Turbo-charged O’Neill smashes 17 year-old record

BRENDAN O’NEILL (St. Michael’s, Dublin), Mairead Murphy (Mercy, Waterford) and Laura Reynolds (Marian, Mohill) all set new records at the KitKat Tailteann Irish Schools interpros at Tullamore on Saturday when a number of athletes bound for the European Youth Olympic Festival got the perfect send-off.

O’Neill is one of those and, after inclement conditions foiled his record attempt at the schools championships two weeks earlier, he raced to a solo 3,000m victory in 8:37.7, smashing the old mark of 8:43.0, which stood since 1988.

His success put the finishing touches to what was another spectacular afternoon at the Tullamore Harriers track where Mairead Murphy (Mercy, Waterford) and Kalyn Sheahan (Ursuline, Waterford) fought out another exciting finish to the girls 300m hurdles.