History of triathlon ireland

On September 25, 1982, 143 athletes gathered in Craigavon to take part in the first ever triathlon in Ireland. With the sport still in its infancy however, the format was scarcely recognisable to the activity enjoyed today, with participants completing two pool swims, one run and two bike rides.

Thomas Heaney and Diane Sloan won that event and an entertaining account was written by Tony Bagnall in his book the Irish Triathlete – an account of which was published on this site in 2021.

The following year, Maurice Mullins organised the first ‘modern’ triathlon, one which proceeded in the swim-bike-run format, in Skerries, Co. Dublin.

The winner was Ciaran ‘Ben’ Brady, an accomplished runner who was offered a scholarship to the University of Wyoming in America later that year.

The first long distance triathlon was held in Skerries on the 3rd of August 1987. 11 participants took part with 10 completing the course. Maurice Mullins again organised this race and it was won by Paul Emmett in a time of 11hrs 57mins and 15secs.

The Irish Triathlon Association was founded in 1984 and boosted 203 members in its first year. Dublin man and RTE employee Gerry Kelly was the first President of the Association.

When the NGB was founded?

The Irish Triathlon Association was founded in 1984 following a meeting in Smith’s Pub on Haddington Road, Dublin which took place in late 1983.

When were the first National Championships held?

Greystones, Co. Wicklow, October 1983 – The ‘Premier All-Ireland Triathlon Championships’. The race was sponsored by Premier Dairies.

Past Presidents of TI/ITA

2020-Present Alan Ryan
2013-2020 Lochlann Walsh
2012 Mark Riseley
2011 Mark Riseley
2010 Mark Riseley
2009 Jag Gunawardana
2008 Jag Gunawardana
2007 Jag Gunawardana
2006 Hugh McAtamney/Jag Gunawardana
2005 Hugh McAtamney
2004 Hugh McAtamney
2003 Hugh McAtamney
2002 Hugh McAtamney
2001 Ron McKnight
2000 Peter Jack
1999 Peter Jack
1997 Dave Doyle
1996 Dave Doyle
1995 Dave Doyle
1994 Dr Michael Griffin
1993 Dr Michael Griffin
1992 Dr Michael Griffin
1991 Dr Michael Griffin
1990 Thomas O’Donnell
1989 Thomas O’Donnell
1988 Thomas O’Donnell
1987 Thomas O’Donnell
1986 Maurice Mullins
1985 Gerry Kelly
1984 Gerry Kelly (First ITA President)
1984 Desmond McHenry (Ulster Branch)

National Triathlon Champions – Standard Distance (Elite Drafting)

Year	Location	Male	Female
2009	Athlone	Bryan Keane	Aileen Morrison
2008	Athlone	Gavin Noble	Emma Davis
2007	Not held in 2007
2006	Ballyronan	Gavin Noble	No TI members raced
2005	Ballyronan	Gavin Noble	Heather Wilson
2004	Ballyronan	Brian Campbell	Caroline Kearney

National Triathlon Champions – Standard Distance (Non-Drafting)

Year	Location	Male	Female
2015	Dublin City Triathlon	Russel White	Carolyn Hayes
2014	Hell of the West, Kilkee	Aaron O’Brien	Carolyn Hayes
2013	Dublin City Triathlon	Gavin Noble	Rachel Glendon
2012	TriAthlone	Bryan McCrystal	Aoife Lynch
2011	Lough Neagh	Joe Lynch	Amy Wolfe
2010	Dublin City Triathlon	Gavin Noble	Joyce Wolfe
2009	Kilkee	David Graham	Elena Maslova
2008	Athy	Gavin Noble	Rachel Boyd
2007	Ballyronan	Brian Campbell	Aileen Morrison
2006	Dublin	Brian Campbell	Aoife O’Connor
2005	Galway	Trevor Woods	Lisa Higgins
2004	Kilkee	Brian Campbell	Christine Johnson
2003	Ballyronan	Brian Campbell	Caroline Kearney
2002	Dublin	Brian Campbell	Caroline Kearney
2001	Dublin	Brian Campbell	Caroline Kearney
2000	Kilkee	Michael McCarron	Margaret Burns
1999	Cushendun	Trevor Woods	Anne Paul
1998	Cushendun	Trevor Woods	Anne Paul
1997	Dublin	John Madden	Anne Paul
1996	Kilkee	Eoin O’Connell	Anne Paul
1995	Portrush	Eoin O’Connell	Anne Paul
1994	Sligo	Eugene Galbraith	Anne Paul
1993	Wicklow	Eugene Galbraith	Alison Hamilton
1992	Kilkee	Eugene Galbraith	Anne Paul
1991	Kilkee	Gerard Hartman	Alison Hamilton
1990	Kilkee	Gerard Hartman	Dorothy Macken
1989	Kilkee	Tom Heaney	Anne Kearney
1983	Greystones	Michael Walsh	Diane Sloane

