On the 19th of October 2024, the University of Galway Athletics Club attended the All-Ireland Intervarsity Cross Country Championships, held at the UCC Sports Grounds in Cork. For the first time since 1988, they won the overall team title, along with many other wins.
On the women’s side, Fiona Everard was crowned the Female Individual Champion for the second year. This event plays an important preparation for the National Senior Championships. Following Fiona, first-year student Caitlin Hughes made her debut with the university, placing 12th. Shauna Leydon and Neasa Ni Ainifein also placed high, coming in 23rd and 26th. With a strong team of thirteen, the women’s team placed fourth overall, missing out on a medal by only nine points.
The men’s team was led by Thomas McStay, who placed 4th overall in the men’s race. Oisin Murray followed in 6th, with Oisin Davis placing 9th. Daniel Ryan Eilis made his university debut, placing 12th. He was closely followed by Donal Farren and Luke Johnston who placed 13th and 14th respectively. The men’s team of twenty-one dominated the competition, beating out UL, the nearest challengers by forty-five points, taking home the Fox Trophy.
Director of Sport Des Ryan says: “It is great to see the University of Galway Athletics Club winning so many events at the Irish Universities Athletics Association Cross Country Championships. Sence, I arrived I am really impressed with the coaching, commitment, community, member numbers and the culture of the club. It is great to see the club winning national titles and having such high numbers participating. I am delighted that the University of Galway has such a strong athletics club that develops high performing individuals and supports many of our students to be active. I am looking forward to seeing this club in the west of Ireland go from strength to strength over the coming years. It is the perfect place for young athletes in the University of Galway catchment to excel in their studies and in their sport. Special thanks to coach Matt Lockett and Club Captain Jack Maher."
High Performance Lead Feargal O’Callaghan says: “We at the University of Galway are very lucky to have such a talented group of athletes in our distance group and they are superbly led by coach Matt Lockett. It was fantastic to see Fiona at the front once again and great to see her supported by a strong female team. While it was great to see the men win the team trophy it was the winning of the combined trophy that really put the icing on the cake. I am looking forward to seeing the team perform in the University Road Relays in a few weeks.”
Jack Maher, the Athletics Club Captain says: “To have three big wins on the day (Fiona Everard individual, Men's Team, and Overall Team) was remarkable. It was a history-making day for the club, winning the overall title for only the second time, the first being in 1988. It was a spectacular team performance with both teams showing great talent at the front of the race and backing it up with huge squad depth. This is a testament to the years of hard work and dedication put in by coach Matt Lockett and the whole squad to get the University of Galway distance team to become one of the best in the country. With plenty of young talent featuring on the team, we hope to keep the club here for years to come."
For these University of Galway athletes, attention now shifts to the Intervarsity Road Relays in Maynooth on the 9th of November and then to the All-Ireland U20, U23 and Senior Cross Country Championships the week after.
