Three medals to Donegal as Mark English and Cian McPhillips set to joust in 800m final

What’s rare is wonderful: Mark English and Cian McPhillips, one of the races Irish athletics connoisseurs have craved, will go head-to-head in the Irish 800m final on Sunday.

The heat inside Morton Stadium, at the National Senior Track and Field Championships, rose beyond 20 degrees on Saturday, but Finn Valley AC's English was the picture of cool as he swept his way into a final showdown.

Champion and challenger, English and McPhillips, each came safely through their heats on a day when silver medals returned to Donegal with Caoimhe Gallen and John Kelly while Amy Greene pocketed a bronze.

There isn’t a shortage of big battles in Santry, but the meeting of English and McPhillips is certainly an intriguing prospect.

McPhillips, who has a PB just 0.27 of a second off English’s best, is the challenger to the Donegal man’s crown. English has won this title nine times and will defend it just after 6.30pm on Sunday.

They had a memorable joust indoors at a Micro Meet in Athlone in February 2021, English nicking ahead of McPhillips on the line. Now, they’ll lock horns on Irish athletics’s biggest stage, in front of a crowded Morton Stadium. 

English had also entered the 400m and there was speculation here that the 32-year-old doctor - the European Indoor 800m bronze medallist in March - would run the one-lap distance. 

However, what the Letterkenny native described as a “last-minute decision” saw him take up a sentry in lane 3 for the 800m heats. 

English nestled himself in behind Finn Woodger for much of the way. Woodger, of Metro/St Brigid’s, took the bell in 55.25 seconds and led the way at the 300m mark. English dropped a gear and laid down his flag over the home straight.

English, at a seeming canter, won in 1:48.92, with Eoin Quinn from Mullingar Harriers second in 1:51.17 and Woodger third in 1:51.32. 

In all, five men qualified from English’s heat.

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Longford native McPhillips, now in the UCD AC singlet, won the second heat in 1:52.58 and the two are set for a heavyweight tussle. The 1:44.19 clocked by the 23-year-old McPhillips at the Morton Games last month is second only to English’s Irish record, the 1:43.92 set at Hengelo in June. 

Cranford AC’s Oisin Kelly was third in his heat, but a 1:53.76 finish wasn’t enough to book a lane for the final.

Gallen scooped a first ever national senior medal, a new personal best of 12.40m taking silver in the shot.

The Lifford-Strabane AC athlete’s 12.40m effort arrived on her sixth and final throw, besting her 12.35m previous best mark set at the National Juvenile Indoor Championships in April.

Niamh Fogarty’s 14.29m took gold with Alana Frattaroli of Limerick AC earning bronze (11.23) and Tir Chonaill AC’s Geraldine Stewart threw 11.06m for fourth.

For Gallen, who still has the hammer to come on Sunday, it was a first visit to a senior podium in Santry.

“I’m really happy with that - I’m over the moon,” said Gallen, a daughter of Sharon Foley, a multiple Irish gold medalist in high jump, triple jump and pentathlon/heptathlon.

Caoimhe Gallen

“I’ve never had a senior medal so this is great. I’m very happy with that. 

“I haven’t had a PB in the shot in quite a while. The hammer is my favourite event, but I do try my best to practice when I can at the shot.”

Finn Valley AC’s Kelly took silver in the shot put. 

Kelly, who held the Irish record for a time in 2022, when he also competed at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, has returned to the throwing circle this summer after an extended time out of action.

Kelly was second to old adversary Eric Favours (Raheny Shamrocks), who took gold with a 19.58m throw with Kelly having a best effort of 17.85m.

“Not overly happy, not overly sad,” the St Johnston man mused.

“It’s definitely not what I want it to be and I’m a bit frustrated. I knew there was more in the tank there. I went after it, I chased it and I got into my own head too much. 

“I had a very good last few weeks and had a promising week this week for a big throw. In my head, I was trying to chase it. Too much thinking, not enough action.”

John Kelly on his way to shot put silver. Photo: Sportsfile

Kelly will return to action in Belfast next weekend for the Ulster Seniors and added: “If I can throw far on Irish soil, I can throw far anywhere. I’ve been gone for way too long. 

“If you had told me this time last year that I’d be back here throwing, I’d have been very, very happy. I’m very grateful to be back.”

Greene bagged bronze in the 3000m steeplechase. 

The Finn Valley AC woman battled through the tough event to finish in 10:41.21. The race was won by St Peter’s AC’s Abbie Sheridan in 10:05.72 with Tuam AC’s Alexandra Joyce second in 10:09.04.

Amy Greene on her way to 3000m steeplechase bronze. Photo: Sportsfile 

Chris O’Donnell of North Sligo AC - who was schooled at Magh Ene in Bundoran eased into tomorrow’s 400m final, as the fastest qualifier when the Grange native won the fifth heat in 46.79 seconds. 

Joseph Gillespie was in a bronze medal place in the triple jump until Joshua Knox bumped him out on the final jump. Finn Valley AC’s Gillespie - who left with silver last year - had a best leap of 13.51m, creeping into third on his own final attempt only for Knox, the City of Lisburn AC athlete, to go out to 13.58m, getting his fingertips on the bronze with just seven centimetres to spare.

Killybegs AC’s Dylan Kearns missed out on a javelin medal, placing fourth with a 56.71m throw 

Jamie Kennedy from Tir Chonaill AC placed seventh in the triple jump, leaping a best of 12.95m, and in the women’s triple jump, Sarah O’Keeney of Letterkenny AC was seventh with a 10.15m best. 

Injury prevented Finn Valley AC’s Sommer Lecky from defending her high jump crown.

A recent injury, which surfaced at the European U23s in Norway, denied Tir Chonaill AC’s Fintan Dewhirst a chance to go at a 400m hurdles medal having taken silver last summer while Arlene Crossan was also forced to sit out.