Bandon A.C. is affiliated to Athletics Ireland, members compete at all levels in Track&Field, Cross Country and road. Click here for Child Safeguarding Statement Training: Mon and Wed night. 7pm-9pm. No training on Bank Holidays. There is a charge of €2 per night for training. You need to be a fully paid up member to attend training. C.I.T Track is also used for training. Membership Update: Any new members wishing to join please fill in this online form.
Catherine joined Bandon Athletic Club in 1967 at the age of nine. Fifty years later she was the clubs longest serving member and was still competing for the club in the Cork County Masters. Catherine was a competitor she medalled at County, Munster and All Ireland level across every event from 400 meters to 1500 meters. She was also an excellent Cross Country runner. Catherine played Camogie for Bandon and was a member of Cork County’s first ladies football team. She played with Bandon Hockey Club. But it is a Coach with Bandon Athletic Club that Catherine is best Known. Catherine held the position of head Coach of the Club for 25 years. Here she coached hundreds of children with great success.
Catherine was dedicated to Bandon Athletic Club and to the youth of the town. She new wrote anyone off, there was always a second chance. She paid membership for those who could not afford it. No stone was left unturned to make sure athletes got to competitions and specialist coaching and training. He son Ronan writing an article in Irish Runner magazine described her selfless dedication. “ It’s a memory that will stay with me. At a hospital in Cork in early June she was busy scribbling notes on the back of a menu card-jotting down names and events- preparing the Bandon Teams for the upcoming National League. Just days later cancer would finally take my mothers life, but even in these moments, after 50 years as a member, she was preoccupied with the future of her club.
Cathal Dennehy twice voted Ireland Sports Journalist writing in the Irish Independent stated ‘ Duggans devotion to the club was well known in Bandon, she knew how sport could shape young lives so made it her mission to bring everyone she could to athletics and keep them involved. Over time she helped Bandon become one of Irelands biggest and most successful clubs’ Stephen Macklin then National Endurance Coach said of Catherine ‘ she was the God Mother of that club, the amount of hours and effort she put in, everybody down there recognised that. She was phenomenal. While Catherine coached athletes who reached Olympic, World and European Level her encouragement to all no matter what there ability was always to the fore.
Catherine Duggan received the Bandon Opinion Community Club Person of the Year Award in 2001. In her acceptance speech she referred to her love for the town of Bandon and the need to have a united effort to enhance sports facilities in the town and particularly athletics. Along with Club President Billy Good the idea of a Bandon Athletic Club was launched. While both Catherine and Billy have passed the idea has lived on and will become a reality very soon. Many dedicated people have been involved but to people in Bandon, athletics is still strongly associated with Catherine Duggan or better known to some as Catherine Wilmot.
Billy Good, Club President speaking at Catherines funeral put it well when he said. ‘ Catherine was more that a head coach, she could best be described in addition to being a mother figure, counsellor and psychiatrists among other things. When an athlete young or not so young had a bad performance, Catherine was there to comfort and advise.
Catherine is always talked about and missed dearly in the club, as we near the end of our development of a place to call ‘home’ we know Catherine has been rooting us on to get to that finish line, as in Catherines words after every competition ‘you did great today’.
Bandon AC Summer Camp takes place this year from June 30th to July 3rd. Places are limited so sign up today using the link attached https://klubfunder.com/Clubs/Bandon_Athletic_Club/EventRegistration#EventRegistrationOptions
ONLINE FORMS FOR SUMMER CAMP 2025 WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED
CHILDS PLACE IN CAMP WILL NOT BE CONFIRMED UNTIL PAYMENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED!
A huge thank you to O’Farrells Newsagent who have kindly donated €1,400 towards the clubs track development. Money was raised through their annual Christmas Decoration Nights.
For generations O’Farrell’s has been a cornerstone of our community, embodying the spirit of Bandon with their commitment to local initiatives and projects like ours. Together, we’re building a brighter future.
Diarmuid O’Connor had a record breaking weekend at the UCONN Husky Challenge (INDOOR). Competing for Connecticut University Diarmuid stormed ahead of his field finishing a total of 223 points ahead of his next rival. Diarmuid finished on a total of 5543 points which is a NEW NATIONAL U23 INDOOR RECORD FOR COMBINED EVENTS.
Fiona Everard has been selected for the upcoming European Cross Country in Turkey on December 8th, based on her recent 4th place at the National Cross Country Championships.
Committee for the season 2024/ 25 as elected at AGM Nov 2024
Chairperson: Adrian O’Flynn, Vice Chairperson: Patrick McSweeney, Hon President: Brendan Crowley, Secretary: Laura McSweeney (secretary@bandonac.org), Treasurer: Carmel Lucey, Public Relations Officer: Evelyn O’Reilly, Social Media: Laura McSweeney, Registration/Competition Secretary: Patrick McSweeney JNR (compsec@bandonac.org), Child Officers: Susan McCourt & Darren Crowley, Head Coach: Susan McCourt, Club Captain: Catriona O’Leary Delegates to West Cork Board – Laura McSweeney & Deirdre Donovan, Delegates to County Board – Brendan Crowley, Pat McSweeney, Liz Coomey, & Pauline Callan Grounds Committee: John O’Donovan, Darren Crowley and Kevin Wilmot, Ordinary Committee: Denise Harrington, Deirdre Donovan, Liz Coomey, Pauline Callan, Darren Casey. David O’Keeffe Track Development Committee/ fundraising committee – Michael Weldon, Paul Kingston, Deirdre Donovan, Michael McKeown, Adrian O’Flynn, Tom Laffen, Patrick McSweeney, Una Hutchinson, Deirdre Donovan, Denise Harrington, Darren Crowley and Richard O’Flynn
Congrats to Fiona Everard who finished a superb 3rd senior in the National Open XC last weekend. Carmel Crowley was also competing in the master ages finishing 2nd in the F55.
