Thomas Barr heads wave of youth ready to reach for the stars

On a day that celebrated the past, it was hard not to look to the future. Yesterday’s National Athletics Awards in Blanchardstown may have brought together many current and former greats, but it wasn’t a nostalgic reflection that left a strong sense of optimism.

Instead it was the wave of youth, a golden generation of teenage talent which has never been rivalled either in its depth or diversity of disciplines.