clubhistory

The club was founded in 1987 after two well attended meetings held in the Down Leisure centre.Some of those involved at the meeting were members of the Leisureside club which had recently been disbanded and others who were at no club at all.The three founding members of the club were Gerry Morgan,John Rogan,Eamon Tumelty and the Late Jimmy Murray.The club met for training for the first time at the Down leasure centre for the first time on the 1st of September 1987.Later that month members had their first outing in the kodak classic road races in Bangor.In those Early days most of the members were very young but success wasnt slow in comig in the 1988 season John Rogan topped the Northern Ireland under 13 rankings for the 800 metres with a time of 2 minutes 20.2 seconds.The following year the East Down members merited 20 mentions in the Ulster rankings among them Chris Rooney who was ranked No.1 in the 100 metres and the shot events and also had a feature in the 200m and long jump.In 1990 the clubs Boys rose to third place in the NI young athletes league a position they retained the following two years.Thre most memorable achievment that year was of Eamon Brannifs four gold medals at the BLOE All Ireland championships in Waterford competing at under 13 level,he won the 80 metressprint high jump shot and javelin.Four other members also won medals.
1990 was the year that saw the emergence of a strong girls team led by Patricia Keating who was the Provinces top minor runner over 800m and was also ranked in other events.
By 1992 Clare O'Connor had emerged into the top ranks of the NI women printers ans was a member of the team that went to Canada that summer.Dana Patterson was an exciting prospect in the javelin and the club entered the mens track and field team for the first time finishing runners up in division two.The following year they won the same division and with it went the right to compete in top flight in 1994.East Down Athletics club had arrived on the big scene.
In 1994, though attention had shifted back to the under 13 colts.Darren Berry topped the 1500 metres rankings and Andrew Gargan was listed in four events.
Over the years the club has also produced a host of fine cross country runners.In 1991 the BLOE All Ireland u-4 title was captured by the east down squad and in 1992 the club won four Northern Ireland championships.
In December 1994 four East Down boys battled through a sea of mud in Claremorris to win the BLOE u-12 cross country title and the followin March Darren Berry,Joseph Byrne,Andrew Gargan and Fergal Tumelty came second in the UK final of the Nike under-13 cross country relay in Durham.In 1997 the same quartet went back and came third in the same event at u15 level.They also retained the NI u-15 title which they won in 1995 and 1996.
In the 1997 track and field season there were NI titles for Paula MaGinn and Andrew Gargan and BLOE medals for Lisa Fryer,Paul Shannon and Hannagh Bradley.

This year has been quite a good year also with Joe Byrne on the Northern Ireland Junior cross country team,Paula MaGinn,Joanne Smyth and Niall Cunningham all qualifying for the AAI juvinile indoor games and Ross Denvir ,Padraig OHare completing their first Belfast Marathon and Sean Toman doing his second.A number of the Track and field athletes have been out in force this year preparing for the big lash of the wipe in the Major competitions.Good Luck to all thos involved.