 1968
Kay Mooney – San Sebastian – 1971
Mary Lynch – Cambridge – 1972, Waregem – 1973 & Monza – 1974
Orla O’Mahoney – Edinburgh – 2008
Annette Kealy – Edinburgh – 2008
European Cross Country
Annette Kealy – Oeiras – 1997 & Medulin – 2002
Orla O’Mahony – Tilburg – 2005, San Giorgiu – 2006 & Dublin – 2009
Eilish Kelly – Velenje – 2011
Commonwealth Games
Zoe Brown – Glasgow 2014 – Pole Vault (Northern Ireland)
Paralympics
Orla Comerford – Rio 2016 – 100m
World Para Athletics Championships
Orla Comerford – London 2017 – 100m