BY MICHAEL O’LEARY
Cathal O’Reilly from the Kilkenny City Harriers Club is part of The Ireland U-23 Squad for this Sunday’s European Cross Country Championships in Antalya in Turkey, and it will be his second time to have competed in the European Cross Country Championships having previously done so three years ago in Dublin.
In 2021, Cathal was part of the Ireland U-20 Squad that won a Silver Medal in Abbotstown in Dublin as they just lost out on the Gold Medal by a solitary point to Great Britain, and he booked his ticket to Turkey on Sunday following a top 10 finish at the National Seniors in Enniskillen County Fermanagh.
Cathal finished 8th overall but he was the third in the U-23 category and that meant a place in the Irish Squad for this years Europeans, and the KCH Athlete has been sparkling form throughout 2024 having broken the 4 minute mile barrier in Belfast while he also set personal bests this year over 800 and 1500 metres.
He became the second Kilkenny Athlete to break the 4 minute mile following Eoin Everard, and it was on a very special weekend that he managed to acheive that particular feat at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast, as it was one of seven, mile races held to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister becoming the first to run a sub 4 minute mile.
Cathal is equally effective at both Track and Field and Cross Country and last year he enjoyed a memorable day on home territory in Gowran, as he was part of the Senior Mens Team who won Team Gold in the National Seniors for the very first time along with Peter Lynch, Eoin Everard and Brian Maher.
Among the Irish U-23 Squad is Nick Griggs who was a four-time Medalist at The Euro Cross Country over the past three years.
The Tyrone teenager was part of the Ireland Team along with Cathal that won the Silver Medal at the 2021 Cross Country Championships in Dublin, while he was an individual medalist in both the 2022 and 2023 Championships along with been a member of the team that won the Gold Medal at last years Championships in Brussels.
Nick is having a superb year with personal bests over 1500 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metres, while in November he set a new world record for Parkrun at the Victoria Park event with a time of 13 minutes 44 seconds.
His superb form and previous success at the Europeans augurs very well for a promising show for The U-23 Team on Sunday.
Cathal is coached by Niamh and Noel Richardson, and the Richardson family have plenty of experience on the International circuit.
Both Niamh and Noel have represented Ireland in both Track and Field and Cross Country, while their daughters have competed at the European Cross Country Championships in recent years.
Aoibhe was part of the Ireland Team that won a Silver Medal at the European’s in Lisbon, Portugal in 2019 when she finished a highly creditable 17th, while in 2022 she helped The Ireland Team to a Bronze Medal in Turin.
Meanwhile, her sister Maebh represented Ireland in The Ladies U-20 race in Brussels last year, after they secured qualification as a result of The Kilkenny City Harriers winning Junior Team Gold at The Nationals.
Kilkenny Athletes have performed very well in the Euro Cross Country competition over the past 5 years, and with Cathal O’Reilly in sparkling form ahead of Sunday along with the rest of the Irish contingent hopes are high of a very good showing.
Finally, The Medieval Mile Run that was scheduled to take last Friday will go ahead tonight (Friday 6th December).