National Triathlon Champions – Middle Distance

Year	Race, Location	Male	Female
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016	TriTyrone No Championships Sheephaven Half Lost Sheep, Kenmare Lost Sheep, Kenmare Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Niall Cornyn – Chris Mintern Bryan McCrystal Charles Maltha Aidan Callaghan	Hillary Hughes – Hillary Hughes Heather Foley Aine Donegan Heather Foley
2015	Shadowman, Athlone	Kevin Thornton	Derval Devaney
2014	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Charles Maltha	Aileen Flynn
2013	Tri An Mhi, Meath	Niall Somers	Jennifer Duffy
2012	Groomsport	Rory Maguire	Jennifer Duffy
2011	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Owen Cummins	Joyce Wolfe
2010	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Bryan Keane	Joyce Wolfe
2009	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Bryan Keane	Elena Maslova
2008	Groomsport	Trevor Woods	Elena Maslova
2007	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Brian Campbell	Katharina Baldinger
2006	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Liam Dolan	Rachael Beck
2005	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Gavin Noble	Lisa Higgins
2004	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Trevor Woods	Lisa Higgins
2003	Lost Sheep, Kenmare	Eoin O’Connell	Karen Bothwell
2002	Sligo	Brian Campbell	Catherine Leavy
2001	No long course held in Ireland
2000	No long course held in Ireland
1999	No long course held in Ireland
1998	Coleraine	Eoin O’Connell
1997	Portrush	Eoin O’Connell	Joan Griffin
1996	Sligo	Dave Corcoran	Anne Kearney
1995	Sligo	Michael Bolton	Anne Kearney
1992	Sligo	Ger O’Sullivan	Helen Peelo
1991	Sligo	Gerard Hartmann	Anne Kearney
1990	Sligo	Kevin Morgan	Anne Kearney
1989	Sligo	Gerard Hartmann	Anne Kearney
1988	Sligo	Tom Heaney	Anne Kearney
1987	Sligo	Tom Heaney	Anne Kearney
1986	Sligo	Ger Hartmann	Anne Kearney
1985	Sligo	Ger Hartmann	Juliet Smith
1984	Sligo	Ger Hartmann	Diane Sloane

National Triathlon Champions – Sprint Distance

Year	Location	Male	Female
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016	Hook or by Crook No Championship Held Dublin City Triathlon Dublin City Triathlon City of Derry Triathlon Two Provinces, Lanesborough	Con Doherty – Kieran Jackson Chris Mintern Chris Mintern James Edgar	Maeve Gallagher – Erin McConnell Carolyn Hayes Heather Foley Carolyn Hayes
2015	Pulse Port Beach, Clogherhead	Con Doherty	Carolyn Hayes
2014	Crooked Lake	Ben Shaw	Katie Cooke
2013	TriAthlone	Gavin Noble	Katie Cooke
2012	Valentia Island	Mark Nolan	Katie Cooke
2011
2010	Lough Key	Gavin Noble	Aoife Lynch
2009	Athlone	Tim Downing	Amy Wolfe
2008	Athlone	Art MacManus	Elena Maslova
2007	Mulloughmore	Eanna McGrath	Trudy Brown
2006	Camlough	Brian Campbell	Trudy Brown
2005	Carrick-on-Suir	Trevor Woods	Anna Frankland
2004	Antrim	Bobby Behan
2003	Skerries	Brian Crinion	Caroline Kearney
2002	Kinsale	Rich Brady	Trudy Brown
2001	Carlingford	Eoin O’Connell	Catherine Leavy
2000	Kilkee		Margaret Burns
1999	Carlingford	Trevor Woods

BMW National Series / Premier League Champion

Year	Male	Female
2019	Aaron Doherty	Hilary Hughes
2018	Donnacha Kiely	Becky Woods
2017	James Hoare	Maeve Maher McWilliams
2016	Tom McEnery	Lizanne Barnwall
2015	Alan O’Brien	Joanne Flanagan
2014	Tomasz Gagola	Carolyn Hayes
2013	Kevin Thornton	Anna Grealish
2012	Trevor Woods	Marie Boland
2011	Bjorn Luddick	Jennifer Duffy
2010	Conor Murphy	Elena Maslova
2009	Bryan McCrystal	Elena Maslova
2008	Art MacManus	Elena Maslova
2007	Brian Campbell	Elena Maslova
2006	Brian Campbell	Trudy Brown
2005	Brian Crinion	Tara Nolan
2004	Trevor Woods	Anna Frankland
2003	Trevor Woods	Trudy Brown
2002	Brian Campbell	Trudy Brown

National Duathlon Champions – Short Course / Standard Distance (non-Drafting)

Year	Location	Male	Female
2016 2014	Mondello Fingal	Bryan McCrystal Cathal O’Donovan	Heather Foley
2013	Ashford, Wicklow	Cathal O’Donovan	Siobhan Horgan
2011

2009	NorthWest	David Graham	Anne Paul
2008	No national championships race was held in 2008.
2007	No national championships race was held in 2007.
2006	Dublin	Liam Dunne	Anne Paul
2005	No national championships race was held in 2005.
2004	Ballymena	Aidan Woods	Julie Murphy
2003	Ballymena	Mark Tosh	Anne Paul
2002	Ballymena Riverstick (sprint distance)	Mark McDowell Eanna McGrath	Anne Paul
2001	Ballymena	Mark McDowell	Anne Paul
2000	Dublin Location not specified (sprint distance)	Mark McDowell	Margaret Burns Margaret Burns
1999	Enniskillen	Mark McDowell	Anne Paul
1998	Dublin Riverstick or Belfast	Dave Corcoran Trevor Woods	Anne Paul
1997	Dublin	Eoin O’Connell	Anne Paul

National Duathlon Series

Year	Male	Female
2014	Cathal O’Donovan	Maire-triona Keane
2006	Liam Dunne	Deirdre O’Toole

National Aquathlon Championships

Year	Location	Male	Female
2014	Galway	Rory Sexton	Carolyn Hayes
2013	Galway	Aaron O’Brien	Elizabeth Lee
2012	Galway	Bryan Keane	Elizabeth Lee
2011

Paratriathlon National Championships

Year	Location	Male Tri4	Female Tri4	Male Tri6b	Female P	Male P	Female P
2014	Athlone
2013	Athlone	Mark Philips		Michael Delaney
2012	Athlone

Club Champions

Year	Male	Female	Mixed
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010	Pulse TC	Piranha TC	Piranha TC

Please contact media@triathlonireland.com if you have archive footage, results or further information.