Have a listen from Eddie 

I´ve done a couple of podcasts recently with John O¨Regan. Here are the links just in case you want to have a listen.

The first one was for the I.A.U. and the second one was for John´s own No Finish Line podcast.

John is the manager of the Irish 24 h team and a representative of the I.A.U.

Take care Patsy.

Eddie.

Bosco Reid  from the Cross now reident in Buncrana was back in competitive athletics action Sunday after a short break from the sport winning the shot silver in the national masters indoor in Athlone .

The second fastest time ever by Valley athlete Brendan Boyce in St Annes Park Raheny on Saturday was enough to collect silver in the national 20k walk 1.24.45 behind a new exciting new kid on the block David Kenny who in the event went 4th fastest ever by an Irish athlete. Brendan is now targeting the World walks champ. in Belorussia next month all in preperation for the olympics . 

The countdown to the annual Rundonegal Womens 5k at Finn Valley Centre is on its April 5th at 11am with registration on the day until 10.30 . This event now being hosted for a number of years has beneffied various charities over the years and indeed raised 7513   euros in 2019 on behalf of Ovarian Cancer research in memory of Brid Carr a  young Glencolmcille  lady who sadly passed away some years ago  . Brid a nursing sister in Great Ormond Street hosp. was misdiagnosed on a number of occasions ,.

A very positive return from Finn Valley ac athletes from the national senior indoor champs over the weekend in Dublin topping the list John Kelly with a new Ulster Donegal and club record 18.35m on his opening throw to seal the title a mark that moves him to second on the all time list  followed in second by brother James at 15.47m and training partner Gavin Mc Laughlin 4th 13m +

The search for Donegals fastest children came to an exciting conclusion tonight at Finn Valley ac with a packed out hall of teachers, Qualifiers from numerous trials throughout the county over the last 5 weeks ,parents came together  to witness an exciting event in which split seconds made the difference between the top positions 

A successful event once again damp conditions at times but an excellent Valley team delivered the event in great style . Well done all 

Finn Valley ac left in large numbers in the dark of Saturday morning from 5am  to compete national master, intermediate  underage national cross country undaunted by weather warnings targeting titles and rewards for a tough disciplined winter of hard work under various dedicated coaches and with tremendous parental support . Spirits high then the venue Rathdrum ,Wicklow and it was when all the tallies were made in the shadow of Avondale the home of Parnell the leaders will scratch this down as an eventful successful day

Topping the Valley and Donegal list was Teresa Doherty county x country champion now national masters champion but not just a champion a runaway  winner from the gun from the pursuing Kate Purcell Raheny  leading her Valley squad of Kay Byrne  ( 2nd in her category ) Bridgeen Murray and Kathleen Mc Nulty   to 3rd team . Donegal with the Valley girls plus Claire Mc Guigan ,Lifford /Strabane 3rd and Helen Mc Cready ,Rosses 9th took team gold . The other news in this race Noreen Bonner 3rd masters category . A solid return all round

The search to find Donegals fastest child is on once again trials being led out by teachers throughout the county and Finn Valley ac athletics development coaches on a daily basis .

Finn Valley ac travelled in large numbers over 2 days last weekend to the Ulster underage indoor champs in Dublin yes Dublin as no suitable venue in the province .

Finn Valley athlete John Kelly got his 2020 season off to a blistering start with a new Ulster ,Donegal and Finn Valley ac indoor record 18.15m  in Reykjavik ,Iceland at weekend . His form had been positive in training and consistently over 18m indeed he had 2 throws over 18 on this occasion 

The annual Donegal Sports star awards at the Mount Errigal Hotel once again justified itself with a sell out crowd and the interest was not only in the Athletics award for which Sommer Lecky and Brendan Boyce were nominated but for the announcement of the overall award an honour that previous Finn Valley ac had received namely Danea Herron , Hugo Duggan , Sean Carlin Bridie Lynch ,Sommer Lecky and on the back of an outstanding performance and excellent year Brendan Boyce surely was in with a serious shout . 

Finn valley ac at their annual dinner in the Athletic club centre in addition to acknowledging club coaches  athletes and committee  for their efforts over 2019 announced the most recent inductees into their Hall Of Fame Noreen Martin .

Finn valley ac had a successful outing at the Ulster intermediate and masters cross country at Armagh Saturday winning the masters men provincial title with a strong team return led by Patrick Brennan 3rd with additional scorers Drrmot mc Elchar Shane Mc Nulty and John Mc Elhill  a performance that will give this squad confidence approaching nationals Feb 8th

The grounds at the Finn Valley Centre Stranorlar proved an ideal venue for the annual district schools cross country champs on Tuesday . Donegal schools were joined by schools from Derry and Antrim to make a total entry list of 850 for what was the first ever staging of this event in Donegal . The fine weather and dry underfoot conditions added to the occasion and there were many exciting team and individual  battles . 

Finn Valley Boxing Day 5k 2019

Families ,athletes  local and world class ,walkers ,joggers have been coming together for 48 years plus for the annual St Stephens Day 5k at Finn Vallley Centre . Its a community event in the wider sense those home for the holiday period tend to meet up .

Brendan Boyce retained the national 30k walk title in St Annes Park Raheny Saturday in an international quality field .

Ireland had their most successful European Cross Country Championships winning four medals, two individual and two team, at Bela Vista Park in Lisbon today (December 8).

ATHLONE INDOOR ARENA

DECEMBER 28^th 2019

The legends of Donegal Athletics gathered in the Finn Valley Centre on Sunday night to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Donegal Athletics Board at gala dinner and presentations marking the achievements of the last fifty years. The four surviving members of the first County Board, Chairman John Carlin, Raphoe, Vice Chairman Eamon Giles, Cranford, Secretary Patsy Mc Gonagle, Ballybofey and Public Relations Officer Bernie O’ Callaghan, Killybegs were present while the late Ben O’ Donnell, Lifford who was treasurer on the first Board was represented by his son John.

