IT was a case of a Tipperary takeover at the University of Limerick on Thursday as Sharlene Mawdsley partook in a training session there.
She was cheered on by two loved ones – one of whom being Tipp half-back and boyfriend Michael Breen.
Her dog Lola was the other beloved onlooker[/caption]
They watched her from this vantage point as she used the campus’ athletics track[/caption]
They went public with their relationship last month[/caption]
It’s clearly part of the package when you’re dating an Olympic athlete.
But Breen doesn’t seem to mind as he’s getting in the habit of sharing snaps whilst “coaching” her.
He previously quipped he was on “coaching duty” while looking on as she did laps on what looks to be the same track.
The Ballina man will be racing around the Gaelic Grounds himself as the Premier have an All-Ireland quarter-final date with Galway on Saturday.
That 6.15pm throw-in will be preceded by the hurling clash of Dublin and Limerick in Croke Park at 4pm.
While both of those premier match-ups will be shown live on RTE Two, there is yet another frustrating schedule clash if you also happen to be a fan of Gaelic football.
Dublin against Cork will throw-in at the exact same time as Tipp against Galway as it’s going to be a Dubs double-header from Jones’ Road.
The day’s other All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final between Kerry and Cavan will also more or less run concurrent with Dublin versus Limerick as that’ll be a 3.30pm start.
Aside from heading along in person, both of those affairs will be only available to watch via GAA+.
A bumper Sunday will see Ulster champions Donegal and Leinster kingpins Louth face off in Ballybofey at 4pm.
That’ll be a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final which Jim McGuinness’ men won 1-23 to 0-18.
Galway’s prize for their last-gasp win over Armagh on Saturday is a trip to Newry to face Conor Laverty’s Down at 1.45.
And Croker will roll out the red carpet for the last four of the Tailteann Cup as Wicklow get the ball rolling against Limerick at 2pm before Kildare’s clash with Fermanagh at 4.
Mawdsley last competed in Philadelphia where she placed second in a season’s-best 200m time of 23.24.
In addition to that showing on the Sunday at the big-money Grand Slam Track event, she also came sixth in the long sprints category 24 hours previous.
For that performance, she banked $15,000 with Olympic 400m gold medallist Marileidy Paulino coming out on top.
The 26-year-old wound up in fifth place. Again, she clocked a season’s-best time in that race at 51.12.
Her next outing is due to take place between June 28-29 in Maribor, Slovenia at the European Team Championships.
