Craughwell was on the route at the weekend for a group of runners from Dunleer AC who were running 7 back-to-back marathons (yes, that’s seven – one per day for seven days!) from Galway to Dublin and onto Dunleer in Co. Louth. The group are raising funds for SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome), a rare condition that can strike down healthy sports people in their prime and is believed to be related to a rare genetic cardiac defect.

The group were welcomed into Craughwell by Michael Tobin who ran with them from Oranmore to Craughwell. They arrived at Craughwell around 11.30am where by the kind permission of Tom Callanan and St Michael’s Hall Committee, they had access to shower facilities in St Michael’s Hall. They then had lunch in Raftery’s courtesy of Craughwell AC Senior Club and relaxed for a while before setting off on the road for Loughrea at 3pm.

They were sent on their way from Craughwell by a group of 20 juvenile athletes who ran with them from the hall as far as the Dunard Estate. In fact, the leading bunch of Sinead Gaffney, Brendan Gallagher, Peter Treacy and Padraic Tobin were happily on their way to Loughrea only to be called back as they passed the speed limit signs outside Craughwell. They showed scant regard for the village speed limit also, leaving the marathon runners several hundred metres in their wake!

If you are interested in more information on the Dunleer run or in contributing to its fund-raising, details are available at

http://www.sitestogo.biz/stg/public/download.php?site=site592&file=david_carrie_run.jpg

27 February 2006.