ATHLETICS
The name of St. Mary’s College Galway has been synonymous with all that is best in Connacht Schools Athletics for over half a century. Records in the school show us as having competed in the inaugural Connacht Track and Field Championships back in the 1940’s. We were also one of the six schools to compete in the first Connacht Cross-Country championships in the early 1960’s. This link shows a record of all the Connacht champions since the start of the Connacht Schools championships
Over the years we have produced a number of excellent performances both at Provincial and National level, and have been the outstanding school in Connacht for the past number of years, winning the overall schools title in both Cross-Country and Track and field for the past eight years. All this hard work eventually culminated in us winning the President’s Cup for best overall School at the All-Ireland Trackc and Field finals in Tullamore in June 2017. This was only the fifth time in its 100 year history that this magnificent trophy, and achievement, has crossed the Shannon to Connacht.
Recent outstanding performances include the triumph of leaving certificate student Anthony Hebron in the Irish Schools 400m Hurdles in June 2011, the consistently excellent performances of Keith Fallon in both 800m and cross country, and the wonderful raw talent of Padraic Creaven and Samuel Samson. Padraic was the first Mary’s athlete to win the Connacht minor cross country title for 10 years, and then further enhanced his reputation with a medal winning performance at the National Finals, before producing a stunning performance to win the minor 1500m, breaking a record that had stood for 30 years. In 2012 he greated history by becoming the first Mary’s athlete ever to win a national schools cross-country title when he romped to victory in the junior boys All-Ireland hosted by St. Mary’s. Samuel Samson is another athlete who has tasted national success, winning a bronze medal at both the Irish Schools Track and Field finals (in the Junior 800m) and at the All-Ireland Schools Combined Events finals in 2012 and 2013, and then following this up with a bronze medal in the Inter 400m Hurdles at both the National finals and the Tailteann Games in 2013. Sam won further medals in the Senior 400 Hurdles. Both Padraig and Samuel have been selected to represent Ireland in schools athletics events. Samuel’s brother is another who has performed excellently, winning a national bronze medal in both the Triple Jump and the 400m Hurdles at Inter level in 2016. The relay’s have been successful medal winning territory as well, with the College winning bronze in the Inter 4 x 100m in 2015, silver in the Senior 4 x 100m in 2016 and followed these up with an excellent silver in the senior 4 x 400m in 2017. All three teams featured the talented athlete Shane Traynor-Canavan, who also medalled in the national senior Combined Events finals in 2016
St. Marys College have been the premier performing school in Connacht Schools’ athletics over the past ten years. Although recent performances haven’t matched those of the past for seven years from 2007 we were the best overall boy’s school shield winners at the Connacht Cross-Country finals and and have been overall champions at the Track and Field finals since 2007. We have also performed exceptionally well at the Connacht Combined events championships regularly producing Connacht Champions and medal winners , as well as achieving medal success at the national finals.
Recent shield winning athletics performances at Connacht Championships are detailed in the table below.
Track and Field
| Year | Minor (U14) | Junior (U15) | Inter (U17) | Senior (U19) | Overall |
| 2019
2018 2017 |
3
1 2 |
1
1 1 |
1
1 1 |
1
3 1 |
1
1 1 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2007 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | |
| 2005 | 1 | – | – | 2 |
Cross-Country
| Year | Minor (U14) | Junior (U15) | Inter (U17) | Senior (U19) | Overall |
| 2019
2018^ 2017 |
4
DNC 5th |
1
DNC – |
DNC
DNC – |
DNC
DNC 1st |
3
DNC 5th |
| 2016 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 2015 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2014 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2013 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2012 | DNQ | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2006 | Did not compete* | DNC | DNC | DNC | |
| 2005 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 2 | – | – | 1 |
* DNC due to a bereavement
^DNC due to weather
ALL-IRELAND ATHLETICS MEDAL WINNERS
2017: Shane TraynorCanavan (Senior Combined Events 3rd), ( Shane Traynor Canavan, Ryan Traynor O’Toole, Diarmuid Mulkerrins, Gabriel Dossen (Senior 4 x 400m 2nd), Jason Lydon (Minor Shot Putt 3rd)
2016: Kelvin Samson (Inter 400m Hurdles and Triple Jump 3rd), Kamil Szymaszek, Selassie Seshi Doe, Kelechi Asonye, Shane Traynor Canavan (Senior Relay 2nd)
2015: Samuel Samson ( Senior 400m Hurdles 3rd), Ryan Traynor -O’Toole, Selassie Seshi Doe, Kelvin Samson, Shane Traynor Canavan (Intermediate 4 X 100m Relay 3rd)
2014: Samuel Samson (Inter 400m 3rd)
2013: Samuel Samson (Inter 400m Hurdles 3rd, Tailteann Games 400m H 3rd, Inter Combined Events, 3rd)
2012: Samuel Samson (Junior 800m 3rd, Combined Events 3rd) ; Padraig Creaven (Junior Cross-Country 1st, Tailteann Inter-Provincial Games 3000m 2nd)
2011; Anthony Hebron (Intermediate 400m Hurdles 1st); Padraig Creaven (Minor Cross-Country 6th)
2010: Keith Fallon (Senior Combined Events 2nd)
2009: Osaze Osagie (Junior 100m 3rd, 200m 2nd)
2008: Naoise O’Lionaird (Senior Combined Events 3rd)
1997: Stephen Casserly (Intermediate 1500m Steeplechase 1st)
1994: Intermediate Cross-Country Team 3rd (Simon Daly, Garret O’Neill, Aidan Wallace, Daibhi MacDomhnaill, Brian Langan, Gerard Forde, David Burke, David Byrne)
IRISH INTERNATIONALS
Padraig Creaven (Junior Cross-Country 2011), Samuel Samson (Junior Combined Events 2012, Inter 2013), Osaze Osagie (Junior 100/200m 2009) Barry O’Sullivan Intermediate 1989)
Click on the links below for details of each respective season
Year starting 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
