Mark Kirwan landed national championship bronze at today’s SSE Airtricty Dublin Marathon.
Kirwan led home a huge club contingent, taking 11th place overall in two hours 22 minutes 17 seconds and taking the national championship bronze medal.
“I’m delighted and over the moon” Kirwan told the national media afterward. “I ran quicker in Berlin last year but today was all about getting the national medal.”
The national championship went to Clonliffe Harriers Sergiu Ciobanu in two hours 17 minutes and 40 seconds with Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham WSAF second in 2:18:46. Ethiopian Dereje Debele Tulu won out right in 2:12:18
“I didn’t feel good at half way, which isn’t a good sign, I felt terrible at 17 miles but I knew I’d see my wife and young daughter at 22 miles.”
“I just managed to hang on” explained Kirwan. “Luckily my energy just caught on. I caught Gary (O’Hanlon) at 22 miles and I was just able to move on from there.”
“I’m born and bred Raheny, I still love Raheny but unfortunately I’m living on the southside” joked Kirwan.
“Dick Hooper has been coaching me since I was young, he’s still advising me and we have Pat Hooper who was out here today. You can feel the marathon tradition of the club and obviously we’ve had Mick Clohissey who went to Rio”
“It’s great that we’ve had a great resurgence of marathon running in the club.”
Kirwan also took home the Dublin championship bronze medal and the Leinster championship bronze. The Leinster championship taking place in the Dublin marathon for the first time.
Mark Kirwan is the first Raheny Shamrock athlete to take a national marathon medal since 2001 when Dick Hooper secured silver and Mick Traynor took bronze.
Mary Lynch was also celebrating having taken home the over 65 national title posting a swift three hours 38 minutes 22 seconds for her bank holiday Sunday.
In the club’s own competition Mark Kirwan took home the Pat Quinn trophy as first male finisher in the Dublin marathon, while Tara Kennedy Monks is the women’s winner clocking three hours and 30 seconds.
11 club members broke three hours with a further 31 athlete’s breaking the four hour barrier.
The masters over 50 women’s team of Mary Lynch, Caroline Farrelly and Fiona Kirwan took gold with a combined time of 11:18.57 ahead of North East Runners and North Belfast Harriers.
In the national championship’s the senior men’s team of Mark Kirwan, Dermot Gorman and Mick Boyle where fourth behind Clonliffe Harriers, Rathfarnham WSAF and Celbridge.
The Masters over 35 women’s team finished in fourth place, while the masters men’s over 35 team finished 17th. The masters men’s over 50 team finished seventh.
Full results of Raheny Shamrock competitors in the SSE Airtricity Dublin marathon are available under the results tab.
News regarding team championships from Athletics Leinster and Dublin Athletics will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Dublin Championship individual medals
| Name | Category | Time |
| Mark Kirwan | Senior Men – Bronze | 2:22.17 |
| Daragh Bell | O/35 Men – Silver | 2:53.17 |
| Tara Kennedy Monks | 0/40 Women – Gold | 3:00:30 |
| Mary Walsh | O/40 Women – Bronze | 3:24.12 |
| Mick Boyle | O/45 Men – Gold | 2:40.52 |
| Caroline Farrelly | O/50 Women – Gold | 3:41.48 |
| Paul Frewen | O/55 Men – Silver | 3:18.56 |
| Fiona Kirwan | O/55 Women – Gold | 3:58.33 |
| Bernie Manley | O/55 Women – Silver | 4:00.59 |
| Tom Loftus | O/60 Men – Bronze | 3:17.08 |
| Dave Brady | O/65 Men – Bronze | 4:17.55 |
| Mary Lynch | O/65 Women – Gold | 3:38.36 |
| Ray McCormack | O/70 Men – Silver | 4:59.41 |