Next Sunday is a red letter day for Donegal athletics as it reaches the first fifty years of its existence. Founded in 1969 by the four existing clubs Cranford, Killybegs, Lifford and Glenties at a meeting held in Logue’s of Cranford, the board has continued to grow many of the people who attended that meeting will be in the Finn Valley Centre on Sunday evening to reminisce about the past fifty and of course look forward to the next fifty. Georgina Drumm President of Athletics Ireland and Vice President John Cronin will both be in attendance.

Teresa Doherty combined with claire Mc Guigan Nikita Burke and Helen Mc Cready  to collect bronze team medals in national x country in Dublin .It Was Dublin Laois Donegal race won by Fionnuaal Mc Cormick 

The Bay View Hotel Killybegs was the venue for the fifteenth Gala Ulster Star Awards Banquet and Presentations. Four athletes from each of the nine Ulster Counties were honoured as well as the Senior, Junior and Master Athletes of the Year and Ulster Athletics Hall of Fame i9nductee. Some of the dignitaries who attended the function were Leas Ceann Comhairle Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D. Councillor Michael Naughton and The President of Athletics Northern Ireland Mr Ian Taylor.

The 6th annual Remembrance 10k  once again drew a response from the general area as friends / families in large numbers joined in to mark loved ones sadly no longer with us 

Peadar Mc Granaghan receives his National Volunteers in Sports Award in Farmleigh House Dublin

The Annual Ulster Athletics Star Awards presentation night will be held in the Bay View Hotel Killybegs on Friday next November 15th. When the Awards were set up in 2005 the Bay View Hotel was the main sponsor and Killybegs was the venue for the presentation up until 2011, since then the Awards night has been held in Monaghan but this year they have come home. 

Well cross country is a tough challenge on a good day but Saturday in Dundonald Belfast the occassion the Ulster u 11-19 cross country  provided a memorable obstacle, dire conditions due to incessant rain but the show must go on 

An excellent days cross country hosted by Finn Valley on our grounds . Men and women teams winning and Teresa Doherty taking her 10th title 

Brendan Boyce on a short break home from his training base in Cork attended and made the presentations to the 68 young Finn Valley athletes that won national honours through the season just gone speaking about his early career his pride on representing Donegal on the world stage and his exciting year ahead in 2020 . 

The publication of the 2019 club record list while it indicates positive listings of new records in recent years there are many long standing marks to eg Sean Carlin Brian Doyle Christine Lynch Noelle Harron etc SineadMc Laughlin and Anthony Dunne to name a few 

Press Release 1/11/2019

Sonia O’Sullivan set to enter Hall of Fame at Irish Life Health Athletics Awards;

Sonia O’Sullivan, arguably Ireland’s greatest ever athlete, will celebrate her 50th birthday by being honoured with the Hall of Fame award at this year’s Irish Life Health National Athletics Awards on Thursday November 28th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown.

Eddie Gallen did 220 km in Albi  France at the weekend and was 54th in the men´s race. His Donegal records at ultra distances are 6 hr  73k 12 hr and 24 hr is 230k

Success at Ulster level continued for the novice squads at Finn Valley having won the  Donegal titles the previous week they had travelled in confident mood to Greenmount  to challenge for the Ulster titles 

Eddie Gallen competes this weekend in Albi ,France for Ireland 

FINN VALLEY CENTRE
20/10/2019

The first Ulster Winter Throws Festival was held in the Finn Valley Complex and attracted throwers from sixteen clubs in all four provinces with a number of athletes making the long trek from Tipperary clubs Templemore, Nenagh Olympic and Carrick on Suir. Galway was well represented with athletes from Athenry AC and Tuam AC, Euan Cuniffe made the journey from Boyne AC in Louth while there were athletes form Ulster clubs, Lagan Valley, Ballymena and Antrim, Sparta, Olympian, Shercock and Omagh Harriers as well as local athletes from Cranford, Lifford/Strabane, Finn Valley, Tir Chonaill, Rosses.

Athletics Ireland organised an open x country at the National Sports Campus and in addition to doubling as a trial for master international in England next month it gives our senior and junior athletes an opportunity to gauge fitness preperation for the more serious  championship stuff in months ahead 

The Donegal County  Board athletics meeting for their annual general meeting in Donegal Town selected the following  award winners at senior ,junior and masters last evening with a clean sweep for the Finn Valley ac club

Donegal - success for FVAC novice teams in Mulladerg as individual and team victories

2019 signalled not only a global world class performance in 50k at world champs  from Brendan Boyce but Donegal and Ulster records over 20 and 50k walk  records also from his clubmate at Finn Valley ac John Kelly in the shot in European Throws meet Leiria Gareth Crawford L/S  in the javelin and the Letterkenny pair Caitriona Jennings 50k in Romania  and Ann Marie Mc Glynn in the Belfast  half marathon with the Valley athlete Bridget Mc Dyre getting added to the illustrious list with a weight for distance mark.

Finn Valley AC have organised an informal reception at the FVAC 8.30pm October 10th to which the relevant athletes, coaches and family are invited to acknowledge those on international duty through late 2018/2019.

A busy week of Cross-Country finished with the McGonagle Champions Cup event hosted by the Finn Valley AC.

Another beautiful September day brought with it another successful Secondary Schools cross-country event hosted by the Finn Valley AC.

A beautiful September day added to the success and enjoyment of the 19th annual primary school cross-country hosted by Finn Valley AC.

BERNIE O’ CALLAGHAN APPOINTED TO OFFICIATE AT PAN AMERICAN GAMES