‘It was great fun racing against the boys in primary school. They used to give out if I beat them’

Limerick sprinter Ciara Neville (18), from Monaleen, is already the joint seventh fastest Irishwoman in history and was seventh in the European junior 100m final last summer. Today she is hoping to maintain her unbeaten record in the Irish Schools T&F Championships where she will be competing, for the last time, for Castletroy College, four days before she starts her Leaving Cert?

When did you first know you were a flyer

I wasn’t really fast at first. I just did it for fun because my friend Ellie’s mom (ex-Irish international Noelle Morrissey) was the coach. Then I won my first All-Ireland, at U10, in the Community Games when I was eight. In primary school, it was great fun racing against the boys, they used to give out if I beat them. I didn’t always win but they used to get very competitive.