Hickey edges Brunt to take senior girls’ 3000m title at All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships

FAMILY AFFAIR: Tara Hunt of Eureka Kells, Meath, is presented with her medal by her grandfather and former Irish schools president, Michael Hunt, after the junior girls 800m during day two of the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools' Track and Field Championships at Tullamore Harriers Athletics Club in Offaly. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

There’s no better place to assess the next generation of Irish athletics stars than at the 123.ie All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships, and the evidence was clear at this year’s edition in Tullamore that the future is bright.

The event’s impact was underlined this year by the awarding of a World Athletics heritage plaque, which was presented at the opening of the championships on Friday evening.

“Dating back to 1916, when the Irish Amateur Athletic Association first promoted national championships for schoolboys, this movement has come a long way since,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe in a video message.

“The organisation developed to provide a national championship structure for schools across Ireland, with provincial competitions allowing young athletes to progress from regional to national and international levels. Previous Irish Schools champions include global stars past and present such as Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O’Sullivan and Rhasidat Adeleke among many others.” 

Emma Hickey was among the potential stars of the future to take gold at this year’s event, the Wexford native – who won European U-20 cross country bronze last December – winning the senior girls’ 3000m title in 9:31.75, less than a second clear of Megan Brunt (Loreto Dalkey).

Both senior 400m hurdles races delivered championship records. Des O’Neill (St. Fintan’s Sutton) clocked 51.89 to take the boys’ title, a qualifying standard for the World U-20 Championships. Ellis McHugh (Waterpark College) smashed the championship record to win the girls’ race in 59.18.

Ava Colreavy (Ursuline College Sligo) claimed the intermediate girls’ 3000m title in 9:28.60, while Charlie O’Neill (Belvedere College) won intermediate boys’ gold in 8:43.35.

The title of Ireland’s fastest schoolboy and schoolgirl for 2026 went to Joshua Awujoola (Dromore High School) and Tiffany Nwaedozie (Ashton Cork). Both had to contend with wet conditions, Awujoola winning the senior boys’ title in 10.74 (0.7m/s), while Nwaedozie clocked 11.91 (2.3m/s) to win the girls’ title.

Both also took victory in the senior 200m races just over an hour later, Awujoola clocking 21.72 (1.7m/s) and Nwaedozie 25.01 (1.4m/s). Destiny Lawal (Castletroy College) landed an impressive double at intermediate level, winning the girls’ 100m in 12.00 (0.6m/s) and 200m in 25.02 (1.2m/s).

Erin Friel (Loreto Letterkenny) was pushed all the way in the senior girls’ 400m by Sofia Granjo (Presentation College Carlow). Friel, who made her senior international debut at the World Athletics Relays this month, clocked 54.59 to Granjo’s 54.69.

The senior boys’ long jump served up an enthralling clash between Michael Kent (Good Counsel New Ross) and Ryan Onoh (Ashton Cork), with Kent’s winning leap of 7.57m (1.9m/s) breaking the championship record set by Ciaran McDonagh in 1995.

Kent then moved swiftly to the pole vault runway, claiming another gold in a championship record of 4.71m. In the senior boys’ hammer, 2024 European U-18 champion Thomas Williams (Colaiste Dun an Ri Kingscourt) won with a best of 60.38m. There was a huge championship record in the senior boys’ shot put as Theo Hanlon (Kildare Town CS) threw 18.24m, adding over 30cm to Victor Costello’s 1990 mark.