Home » Sports » Bright summer for Clare lifesavers

Bright summer for Clare lifesavers

Car Tourismo Banner

While the summer of 2009 was a washout, it did not daunt the young members of the Clare Lifesaving Club, who trained extensively at the White Strand under a team of volunteer coaches. The ultimate test of their training and skills was challenged in competing provincially, nationally and at European level All events at the competitions are based on the skills required by lifesavers and lifeguards and the equipment used by them in carrying out their duty.

Munster
The first competitive event of the summer took place in late August in Dunmore East, in Waterford at the first ever Provincial Nipper Championships. Ranging in age from eight to 14, the combined efforts of the Clare junior and senior nipper boys and girls achieved the highest number of points against their competitors from Munster and brought the Irish Water Safety Munster Provincial Nipper Championship Perpetual Cup to Clare.
The events over the weekend included: 200m open water sea swim, 200m open water board race, 200m taplin relay, paddle boards, 50m beach sprint, flags and team relays. The first 10 winners from each event qualified to take part in the national championships and they were Maebh Moriarty, Róisín Cahill, Aoibheann Hogan, Sinéad Rooney, Aoife Deane, Ailish Gowran, Rory McEvoy, Dara Gleeson, Eoin McNamara, Noel Shannon, Conor Sheehy, Adam Collins, Tara McEvoy, Sinéad Rooney, Aoife Glavin, Sarah McMahon, Lily Barrett, Katie Shannon, Ciara Ryan, Emily Ryan, Holly Lynch, Orla Bredin, Adam McEvoy, Stephen Rooney, Colm McNamara, Daragh Glavin, Hugh McMahon, Leah Mulcair, Liam Lynch, Hannah Bredin, John Allen, Michael McNeilis, Patrick Rogers and Barry Clancy.

Celtic Cup Challenge
In Aberavon, Wales, at the end of August, the prestigious and challenging Celtic Cup Challenge event brought together the best teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Devon. Teams battled it out in the surf and on the sand, pitting their surf lifesaving, team and physical skills to the test. A Clare team of 20 entrants competed in very difficult conditions.
Bernard Cahill and Rory Sexton came first in the board rescue. Bernard Cahill took gold in the swim, while Adam McEvoy brought home silver for the 90m beach sprint and flags and bronze for the swim. Silver went to Donough Cronin and Adam McEvoy in the board rescue and bronze to Donough Cronin for boards. Mark Rogers earned bronze for the 1km run. Other Clare competitors, Caoimhe Gowran, Sarah Broderick, Dylan Barrett, Laoise O’Donovan, brought home gold and silver medals

European Junior
Clare young people performed well when Ireland won six medals in the European Junior Lifesaving Championships in Holland in early September. The Clare members of the Irish team were Melissa Power, Siobhán McGrath, Cormac O’Sullivan, Bernard Cahill and Dylan Barrett. The competitors were selected, based on performance, from a junior panel, which trained intensively at training camps around the county and country. International referee, Clare’s Clare McGrath officiated as referee in both the pool and open water disciplines at the events.
Bernard Cahill won bronze in both the board rescue and rescue tube, while Dylan Barrett won bronze in the board rescue. Cormac O’Sullivan won bronze in the rescue tube, Siobhan McGrath was fifth in the board rescue and Dylan Barret was fifth in the run-swim-run.

National Surf Lifesaving Championships
Clare surf lifesavers swept the boards at the National Surf Lifesaving Championships on Rossnowlagh Beach in Donegal last week
Young nippers aged eight to 14 and the more experienced junior, senior and masters lifesavers demonstrated their lifesaving skills to bring home the much coveted President’s Cup, best junior team trophy and the National Surf Lifesaving Championship’s Best County Nipper Team Cup, along with gold, silver and bronze medals in many events. A total of 480 competitors from Counties Clare, Galway, Waterford, Cork, Mayo, Donegal, Louth, Wicklow, Belfast, Wexford, Sligo, Kildare, Kilkenny and Dublin competed in the events.
Rory McEvoy was first in the surf and Dara Gleeson was first on the boards. Dara Gleeson was second in the surf and Rory McEvoy was second on the boards and on the flags, while Dara Gleeson was third in the sprints and third on the flags.
In the little nippers girls’ section, Clare shared first spot with Donegal in the taplin and they were third in the relay, while Róisín Cahill was first in the surf and first in the boards.
In the big nipper boys’ section, Clare B won the relay from Clare A, while the positions were reversed in the taplin.
Adam McEvoy was first in the surf, sprints and flags, while Stephen Rooney won the rescue. He was second in the surf, while Darragh Glavin was second in sprints and flags. Colm McNamara was third in surf and Adam McEvoy was third on the boards.
In the junior boys, Clare A won the taplin and the rescue tube, while Clare B won the beach rescue. Clare A were second in the board rescue and third in the beach relay, while Clare B were third in both the taplin and the board rescue.
Rory Sexton won the beach springs, while Bernard Cahill won the surf and board sections. Mark Rodgers (Clare A) was second in the board rescue and Donnacda O’Sullivan (Clare B) was second in the surf. Eoin Gleeson (Clare B) was third in the board rescue, Conor Rooney was third in the beach relay and Mark Rodgers was third in the board.
In the junior girls, Clare A were second overall. Siobhán McGrath was first on the board, while Caoimhe Gowran was third in the surf.
Clare were second in the senior women’s section, with Norma Cahill first in the surf and second in the ocean, while Ciara Donnelly was third in both the beach sprints and the flags.
Clare were in third spot in the senior men’s competition with Colm Fitzgerald winning the surf and Cormac O’Sullivan winning the board, while Dylan Barrett was third in the surf.
Clare were third in the masters surf race.
President’s Cup
In 1950, the then president of Ireland, Seán T O’Ceallaigh presented the President’s Cup to Irish Water Safety, then under the auspices of the Irish Red Cross, for competition between the counties. It is competed for every year and awarded to surf lifesavers for combined pool and sea life saving achievements.
The Clare team of Maria Marrinan, Melissa Power, Saoirle O’Donovan, Sinéad Mortell and Norma Cahill brought the cup to Clare again this year.
In 1957 and 1958, the Inis team who won President’s Cup included the late Paddy Browne. This year his grandson, Hugh McMahon competing at the Nationals Surf Lifesaving Championships for the first time.

 

About News Editor

Check Also

Clare always up for Down challenge

Clare won’t be lacking in confidence going to Páirc Esler on Sunday as they shoot …