Club History

Limerick AC is the oldest Athletic Club in Ireland founded in 1877. Our first National Champions hark back to the 1880 and 1890s with the first recorded victory by D. Browing’s victory in the High Jump in 1881. Other notable victories in the 1890s include Tady McMahon’s double over 880yrds and the One Mile in 1891 and Patrick “Dockty” McNamara’s victories over the 100yrds and 220yrds in 1895 to list but a few.

In 1962 Limerick AC became one of the first clubs to have a women’s section, 4 years before the first National Championships for women were held. Our current President Mary Cronin won the first Limerick County Cross Country Championship held at Tournafula in 1962, while Susanne Cobbe was our first National Senior Women’s Champion in 1981 winning the 400m hurdles. Her victories were quickly followed by Brenda Walsh and Olive Burke who won back to back Javelin and 100m hurdle titles. Susanne was also the first female member of the club to win an international vest in 1981.

Limerick AC athletes have competed at 7 different Olympiads since Neil Cusack competed in the 10,000m at the Munich Games of 1972 at the 10,000m. Neil also ran the Marathon in Montreal in 1976 having won the 1974 Boston Marathon in between, a feat still unmatched by any Irish athlete. Niall O’Shaughnessy also competed in the 1976 games running in both the 800m and 1500m. Mick O’Shea ran the 5,000m in Moscow 1980, while Frank O’Mara competed in the 1,500m at the 1984 Los Angles games and in the 5,000m at both Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992. Our most recent Olympian was Tom Comyns who took part in the 4x100m relay team in Sydney 2000. Former club President Ronnie Long was Athletics Team Manager at the Montreal Olympics (1976) and at the inaugural World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis in 1997.

The club’s greatest successes are the two World Indoor 3,000m championships won by Frank O’Mara in 1987 and 1991.

International Representation

Limerick AC athletes have represented Ireland at senior level on 245 occasions from International Matches to the European & World Championships and the Olympic Games. During an upbroken streak from 1971 to 2007 at least one athlete from Limerick AC won an International Cap. The first recorded international was Patrick McNamara is Glasgow in 1895 in a Scotland v Ireland match, while the our first female international was Susanne Cobb in 1981 at the Yugoslavia v Ireland v Greece match. Frank O’Mara has the most international caps (31), while Olive Burke has the most for a woman (14).

Liam Reale, Frank O’Mara, Olivia Kelleher, Barry Walsh and Neil Cusack all competed at the European T&F Championships while Neil Cusack (Cross County – XC), Mick O’Shea (XC) Robert Costello (XC), Frank O’Mara (XC & T&F), Kieran Finn (T&F), Noel Richardson (XC), Frank Hanley (XC), Barry Walsh (T&F) and Tom Comyns(T&F) have competed at an IAAF World Championships. Mick O’Shea was a member of the team that won World Cross Country Silver on home soil in Limerick in 1979.

Mick O’Shea (1973), Frank Hanley (1988) and Paul Logan (1998/89/90), Christine Geoghegan (1990) and Alan O’Gorman (1991/92) all ran at the Junior World Cross Country Championship while Liam Reale was 4th at the World Youth Championships in 1999 over the 2000m Steeplechase. Cathal Deenehy competed twice at the European Cross Country Championships (u20 2006 and u23 2007).

Notable Achievements

Frank O’Mara was double world indoor Champion over the 3,000m (1987 in Indianapolis and 1991 in Seville), while Barry Walsh won bronze in the Decathlon at the European u20 Championships in 1987. Limerick AC were winners of the National Cross Country Men’s title in 1979 and 1983 and the T&F Premier League winners for men in 1979, 1983, 1985 and women in 1996. The Women also won the National Road Relay champions 1983. Limerick AC athletes have won a combined 182 National Titles at senior (140) and u23 (42) level.

National & European Records

Frank O’Mara still holds the national 2mile record (8.17.78), while Taneisha Robinson-Scanlon holds the current Triple Jump Records both indoor and out (13.28m indoor and 13.62 outdoor). Mary T. Real also holds the record for old 600g Javelin (50.42m). Limerick AC athletes have set 26 individual national records and one European Record; Niall O’Shaughnessy ran 3.54.4 for the indoor mile in January 1977 which was the European Record at the time.

NCAA

37 athletes from Limerick AC made their way to the United States and competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. Some notable performances include Neil Cusack won the Individual Cross Country title in 1972, while Susan Murnane was a member of the Providence College Women’s team that won the Cross Country team title in 1995 (placing 13th overall). Frank O’Mara won the 1500m in 1983 while Niall O’Shaughnessy was 2nd in the indoor Mile in both 1997 and 1978 and 3rd in the outdoor 1500m in 1977. Frank Hanley also won silver in the indoor 5000m and bronze in the outdoor 500m in 1993. Liam Looney was a member of the Arkansas team that won bronze at the 1995 indoor championship in the Distance Medley Relay (DMR).

Junior & Juvenile Achievements

Limerick AC athletes have won over 150 Individual Junior or Juvenile titles. The Junior Women won the National Junior Cross Country Team title on 4 occasions, 1979, 1988, 1990 and 1991. Our most recent champions are Darragh Whelan (u16 800m), Killian Coman (u15 800m) and Charlie Smith (u14 75mH) at the 2026 T&F Championships. Darragh Whelan also won the Celtic International Cross Country (u17) over the famous Parliament Hill, London course in February 2026.

Schools

Over 50 club members have represented Ireland while competing for their schools. Three of whom won the Schools International Athletic Board Championships; Mick O’Shea Senior Boys 1500m and Cross Country in 1972, Olive Burke Intermediate 80mH in 1982 and 1983 and Darragh Whelan Junior Boys Cross Country in 2025.

Interesting Facts About Limerick Members

Ronnie Long was President of National Governing Body and Team Manager at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Bernie and Pat Hartigan are brothers capped for Ireland, both are also winners of the 1973 All Ireland Hurling Championships with Limerick.

Liam Hennessy is the 4^th youngest person to represent Ireland at 16 years 56 days – Ireland v Portugal T&F 23 July 1974.

Most Senior National Titles – Emma Gavin Shot Putt 5 Outdoor and 3 Indoor, John P. Leahy Shot Putt, 3 Outdoor and 5 Indoor.