Tullamore is set to host a thrilling day of athletics this Saturday, July 5th, as Ireland’s top young athletes descend upon the Offaly venue for the 123.ie U20 and U23 National Championships.
Further spice will be added to proceedings with both the European U23 championships (Norway, 17 Jul – 20 Jul) and European U20 championships (Finland, 7 Aug – 10 Aug) looming large. This year’s National U20 Championships will also be used as selection for the upcoming DNA U20 Club event in Portugal which takes place on 20th and 21st of September 2025, details of which can be found below.
Among the intriguing entries this weekend is Candour Track Club’s Nick Griggs who holds a sole entry in the 800m following his blistering 13:26.16 over 5000m in France last weekend. Griggs has shown a remarkable ability to get back up to speed following a six-month period out with injury on the back of his silver-medal-winning performance at the European Cross Country last December.
Olympian Nicola Tuthill may miss this weekend’s competition following last weekend’s exertions at the European Team Championships, but hammer throw fans will still be out in force to follow 2024 European U18 Champion Thomas Williams (Hammer) who continues to impress. He will look to go in search of another national title in the U20 hammer come Saturday morning.
Williams’ fellow European U18 medallists Seamus Clarke (5k Walk), Cian Crampton (Discus) and Joe Burke (200m) are also among the entries, as is Conor Kelly (400m) who has been blazing a trail over 400 meters this season, culminating with a national U20 record of 46.09 last weekend in Germany, improving on his previous record of 46.18 which was clocked last month at the IFAM Outdoor meeting in Brussels.
Kelly will be joined on track this weekend by his recent record-breaking U20 4×400 teammates, with Alex Cullen, Sean Doggett, and David Davitt all set to take their places in a stacked U20 men’s 400m following their NU20R relay record of 3:08.31 at the weekend.
There is no shortage of star power in the jumps, with 2023 European U20 champion Elizabeth Ndudi (Long Jump) returning from duty with Team Ireland in Slovenia last weekend.
- Timetable HERE (Updated 03.07.2025)
- Call Room Times HERE
- Spectator Tickets HERE
- Results Link HERE
- Streamed Live on Athletics Ireland YouTube HERE (Commentary from 1pm)
- European DNA U20 Clubs Irish Selection
U20 PREVIEW
The U20 men’s 100m has the potential to be one of the events of the weekend with several athletes coming into the championships in flying form. Crusaders pair Luke Timlin (Crusaders AC) and Cillian Doherty (Crusaders AC) will be dangerous if making the final, while Joshua Awujoola (Dromore AC) and Dubem Amah (Tallaght AC) can’t be discounted. Jesse Osas (Ratoath AC) broke the U20 indoor 60m championship record in March with a blistering 6.80 and can be expected to use that fast start to book his place in the afternoon’s final.
Joe Burke (Templemore AC) looks set to focus on the 200m with the European U18 medallist having clocked 21.33 in recent months. He’ll be challenged by Donal Martin (Blackrock Dublin), who claimed the indoor 200m title in 21.67 and looked in great form in Mannheim last weekend.
Precious Akpe-Moses (Blackrock AC) will be tough to topple in the U20 women’s sprints, having won both the 60m (7.37) and 200m (24.19) indoor titles. Akpe-Moses clocked 11.71 on 22nd June and followed up with a 23.73 over 200m in Mannheim last weekend. She could be challenged by Fatima Amusan (Leevale AC), Leila Colfer (St. Laurence O’Toole AC), and Katie Doherty (Ratoath AC), while few will rule out the chances of Kilkenny’s Molly Daly.
The 400m will be one of the most anticipated events of the weekend. Sean Doggett (Athenry AC) smashed the U20 indoor championship record with a 47.63 run in March, before going on to clock an outdoor PB of 46.59. He’ll face stiff competition from Conor Kelly (Finn Valley AC), who has lowered the U20 record to 46.09.
Erin Friel (Letterkenny AC) clocked a PB of 54.28 over 400m last week and will go close once again, while chief threat could be Daisy Walker (Monaghan Phoenix) who continues to show remarkable consistency in her racing.
In the middle distances, the men’s 1500 should see Cormac Dixon (Tallaght AC) and Noah Harris (Parnell AC) renew rivalries in what could be a tactical race. Oisin Lynch (Killarney Valley) has set a PB of 1:48.88 over 800m already this season and that should see him in the 800 final shake-up alongside Sean Cronin (Clonliffe Harriers AC) who also holds a 1500m entry. Jennifer O’Leary (Nenagh Olympic) and Nicole Dinan (Leevale) could lead the charge in the women’s 800m, albeit O’Leary also holds a 1500m entry and could opt for the longer distance alongside Aimee Wallace (Mullingar Harriers).
The longer distance races look to have plenty of depth with the 5000m seeing the return of Cillian Gleeson (Celbridge AC) who has already set a PB of 8:09.99 over 3,000m this season which show’s he’s got plenty of tactical speed. Anna Gardiner (East Down) will be looking to put down a marker in the women’s race but expect challengers to appear over the final lap.
Sean Owens (Crusaders) and Cameron McCraken (North Down) could provide a cracker in the men’s 110m hurdles, while Ethan Dewhirst (Tir Chonaill) looks the one to catch over the longer hurdles.
