Roscommon athletes have distinguished themselves in national and international competitions in recent weeks, reflecting an increasingly professional approach to training and preparation. A growing list of medals and an unending list of new personal bests indicate that the athletics club is becoming a force to be reckoned with.

At the Celtic Cup in Cardiff last weekend, Kiltoom man and now Raheny Shamrocks member, Ciarán Ó Catháin, won bronze in the 60m hurdles, recording a new personal best time of 8.38 secs. His younger brother, Lorcán, also took his share of international spoils recently in Glasgow, where he won gold and silver in the Scottish indoor championships in the 200m and 60m events.

Other Roscommon AC athletes to distinguish themselves recently at the Connaught indoors were: Dermot Gillen, gold in the 800m; Pablo Lope, silver in the 1500m; and Dearbhail Ní Catháin, gold in the 60m.

According to coach, Sandra Ní Catháin, “A group of athletes started training in Athlone about three years ago to facilitate those who were finding it very difficult, especially in exam years, to keep up their training and their school work. Things have really blossomed from there. Now, a small group of dedicated teenagers train together at least twice a week in their pursuit of personal best, readying themselves to compete. Some will compete locally, others nationally and, what is becoming more frequent thanks to the introduction of world class training facilities, international competition is now within the reach of our local teenagers.”

AIT sports manager, Gordon Brett, agrees that the investment in facilities has made a difference in the performance of sports men and women in AIT and the local community. “Developing an IAAF-approved athletics track and FIFA-approved astro-turf pitch was an act of faith on behalf of the institute in the natural talent of athletes in the Midlands. Having the opportunity to train on world-class facilities gives an edge to our competitors in the closing minutes of a game and in the last few metres of a race,” he said.

“Our ambition now is to create an indoor sporting arena that will not only be a major resource for the institute, but will benefit sporting clubs throughout the region. This extends from helping those who simply want to improve their quality of life through initiatives such as Fit4Life, as well as at the elite high performance end of the spectrum. AIT is committed to supporting Athlone’s ambition to be renowned as a sporting hub and this development is an investment for the town and the region,” Mr Brett said.

The current success for Roscommon AC reflects years of training and unsung dedication, said Ms Ní Catháin. “Our juvenile athletes had to train on grass pitches or badly kept hockey pitches, surfaces that are not very conducive to athletic speed. Many achievements during this time went unnoticed and were not covered in the press. For example, five girls from Kiltoom who were trained by Mary Burgoyne in Roscommon, took home several Athletics Ireland, Community Games and All-Ireland schools medals. Over a nine-year period, from the time they were about 8 or 9-years-old, Gemma Stack, Kara Diffley, Aoibhin Egan, Aoife Cunningham and Niamh Ní Catháin featured in every All-Ireland relevant to their age group,” she stated.

Cross country competition has also been an important component of the athletics scene in the county. Last weekend, the Roscommon Athletic County Board hosted the All-Ireland B Cross Country Championships at Lough Ree Forest Park. Amongst the hundreds of children competing, Roscommon athletes Pablo Lope and Tara Fitzgerald were amongst the top finishers. Pablo won silver in the boys’ under-17 and Tara was ninth in the girls’ under-15.

With many new and aspiring athletes joining Roscommon AC this year, the word from the club is that training is going great and all involved are looking forward to further successes in 2010.

A final word comes from Sandra Ní Catháin: “Track and field athletics is alive, strong and successful in Athlone and Roscommon, but unfortunately is sometimes silent. That story of success needs to be told, not only for the athletes’ own sake, but to encourage even greater numbers to get involved.”

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