Ace AC runner Lorcan Forde Dunne boosts Euro qualification prospects
This performance marked his second qualification time for the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), which will be held in North Macedonia this July. Not everyone that meets the qualification standards will automatically be selected, but Forde Dunne's recent times put him in a strong position, so his hopes and those of his club will be high.
Meanwhile, closer to home in Carlow, Aoife O'Connor competed at the U16 Leinster Combined Events competition, which involved five events - the 80m hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump and 800m.
O'Connor finished fourth, just missing out on a medal, but her consistent performances throughout the day were a strong indication of her ability in multiple events.
Ace AC training continues on Tuesdays at 6.30pm in St Oliver's CC, Thursdays at 6pm in Lourdes Stadium and Saturdays at 10am in Oldbridge and later on at noon in Lourdes Stadium for sprinters and younger athletes. New members are always welcome.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Carlingford and Dundalk athletes Estella and Rían to represent Ireland at European Youth Olympic Festival
The Olympic Federation of Ireland last week named thirty-five athletes who will compete across eight sports in the the EYOF. The EYOF is the largest European multi-sport event for young athletes aged 14-17, typically held every two years. This year it takes place in Skopje, North Macedonia, and will run from July 20–27. The EYOF is a prestigious event that plays an important role in the overall development of athletes, as it mimics the Olympic Games model, preparing athletes for the nuances of performing in a multi-sport environment. This year's event will see forty-eight countries across Europe participate in the event, with over 4,000 athletes competing. Announcing the team, Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for the EYOF, Gavin Noble said: 'The EYOF is a key milestone on the Olympic pathway, a chance for athletes to gain invaluable experience in a high-performance, multi-sport environment. This is a competitive and ambitious Team Ireland group, and while many are making their debut, they're ready to step up. We are delighted to include a few new sports to this year's programme, like Basketball 3×3, Table Tennis and Taekwondo, and look forward to supporting the whole team.' The Irish team departs for Skopje on July 18 with competition starting on July 20. Coverage of the Games can be viewed on with daily recaps and results of the Irish action on the Team Ireland channels. Rían will represent Ireland in the Road Race and Time-Trial (M). His auntie, and multi-medal winning Paralympian cycling guide, Eve McCrystal, will also be making the trip as coach to the cycling squad.
Irish Independent
14-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Double delight for Louth's Ace AC as Lorcan Forde Dunne gets Olympic call and Eimear Cooney wins all-Ireland gold
The 17-year-old will compete in the 1500m, having met the qualifying time standard earlier this season. The EYOF is Europe's largest multi sport event for young athletes and the action gets under way on Monday next. Forde Dunne has been a member of Ace AC for many years and has competed regularly at local, provincial and national level since he was eight years of age. Last weekend he added to his list of achievements with a bronze medal in the All-Ireland U18 1500m in Tullamore. Due to large entry numbers, the event was split into two heats, with medals awarded on time, and Forde Dunne won the first heat in 4:03, which was the third fastest overall. He will now focus on preparations for the EYOF, where he will line up against Europe's top underage athletes. Also competing in the Ace colours last weekend was U19 athlete Eimear Cooney, who closed out her juvenile track career with two major performances. On Saturday evening she won bronze in the U20 Morton Mile at the Morton Games in Santry and less than 24 hours later she travelled to Tullamore and captured gold in the U19 1500m at the All-Ireland Championships. Cooney has medalled in every national final she entered this summer and now progresses to the senior ranks. Meanwhile, fellow Ace runner Daniella Adebola completed her final ever juvenile track race with a strong showing in the U19 200m at the All-Irelands. She ran a personal best of 25.74sec in the heats to qualify for the final, where she placed fifth in the country. Adebola has made steady progress all season, recording personal bests across multiple sprint distances. Overall, it's been yet another extraordinary few weeks for Ace AC, with national medals, personal bests and an Olympic selection, marking one of the club's most successful ever periods.
Irish Independent
06-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Drogheda ACE athletes Nugent and Cooney shine at U23 and U20 National Championships
Athletics Ace AC's Maeve Reynolds in action at the Blackrock AC's beach races last Thursday. Danny Nugent marked a major milestone in his athletic career winning bronze in the 5000m at the U23 National Championships. Last weekend top athletes from across the country made their presence felt at the U23 and U20 National Championships, with standout performances from Ace AC's Danny Nugent and Eimear Cooney, both of whom secured national medals in their respective events. Danny marked a major milestone in his athletic career by winning his first ever national medal in the 5000m at the U23 National Championships. At 19 years old, he clinched a hard fought bronze medal in an impressive time of 14.47. This result is a testament to his discipline and consistent training. Due to his relatively young age, Nugent still has a few years left to compete in this category. Danny has been an Ace AC member since he was a young child and now also trains with the Dublin Track Club. He is a perfect example of how hard work and perseverance pay off. Meanwhile, Eimear continued to build on her impressive season securing another national medal, this time, a silver in the U20 1500m. Fresh off her success at the U19 National Championships, where she claimed silver in the 3k, Eimear showcased her versatility in the shorter distance. Competing against older athletes, 17 year old Eimear made her move with 250 meters to go, when she surged into the lead. In the final 50 meters she was overtaken for gold by a late push. Despite this, she finished comfortably in second, securing an impressive silver. Eimear's performance speaks volumes about her ability to compete at the highest level, even when faced with older athletes. In other results, U19 Shea O'Donnell competed in the U20 1500m, narrowly missing out on a national medal after finishing in an agonizing fourth place. The race was decided by just hundredths of a second, with Shea giving a strong performance in a sprint finish. Racing against older athletes, Shea showed tremendous promise and he will be hoping for an even better result next week, when he competes in his own age category at the All-Ireland finals. Additionally one of the club's most successful athletes over the past few years has been Neil Culhane. Neil faced a tough field in the U23 men's 800m. After qualifying for the final finishing second to Nick Griggs earlier in the day, he raced hard but ultimately finished outside the medal positions in the final. It was still a solid performance against some of the country's top middle distance runners. In other Ace AC news, some of the younger Ace AC athletes competed in very poor condition in the annual Blackrock beach Races last Thursday with some good performances. Medals were awarded to the top six in each race. In the U10 race, Cathryn Cumming was fourth in the girls race while Ruairi Cooney was sixth in the boys U12 race, while Hannah Black, Sophie Black, Finn Murphy, Maeve Reynolds, Aidan O'Connor, Muireann Chamass and Adam Cumming all competed well. Meanwhile Ace AC's Angela Kearney and daughter Maeve Nolan successfully completed the Achill half marathon over the weekend. Overall the future looks bright for Ace AC and we can expect even more success from these young stars in the seasons to come.
