01-07-2025
Lorcan is the golden boy as Ace AC takes Nationals by storm with medal hat-trick
The outstanding individual performances were handsomely rewarded with one brilliant gold, a silver and a bronze and there were impressive showings from other young athletes.
This remarkable achievement is a testament to the hard work that Ace AC's athletes put in, with all athletes under the age of 17 needing to qualify through the highly competitive Leinster Championships.
Leading the way was Lorcàn Forde Dunne, who will be hoping to be selected in the coming days for the Ireland team for the European Youth Olympics. He delivered a thrilling performance to claim the U18 3,000m All-Ireland title.
The race was split into two heats and that meant that the medallists were decided on times. Lorcàn ran the second heat, knowing exactly what he had to do to secure victory.
With a determined group of five athletes breaking away early, Lorcàn picked up the pace with one lap to go and, showing strength and focus, he surged ahead in the final 400m to clinch the gold medal with a fast time of 8:36.
This victory secured Lorcàn's second All-Ireland title of the year, following his Indoor 1500m win in March, and the two sensational performances solidify his position as one of Ireland's brightest young distance runners.
Minutes after Lorcàn's win, Ace AC turned its focus to Eimear Cooney and she secured a national silver medal in the U19 Girls 3,000m.
In a race dominated by Louth based athletes, Cooney fought bravely alongside Dearbhla Allen from the Dromiskin club St Peter's.
While Dearbhla pulled away for the win, Eimear maintained a strong position, finishing in second place with a commanding performance.
This latest achievement adds to Eimear's already impressive record of national podium finishes, and she continues to be one of the most consistent performers in her age group in Ireland.
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One of Ace AC's top field athletes, Jaheim Humphrey, picked up the club's other medal at the championships when he claimed a great bronze in the U17 discus competition.
The Leinster champion threw a personal best of 40.19m, securing his first ever National medal. Jaheim, who is relatively new to the event, has shown incredible promise and will undoubtedly continue to rise in the ranks of Irish discus throwers.
Outside of the medals, one of the standout stories of the weekend was the performance of Caoimhe Carolan, who became the first young Ace AC girl to qualify for a final at the national level apart from the club's successful group of older, established athletes.
In the U13 Girls 600m Caoimhe showed incredible grit to finish just short of her personal best in a time of 1:44.82, securing 12th place in Ireland.
Caoimhe has broken new ground for the club and became another role model for younger athletes aspiring to make it to the National stage. Her qualification through the Leinster Championships and her performance in the final is a huge milestone for Ace AC's future.
Daniel Hanley has shown serious improvement over the last 12 months and he also represented the club at the Nationals in the U17 Boys 800m, where he ran in the second of two heats.
The race was tactical, with athletes bunched together for much of the first 600m before a fast last 200. Daniel fought hard in the final stretch, gaining invaluable experience in what was a really challenging race.
Meanwhile away from the National Championships, other Ace AC athletes competed well in the Irish Miler event in Santry on Saturday, with Shea O'Donnell securing a new 1500m PB of 3:53.
Sholah Lawrence and Daniele Adebola also both ran very well at the competition.
