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Having recently celebrated their 40th Year Reunion ��ɫ��Ƶ and meeting Founding President Dr Ed Walsh on 23 August 2025, it was with high spirits—despite the poor weather—that the 1985 Industrial Chemists, along with family and friends, made their way in the early hours of Saturday 26 September to St James’s Gate and the Phoenix Park to take part in the 25th Guinness Fun Triathlon.

The late John O’Mahoney (RIP 2013 was one of the event’s founders, and since 2018, his classmates have participated annually to commemorate his life and raise funds for the Children’s Health Foundation Ireland. This year, seven UL alumni groups were represented, including five classmates from the 1985 class and their families. 

The legacy of participation has now been passed to the next generation, with children of the 1985 Industrial Chemistry class strongly represented. Not for the first time, a ULer (2025), son of a ULer (1985), took part. A special mention goes to Jim Walsh, who once again flew in from the UK and returned the same day “to do his run and be there with everyone”. Central to the group’s continued involvement is Peter Madden, their very own chef d’équipe, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to rally the UL alumni and ensure the day runs smoothly.

Post-event celebrations were hosted in the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, where participants eagerly awaited their results and caught up with family and friends. The rain did little to dampen spirits, and many of the 1985 Industrial Chemistry teams were already committing to take part in the 2026 Triathlon.

Over the past 25 years, the event has raised approximately €400,000 for charity. Its ongoing success is due in no small part to the invaluable support of the Diageo Group, the staff at St James’s Gate, and the Gardaí, who stood in the rain to marshal participants along the route safely.

As Chris O’Mahoney, brother of John, remarked on the day, “John, as he sits above us, didn’t use his influence to give us a fine day, but he would be proud to know that 25 years on, the Triathlon he founded continues to celebrate his life and support a very worthy cause.”

It has also been strongly rumoured that one ’85 swimmer, having attended the UL 2025 Alumni Awards function the previous evening, partied into the early hours before heading to Dublin at 5.30 a.m. Remarkably, he managed to complete the 750-metre swim without sinking—though it’s fair to say that Olympian Thomas Barr would not recommend such preparation!

Thanks to Billy Walsh (Industrial Chemistry '85) for sharing this story and images with us.