Jack Crowe Memorial Challenge steps up again

The fastest person across the line this year was Darren O’Rourke from Meath with a sensational time of just 2 hours 20 minutes.

THE second annual Jack Crowe Memorial Dublin Mountains Challenge took place on Saturday 17 August starting in Bohernabreena and finishing at the Blue Light pub in Barnacullia.

Despite early rain showers a group of nearly 50 people arrived to take part in the event once again this year with some new faces and many returning for the second time.

As well as being in memory of Dublin republican Jack Crowe, this year’s walk also remembered Dundrum Sinn Féin member Geoff Keegan, who passed away suddenly in July.

The organisers were honoured when Geoff’s family agreed to a proposal to name stage three of the walk after him. Geoff was one of the walk’s organisers and was planning on doing the walk with his comrades from Dundrum this year.

As it turns out, the Dundrum team were this year’s winners, taking home the Jack Crowe Cup and the win was dedicated to Geoff by the team captain, Aodhagán Mac Coitir.

Geoff’s father, George Keegan, himself a Sinn Féin former candidate in the Dundrum constituency, accepted a medal on behalf of his son in what was a very poignant and emotional moment.

The fastest person across the line this year was Darren O’Rourke from Meath with a sensational time of just 2 hours 20 minutes.

Once again there was a good turn out from Jack Crowe’s family with Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe making presentations to the winners on the day.

Local Sinn Féin representative Chris Curran, one of the event’s main organisers, addressed the participants at the finish line.

During the course of his address, Chris commented on the growing strength of Sinn Féin in the local area and predicted that the party would make the breakthrough in next year’s local elections by taking seats for the first time on Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, fruits of the work that Jack Crowe and Geoff Keegan played important parts in.