On Sunday December 15th 17 year old Níamh O Mahony crossed the finish line in first place, by a 150 metre advantage, to secure a gold medal at the U19 Irish Life, Athletics Ireland, National Cross Country Championships held in the cold, wet, and muddy 4000 metre course at Dunboyne Co. Meath. Níamh’s first cousin Conor O Mahony, whose sister Ciara and mother Catherine are also on team Pres Tralee, narrowly missed out on the medals with a fourth place finish in the closely fought and tough Novice men’s 6000 metre National final. Both Conor and Níamh run with An Ríocht athletic club. Níamh recently finished in second place in the U 18 National Cross Country finals, held in Abbotstown Co. Dublin, on November 24th. Earlier in the year Níamh won the Secondary Schools National Cross Country title competing for Presentation Tralee.
Also during the Summer at the age of 16 Níamh won the Athletics Ireland U 18 3000M track title, and also the Junior U 20 3000M track title. Níamh also during the Summer, held onto her Secondary Schools 3000M track National title representing Presentation Tralee, for the second year. Níamh has been selected to run on the Irish Junior U20 team that competes in the Celtic Cross Country championships to be held in Stirling, Scotland early in the new year.
Níamh is also looking forward to representing Presentation Tralee in the field of athletics in 2020.