As 2023 winds down and the tracks and fields fall silent for the winter break, thoughts inevitably turn to what the new season might bring. At Run Republic, we’re already peering down the runway at the next wave of Irish talent ready to make their mark. First on the radar is a young athlete from Newport, Co. Tipperary who’s been quietly stacking up medals and records like it’s just another day at the office.
At just 16 years old, Clodagh Donohoe has already packed more into her athletics career than most manage in a lifetime. A specialist in both the high jump and triple jump, she trains out of Nenagh Olympic AC under the guidance of coach Martin O’Grady. And if you’re wondering how that’s working out, her personal bests of 1.63m in the high jump and 10.80m in the triple jump should answer that.
Her trophy cabinet might need an extension soon. Under the Athletics Ireland banner, she’s already a two-time National Indoor Champion, a three-time National Silver Medallist, and a two-time National Bronze Medallist. Add to that two National Community Games titles in the high jump, and you start to realise this isn’t your average teenage athlete nervously approaching the start line, this is someone who walks in and immediately sizes up the podium.
She hasn’t just kept her success to Irish shores either. Donohoe proudly pulled on the green vest to represent Ireland at the Schools International in Grangemouth, Scotland, finishing a very respectable 5th. And if there’s one country that knows its jumping events, it’s Scotland, yet Clodagh has still managed to collect three silver medals at the Scottish National Indoor Championships.
Closer to home, she became the All-Ireland Schools Triple Jump Champion in 2022 and took on double duty for Munster Schools at the 2023 Tailteann Interprovincial, medalling in both the high jump and triple jump.
Records? She’s got those too. Clodagh holds the U16 Munster outdoor record and the U16 National indoor record for the triple jump, and she added the U17 National Indoor record to her growing list of achievements at this year’s National Indoor Championships.
By any standard, 2023 has been a standout year. Out of 21 competitions across Munster and national events, she landed on the podium 19 times. That’s not just consistency; that’s domination.
Looking ahead to 2024, Clodagh isn’t the type to rest on her laurels. Her goals are already set: break the 11-metre barrier in the triple jump, push her high jump personal best higher still, secure another spot on the Schools International team, and, crucially, stay injury-free.
She’s already had a taste of senior competition too, lining out for the Tipperary senior women’s team at the National League Final, where she added a silver medal to her collection.
At this rate, it’s not a matter of if you’ll be hearing more about Clodagh Donohoe, it’s when. And something tells us that wait won’t be very long at all.