Purcell Completes 400m/800m double At Aviva All Ireland Schools

Harry Purcell (Castleknock College) was awarded the Lar Byrne Memorial Trophy for Athlete of the Championships after completing a unique 800m/400m double at the Aviva All Ireland Schools in Tullamore today. 

Purcell won the Boy’s 800m in 1.49.42 from Rob Tully of Gormanston in 1.49.95 with Danny Lawlor (Pres Carlow) third in 1.52.25 Both Purcell and Tully were inside the Irish Schools Record set by Sean Tobin last year of 1.50.65 and the B standard for the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Eugene, USA in July. Purcell went onto later to take the 400m title in 47.83. It was a close battle with Andrew Mellow of Bangor Academy who was second in 47.93. Paul White (Nenagh CBS) was third in 49.18.

Purcell said “I am over the moon I can’t sum up my feelings. My big thanks to Eamonn Coghlan and John Shields (coaches) who always believed me. It wasn’t easy, I didn’t have it my own way in either the 400 or 800.”

In the Senior Girls 800m race favourite Aislinn Crossey (Scared Heart Newry) finished second behind Alannah Lally, after the student from Presentation Athenry put in a sprint finish with 100m to go. Lally’s time of 2:08.28 was also inside the B standard for World Juniors.

Zak Irwin (Sligo Grammar) won the 100m in 10.73 and went on to do the double winning the 200m in 21.38 into a headwind of -1.3. Kieran Elliot was second in (Ballinrobe) 21.50, both athletes were inside the B World Junior standard. Keith Doherty (Drimnagh Castle) was third in 22.15.

Irwin said: “I went out as hard as I could to build up a stagger in the 200 meters. The head wind hit me, but I managed to work through it. It hasn’t sunk in that I have done the double, I gave it everything I haven’t ever been as nervous going to an All-Ireland schools.”

Niamh McNichol also did the sprint double winning the 100m in 12.24 and 200m in 24.4 (H). While Gina Akpe Mossies (SV Dundalk) completed the Intermediate sprint double winning the 100m in 12.01 and the 200m in 25.08.

Kevin Mulcaire (St. Flannan’s Ennis) won the 3000m in 8.33.92 breaking the 36 year old record held by Darren Haddock. Mulcaire went onto to do the double winning the 1500m in 4.10.91. Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Colaiste Iosagain) took her 15th schools title to win the Senior’s 1500m in 4.25.23 inside the World Junior B standard for the second time in a week. The Senior Men’s 1500m was won by Andrew Coscoran in 4:10.59.

Sam Healy (Carrigalin CS) won the long jump in 7.20m and went on to complete the double taking the 110m Hurdles title in 14.26.

Kate O’Connor (SV Dundalk) set a new schools record in the Junior Girl’s Javelin with a throw of 40.77 improving on the throw of 36.94m set in 1985. She then went on to produce the most interesting doubles of the day wining the 800m in 2:21.08.

In the Intermediate girls hammer Katelyn Furlong threw 47.61 to set a new Irish Schools record. Maria Carey (St.Mary’s Newport) won the Intermediate Girls Triple Jump in 11.93 to break Caomhie King’s record of 11.73m.

In one of the first events on the track Aaron Egan (High Schools Clonmel) broke the 8 minute record held since 2004 to win the 2k Walk in 7:54.60.

To finish off a day of records Loreto Kilkenny won the Senior Girls 4×100m in 47.61 to improve on St.McDara’s time of 48.16 set in 1996.