Cool Murphy’s perfect performance secures title
Two years ago, he lost the intermediate title to Belfast’s Ryan Faulkner and last season he conceded age and experience to John Coghlan in his first attempt at the senior crown.
His illustrious grandfather, legendary Kerry footballer, Jas Murphy, was amongst the huge crowd that braved the elements to see him take glory.
And he did it by dramatically reversing the result of a week earlier against Michael Mulhare, who held him off to win the Irish junior men’s title.
This time Mulhare again tried to lead all the way, opening up a gap of 30 metres inside the first half mile.
Murphy though never panicked and adapted well to the underfoot conditions and the testing course, and kept closing the gap. On the final lap, after Mulhare glanced behind, Murphy and produced his move. Within 100m metres he had a 20-metre advantage and a flying finish up the final climb ensured he was never going to be caught.
Said Murphy: “I was worried when he opened up such a big lead at the start but I did not want to panic. I just held my position and even as the race progressed, I did not know how strong he was going to be. But we were both going to be tired from the race in Belfast last Saturday and it was a matter of who could cope best with that at the business end.
“I sensed on the descent he was coming back to me but even when I ran past him I was unsure if he had something left for the finish.
“It was a great relief to win this race after what happened over the last two years and now I can get ready for the world championships in Edinburgh at the end of the month. It was disappointed losing out in the European Championships but now this makes up for everything.”
Coached by Steven Macklin, Murphy appears to have turned his back on a US scholarship. “I will almost certainly go to DCU,” he said.
The ffrench-O’Carroll twins turned the tables on Suzanne Huet in the senior girls’ race, with Charlotte winning from Rebecca in a repeat of the national junior race in Belfast.
And the intermediate boy’s race resulted in a shock win for Jake Byrne (St Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge) from Ryan Creech (Glanmire Community College). An outstanding footballer and hurler, he has now given up those sports in favour of athletics. His mother Anne (nee Hassett) was a member of the Loreto College Mullingar team that won the senior team title in 1982.
Fionnualla Britton (DCU) produced another spectacular front-running performance to win the women’s inter-varsities championships run in conjunction with the schools championships. She was again followed home by her team mate, Linda Byrne with Aileen Morrison (UU) third.
Colm Turner revelled in the muddy conditions to complete a double for DCU, winning the men’s race from Diarmuid Grant (UU) and Dan Mulhare (WIT), a brother of Michael Mulhare who figured in the senior boys.
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