Orlaith Mannion (South Galway AC) and Abigail Farrell of Donore will renew rivalries in the 100 hurdles, while Ellis McHugh (Ferrybank AC) set a NU18 record over 400 hurdles (59.23) and is one to keep an eye out for.
Seamus Clarke (Moy Valley AC) and Matthew Newell (Tuam AC) look set to duke it out in the walks over 5000m once more, with both having broken their respective age grade records already this year, while Robin Og Murphy (Longford AC) will headline the women’s 3000m walk with Savanagh O’Callaghan (Tuam AC) likely to miss out as she returns from injury.
In the field events, Michael Kent (DMP AC) will look to extend his dominance after winning both the indoor long jump (6.84m) and pole vault (4.50m). Michael Alajiki (Dendealgan AC) leapt to a PB of 15.27m already this season and will be hard to outjump in the triple.
Conor Penny (Craughwell AC) looks set to focus on the high jump this weekend following his outstanding display over hurdles last weekend. He will have eyes on going over the two-meter mark once more. Meabh Corkery (Midleton AC) continues to improve year on year and can be expected to challenge for the pole vault title following her PB of 3.46m this outdoor season.
Thomas Williams (Shercock AC), the European U18 hammer champion, will aim to cap off a stellar season with another national title. Caoimhe Gallen (Lifford Strabane AC) is one to watch in the throws, having claimed indoor shot gold with 11.81m.
Cian Crampton (Edenderry AC) will look to let fly in the discus from 2.30pm and looks one of the leading favourites of the day.
U23 PREVIEW
Max O’Reilly (Riverstick Kinsale AC) has an outdoor PB of 10.50 and will be right in contention as he looks to utilise his fast start which has seen him clock 6.66 indoors to move to fourth on the Irish all-time 60m list. Sean Aigboboh (Tallaght AC) has been on fire this season, already securing the European U23 qualifying standard and was part of the record-breaking men’s 4x100m last weekend. Craig Duffy (Clonliffe Harriers) has run a 10.47 PB this season and will have eyes on the podium
Aisling Kelly (UCD AC) completed the indoor sprint double (7.57/24.62) and will be a strong contender in both the 100m and 200m. Lucy-May Sleeman (Leevale AC) was in action at last weekend’s European Team Championships, and although entered in the 100m individual, may focus on the relay.
Andrew Egan (Galway City Harriers) would be a contender for the 200m if returning to the blocks following his 20.86 this season which sees him rank as the second fastest overall this year behind Marcus Lawler. Dannan Long (Enniscorthy) is another sure to be involved in the race for medals.
If Jenna Breen (City of Lisburn) can reproduce her 53.59 from earlier this season, she will be tough to pass in the women’s 400m. Kate O’Connell (Lucan Harriers AC) broke the U23 indoor 400m championship record in March with a 55.11 and will look to replicate that form outdoors. Niamh Murray (Bray Runners) can’t be discounted in what should be a cracking contest with places on the European 4x400m relay squad at stake.
Callum Baird looks one of the standout entries in the men’s 400m alongside Joe Doody (UCD AC) and David Mannion (South Galway AC).
In the 800m, Finn Woodger (MSB) returns after winning the indoor title in 1:53.71 and followed that up with an outdoor PB of 1:49.22. He’ll be joined by Nick Griggs (CNDR Track Club) and Lughaidh Mallon (UCD AC) in a stacked field. On the women’s side, Maeve O’Neill (Doheny AC) leads the entries with a 2:03.30 PB.
Cathal O’Reilly (Kilkenny City Harriers), Callum Morgan (CNDR Track), and Mark Hanrahan (Ennis Track) should go well in the men’s 1500m, while anyone with aspirations of gold in the women’s 1500m will likely have to go by Eimear Maher (DSD).
Jonas Stafford (UCD) and Sean Quinn (DSD) could battle it out in the men’s 3,000m SC, while Alexandra Joyce (Tuam AC) should go well in the women’s 3000m steeple having set a 2000m SC PB earlier this season while having already secured the qualification standard for the European U23s. Ailish Hawkins (Dublin City Harries) has run 10:10.63 and will be right there, while Finn Valley’s Amy Green is not to be discounted.
Maebh Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) is entered over 1500m and 5000m. The 5000m could see her line up against Heather Murphy (St Michale AC) and Roise Roberts (CNDR) in a run for the podium.
Adam Nolan’s absence in the110m hurdles leaves the door open for a new champion. Fintan Dewhirst (Tir Chonaill) looks chief threat in the 400 hurdles, while Victoria Amiadamen (Dooneen AC) has a PB of 58.56 and will be the one to catch in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Mullingar will look to dominate the walks once again with Matthew Glennon (Mullingar Harriers) and Aisling Lane (Mullingar Harriers) looking to keep up the winning momentum, albeit Ciara Wilson Bowen (DSD) should also be right in contention in the women’s race.
Aoife O’Sullivan (Liscarroll AC) is the clear favourite in the U23 high jump after her 1.81m PB, while Elizabeth Ndudi (Dundrum South Dublin) looks set to go in search of the U23 long jump title. Conor Callinan (Leevale) is set to continue his rapid return to form in the U23 pole vault.
Liam Shaw (Athenry) will look to continue his development in the discus and shot, while Anna Gavigan (LSA AC) too will look to eek out more as she looks to better her personal best.
