Fifty-two medals for Clare at national finals

The Munstergroup Clare Community Games had another very successful weekend in Athlone at the HSE Community Games National Finals. Clare was represented by 104 children from 20 areas in athletics track and field, rounders and tag rugby. They brought home a total of 52 medals to 14 areas from Carrigaholt/Cross to Clonlara, with 15 gold, 21 silver, four bronze and 12 fourth-place medals.

The first medal of the weekend came on Saturday morning when Kate Taylor (Quin/Clooney) produced a personal best of 4.86m, to secure the bronze medal in U-14 long jump. She followed this on Sunday with a silver in tag rugby.

Jesse Bonisehi (Ennis St John’s) ran superbly to win gold in the U-10 60m hurdles and followed it with another in the U-10 mixed relay.

Niamh O’Halloran was a member of the gold winners mixed relay team to add to her fourth-placed medal in gymnastics last week.

Jennifer O’Neill won a silver medal in tag rugby to match the one she won last week in U-14 cycling.

A number of the athletes got to meet Brendan Boyce of Donegal, the Irish Olympian 50k walker who had previously won two silver medals in Community Games. Some were presented with their medals by him and had photographs taken.

The girls’ marathon team put in a great performance to win silver medals as they started off at a disadvantage, with only three runners, needing all three to qualify.

On Saturday morning, seven of the nine relays qualified for the semi-finals and by Saturday evening six had qualified for the finals on Sunday. Two of those won gold, the U-10 mixed repeating the success of last year when retaining their title.

Ella Duff put in a great effort to win gold in the U-8 60m as did Niamh Conlon in U-10 100m and Alex O’Neill in U-12 600m.

Deirbhile Ryan was narrowly beaten into third place in the javelin. This was a great achievement as she only recently took up this event.

Doireann Murphy put on a magnificent display in the long puck only to be pipped in the last puck for the gold medal.

All the medal winners on the track had to qualify through heats and semi-finals, beating off stiff opposition.
A number of athletes qualified for finals but were unlucky not to be among the medals. These included the U-14 boys and girls and U-16 girls’ relays. Cian O’Boyle in U-8 80m, Sultan Akinwale, U-10 100m and Aisling Hehir, U-16 100m.

In the rounders competition, the Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry boys played very well on Saturday, only to be narrowly beaten by Donegal Town. On Sunday, they were beaten by a much stronger Leinster side, Piercestown/ Murrinstown of Wexford, on a score of 14-8.

In tag rugby Quin/Clooney took on the Monaghan and Ulster champions, Kilmore/Drumsnatt. This was a very exciting match, with most of the Quin/Clooney players contributing to the score of 12-4. On Sunday afternoon in brilliant sunshine, they were up against Newbridge St Conleth’s of Kildare, who proved to be a much stronger and more experienced side and ran out winners by 12-8, leaving the Quin/Clooney team with well-deserved silver medals.

Gerry Davenport, president, HSE Community Games, said, “The atmosphere this weekend has been superb, the fun and competitive spirit was evident throughout the campus. The sun was shining and all the participants and supporters embraced the festive occasion.”

Results
Gold
U-8 60m, Ella Duff (Shannon); U-10 100m, Niamh Conlon (Cooraclare/Cree); U-12 600m, Alex O’Neill (Quin/Clooney); U-10 mixed relay, (Ennis St John’s) Ailbhe Doherty, Shane Meehan, Amidat Karimu, Sultan Akinwale, Niamh O’Halloran, Jesse Bonisehi; U-13 mixed relay, (Ennis St John’s), Christina Njekwe, Tony Odubote, Farouk Sobayo, Moses Iwalewa, Katie O’Dwyer, Elizabeth Adesiyan.

Silver
U-10 200m, Shane Harrison (Quin/Clooney); U-10 60m hurdles, Jesse Bonisehi (Ennis St John’s); U-12 600m, Caoilfionn O’Dea Kilmurry Ibrickane; U-14 800m, Eoin Looney (Miltown Malbay); U-16 1,500m, Kevin Mulcaire (Clarecastle/Ballyea); U-14 long puck, Doireann Murphy (Clarecastle/Ballyea); U-16 discus, Eoin Hanrahan (Doora/Barefield); Marathon girls, Laura Power (Doora/Barefield), Áine Rouine (Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor), Shannon O’Grady (Newmarket-on-Fergus); tag rugby U-14, (Quin/Clooney), Kate Taylor, Ellie Rochford, Jennifer O’Neill, Darragh Ryan, David Rochford, Barry Loughnane, Daniel Griffin, Mary Conneally, Eoghan O’Brien, Rachel Begg, Conor O’Brien.

Bronze
U-14 800m, Aisling Kelly (Doonbeg); U-14 long jump, Kate Taylor (Quin/Clooney); U-16 high jump, Rachel Clancy (Carrigaholt/Cross); U-16 Javelin, Deirbhile Ryan Clonlara.

Fourth-place medal
Rounders boys’ U-15 ­(Sixmilebridge/Kilmurry) Jason Loughnane, Cathal Lynch, Ronan Tuohy, Cian McInerney, Eanna Chaplin, Gavin Fawl, Brian O’Sullivan, Tadhg Donnellon, Jamie Lyons, Charlie Carmody, Shane Flynn, Patrick Mulready.

Social evening
After two very successful weekends at the national finals in Athlone, the adults involved will have a social evening next week.

There will be a pitch and putt evening in the Clare Road Club in Ennis on Friday, September 7 at 6pm, which will be followed by barbeque.

Area officials are asked to contact Jimmy Maher at 087 9282190, with details of the number of people from their area who would be interested.

Final numbers are needed at the county meeting next Tuesday.