Donegal athletes have the edge on Kerry for silver at National League finals

The Donegal men’s team placed second in the county section at the 123.ie National League finals in Tullamore on Sunday.

Donegal amassed a total of 121 points, pipping Kerry on a count back with both finishing level on points. Galway took victory on 132 points.

Lifford-Strabane AC’s Finn O’Neill, back for the summer after his first year at The University of Texas at San Antonio, helped to take Donegal to second spot.

O’Neill won the 110m hurdles in 16.25 seconds, ahead of Ger Cremin from Kerry, who crossed the line in 17.78 seconds.

Joseph Aidoo of Letterkenny AC won the 400m in 50.11 seconds, with Jack Greaney from Kerry second in 50.84, while Dylan Kearns (Killybegs AC) won the javelin thanks to a 55.43m throw.

Letterkenny AC’s Sheldon Romeo Nyoni was second in the 200m, crossing in 22.62 and beaten only by the finest, thinnest of margins by Leon Ewere, the Galway man winning in 22.61.

Harry McIlwaine (Letterkenny AC) was second in the 100m sprint in 11.40 seconds, behind only Galway’s Lemar Lucciano, who won in 11.16.

Donal Farren (Letterkenny AC) was second in the 5000m, finishing in 15:28.54 and Oisin Gillespie (Rosses AC) cleared 1.80m for second in the high jump.

Donegal were second in the 4x100m relay where O’Neill was joined by Letterkenny AC trio Sheldon Romeo Nyoni, Joseph Aidoo and Elvis Okoh.

Sheldon Romeo Nyoni of Donegal in action at the National League. Photo: Sportsfile

Donegal finished in 44.01 seconds, edging Galway’s 44.02 effort while Sligo won in 42.76.

O’Neill and Aidoo were on the 4x400m relay team, alongside Cranford AC’s Michael Moore and Brian Boyce of Milford AC, who were second in 3:28.57. The race was won by Sligo in 3:26.01. 

Michael Moore (Cranford AC) was third over 800m in 1:57.17 while Okoh was third in the triple jump, leaping to a best of 12.30m.

Luke Ward’s 12m launch placed him third in the shot and the Tir Chonaill AC man’s 32.73m throw was fourth in the hammer. 

Nyoni’s 5.66m was fourth in the long jump and O’Neill threw the discus to 39.53 for fourth.

Danny Sharkey (Letterkenny AC) was fifth in the 1500m walk, going 11:40.61 and Brian Boyce (Milford) Ac clocked 66.73 seconds for fifth in the 400m hurdles.

Caolan McFadden (Cranford AC) was fifth in the 1500m in 7:48.16, Oisin Gillespie went 14:34.77 for fifth in the 3000m steeplechase and his father Aidan Gillespie was sixth in the weight for distance, going to 4.48m

Dundrum South Dublin were the Premier Division winners in the men’s and women’s sections. Kilkenny City Harries won the Division 1 men’s title with the women’s Division 1 title going to Enniscorthy and the county women’s crown headed to Tipperary.