Kevin Lawler

Currently Kevin is a on athletic scholarship in Dublin City University, studying business. He trains in DCU during the academic year and back home in Carlow during the summer months.

Training involves 12 sessions per week, twice a day 5 days and once each day on the remaining 2 days.
Training incorporates everything from easy runs, to interval sessions, tempo runs, speed sessions, circuit training, core work, weights, drills, strides, and stretching. Physiotherapy every week is also part of the process.

Achievements

• 10 Irish caps from juvenile to student level including 2 European Cross Country appearances in Holland 2005 & Italy 2006, and World University Cross Country Championships in France 2008
• All Ireland Schools Junior Cross Country Champion 2002
• All Ireland U16 3000 metres Champion 2002
• All Ireland U19 Cross Country Champion 2005
• All Ireland U19 1500 metres Champion 2005
• 5th place in the National Intervarsities Cross Country as a 1st year student 2008
• Numerous County, South Leinster, Leinster & National victories, both individual and team.

Personal bests to date

• 1:57...... 800 metres
• 3:59......1500 metres
• 8:48......3000 metres

Aidan O' Toole

If Mary Amond was the first female Carlow athlete to win a gold medal at the community games then Aidan was the first male athlete competing in the 100 metres to win gold for the county.

He continued to be a prolific medal winner down through the years at both community games and his club St. Laurence O’Tooles but injuries and bad luck probably prevented him from achieving his true potential. Picked for the junior international squad he suffered from shin splints and had to take a break for about a year from athletics.
He went to Waterford IT where he competed successfully at inter college level before graduating in 1987. He spent time in London and Dubai before returning to Ireland where he runs the highly successful Weeping Thaiger chain with restaurants in Carlow, Naas, Newbridge, Bray and The Curragh.
Married with three children he lives in Killamaster. He has encouraged his children to take part in sport and Roisin his daughter represented Ireland in gymnastics in Geneva in 2008.

Conor Boyle

A very successful member of St.Laurence O’Tooles athletic club who won All Ireland gold at schools level in the 1500 metres and cross country which saw him compete for Ireland at international level.

In 1980 he was the first Carlow athlete to be awarded an athletic scholarship to Manhattan University, New York and he described his five years there as a wonderful and brilliant experience. Competing on the highly competitive collegiate circuit he won the Princeton 3000m indoors and took part in the Melrose games on four occasions. He graduated in 1984 and returned to Ireland where he competed successfully at cross country level.
He married Tricia Freaney who is a daughter of the famous Dublin footballer, Ollie. They have four children and Conor has obviously passed on his love of sport to his children as Sara recently won the under 10 60m National Community games medal while John is a current member of the Dublin Football Minor team. He is general manager with ACC Rabobank and lives in Dublin.

Brian Kirwan

I started athletics in the summer of 1998 when I was 12 years of age, I soon found myself in the middle distance category with a group of athletes to train with.

The group training was though but I got the grip of it and stuck it out.
We trained hard and pushed each other to the wire from the grounds of the Presentation College in the cold winter nights and speed training on the track in the not so hot summers.
Now we were a team successful in winning County, Leinster and All Ireland medals from Cross Country and Track Competitions. The Boys as we call each other consisted of Danny Darcy, Kevin Lawler, Robert, Neill and Mark O’Rourke, Andrew Murphy , and so we went on………
Cross Country was my favoured sport in secondary school, I qualified and represented my school Carlow CBS in schools International from first year to sixted, missing out on 2004 because of foot and mouth outbreak.
I was awarded athlete of the year on a number of occasions in Carlow CBS.
My highest position in Schools International was in my final year where I finished 5th,
We won gold in the team event that year, as in previous we could only finish 2nd behind England.
In 2001 I won the schools All Tailteann games and represented Ireland at my first Track & Field International in the Steeplechase where I was placed forth

After completing my leaving certificate in 2004 I spent a year studying and training in Cork where I was under the guidance of my Coach Br. John Dooley…..A Nice Man….I completed a PLC course at North Mon where Br. John Dooley was a teacher.
I stayed in Cork until 2006 where I moved back home to concentrate on my training with my coach P L Curran who I am very with as we are working hard together for the coming season.

I want to conclude by thanking James O’Rourke who brought me successfully through the juvenile ranks and keep me in the sport.
Fintan Phelan who looked after me through the years and introduced me to athletics, because at first I though I was a Shot Putter.
Br John Dooley who took me under his wing while I was in Cork.
The boys I grew up and trained with, and the boss himself P L Curran…my coach.

Personal Bests

• 800………..1.58,
• 1500………3.59
• 5000……....15.30
• 1500S/C…..4.28
• 2000S/C…..5.28
• 3000S/C…..9.28

Danny Darcy

Danny started athletics when he was 8 years old with Bagenalstown Athletics Club. At the age of 13 he joined St Laurence O’Toole’s. Danny recently graduated from D.C.U. with a B.A. Degree in Business. He now trains 7 days a week up to 4 hours a day under his coach, Jim Davis. He hopes to pursue a career as a secondary school teacher in the near future.

Major Achievements

Danny has competed for Ireland on 22 occasions. He first ran for Ireland at the age of 13 and has since competed at numerous World and European Championships in both track and Cross Country. He has been captain of many Irish under age teams.
The highlights of his career to date are his 2 European silver medals. He won individual silver at the European junior track and field Championships over 1,500m in 2005 and was a scoring member of the junior men’s team that won team silver at the European cross country championships in 2004.
Danny has broken schools records on the track for 800m that still stand today. He has won Leinster and All Ireland titles over 800m and 1500m at every age group for track and cross country, at both schools and club level. In addition he has All Ireland gold medals for Boxing and Hurling U14.

Personal bests to date

• 800m: 1:50:46
• 1500m: 3:44:10