GALLERY: Great spirit at Clare Community Games in the sunshine

St Francis Credit Union Clare Community Games held their Annual County Athletic Finals on Saturday in glorious sunshine in John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road, Ennis, writes Mary Phelan.

Over 600 children from 24 areas across the county participated in Relays and Track and Field events. At the opening ceremony, where all the competitors and their mentors assembled on the track, Chairperson Paula Byrne O’Connell welcomed everyone to the first proper County Athletic Finals in three years.

Julianna Gea, Caoifhionn O’Dwyer, Erin Higgins and Grainne Leyden from Ennis St Johns with their winners medals from the U14 Girls Relay at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Mayor of Clare Tony O’ Brien congratulates the winners of the Clare U10 Mixed Relay from Ennis St Johns

James Sexton gets creamed up by his wife Sally Sexton during the scorching heat on Saturday during the 2022 Clare Community Games

James Sexton gets creamed up by his wife Sally Sexton during the scorching heat on Saturday during the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ellen Henchy of Nemarket on Fergus competes in the U10 Girls 60m Hurdles at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Competitors in the U10 Girls 60m Hurdles

Tommy Considine of Cooraclare-Cree takes part in the U10 Boys 60m Hurdles at the 2022 Clare Community Games

PJ McDonagh and Brendan Cusack from Lisdoonvarna at the 2022 Clare Community Games

LtoR: Conor Murphy Doora Barefield, Jack McMahon Clooney Quin, Liam McMahon and Tommy Considine with their winners medals for the U10 Hurdles at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Official Linda Ward hands out the flags in the Ball Throw category at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Elke Downes from Kilmihill takes part in the U12 Long Jump at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Aidan O’Connell taking part in the U14 Boys relay in the 2022 Clare Community games

Ballynacally Lissycasey’s Orlaith O’Rourke takes the baton from her team mate Adam Marrinan in the U10 Mixed Relay at the 2022 Community games

U14 Boys relay winners Ruadhan Casey, Sean Conway, Aidan O’Connell and Odhran O’Farrell from Ennis St Johns at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Padraig Slattery of Ennistymon-Lahinch-Liscannor passes the baton to his team mate Darragh Considine in the U10 mixed relay

Chloe and Anna Donnelly and Emma Kelly from Ballynacally – Lissycasey competing in the 2022 Clare Community Games

Jenna Coughlan, Sadhbh Geary, Nicole Griffin, Aoibhin Keane, Caoimhe McMahon and Aoife O’Rourke of the Ballynacally Lissycasey U12 Girls Relay Team

Daniel Haugh from Doonbeg crossing the finishing line in 1st place in the U14 100m race in the 2022 Clare Community Games

Gerry Hayes

The U14 Girls get ready at the start of the Relay race at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Winning Doonbeg Team Oran Comerford, Sinead Robertson, Cj ODonnell, Daniel Haugh, Ava Robertson and Abbie Gallagher who competed in the U13 Mixed Relay in the 2022 Clare Community Games

Nessa and Iarlaith Townley with their mother Peggy from Nemarket on Fergus at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Liam Maher of Inch Kilmaley flies the flag at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Sam Switzer, Seanie Connellan and Tom McMahon from Inch Kilmaley with their mascots at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Evie Quin from Tulla competing in the high jump in the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ember Gilligan, Susie Hussie and Caoimhe Monks fly the flags at the 2022 Clare Community Games

All Ireland competitor Gabriel Kehinde with fellow Ennis Track and referee Trevor White at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ennis Tracks Dylan Casey runs a lap of the track at O’Sullivan Park during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Clare Community Games

Winner and Runner up of the U16 High Jump Lisa Nicholas and Evie Quinn both from Tulla at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Thomas O’Connor from Doora Barefield with his winning medal for the High jump

The officials collect the hurdles off the track before the next race

Jack McMahon of Clooney Quin winner of the U10 Boys 60m Hurdles

Thomas O’Connor of Doora Barefield clears the high jump in the 2022 Clare Community Games

Eoin Burke and Teresa Looney from Cooraclare at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ava Haugh with her Dad Michael from Kilmihill at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Odhran O’Farrell of Ennis St Johns takes part in the U14 Boys Shot Putt

Brothers Daithi and Seadna Ryan from Quin-Clooney at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Sophie Maher and Emma Haugh from Ballynacally-Lissycasey competing in the U14 Girls 800m at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ennis Tracks Dylan Casey runs a lap of the track at O’Sullivan Park during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ennis Tracks Dylan Casey runs a lap of the track at O’Sullivan Park during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ennis Tracks Dylan Casey runs a lap of the track at O’Sullivan Park during the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Clare Community Games

Ennis Tracks Dylan Casey and Graham Meakins at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Participants in the U14 Girls 80m Hurdles

Clooney Quins Cian Maxted competes in the U14 Boys 80m Hurdles

Liam McMahon of Inch Kilmaley and Iarlaith Townley of Nemarket on Fergus compete in the U10 Boys 60m Hurdles

Competitors in the 60m Hurdles at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Competitors in the 60m Hurdles at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Aoibhin Daly crosses the finish line in the U12 Girls 200m at the 2022 Clare Community Games

Caoimhe Byrne O’Connell from Lisdoonvarna poses for a quick photo at the 2022 Clare Community Games

She welcomed Mayor of Clare Tony O’Brien, President of Clare Community Games Mrs Cecilia O’Sullivan, the County executive committee, all the volunteers at area and county level who give so much time and energy for the children of Clare. Without these volunteers there would be no community games.

She thanked Clare County Council and the caretaker at John O’Sullivan Park for the wonderful facility to host the finals. She also thanked the parents and children for turning up on such a warm day.

She went on to wish all the competitors the very best and hoped they would have a very enjoyable experience. She paid a special tribute to members of the Community Games family who have passed away and all those who have lost a loved one over the last few years.

Mayor Tony O’Brien praised all the volunteers across the county who give so much to enable the children of Clare to participate in such a wide variety of events.

He said Clare County Council were always glad to support Clare Community Games in any way they can. He wished all the participants success today and in the future.

The Community Games Pledge was read in Irish by youth volunteer Sinead Murray from Quin/Clooney and in English by participant in 1500m Caoimhe Byrne O’Connell from Lisdoonvarna, Amhrán na bhFiann was sung splendidly by winner of the Community Games U-16 Singing competition Siofra Hogan from Ballynacally/Lissycasey.

The Community Games torch was lit by Mayor Tony O’Brien from past competitor Dean Casey who did a lap of the track with the torch to loud applause from both adults and children.

Dean, of Ennis Track/ Ireland Junior, is National Record holder at 10,000m, 3,000m and 5,000m. He is heading to Columbia for the upcoming U-20 World Championships where he has qualified to run in both the 3,000m and 5,000m. The Chairperson then declared the games opened.

The competition standard was extremely high with some very close finishes on the day. Good friendly rivalry was in evidence and the best of luck to all going forward.

The first four placed in individual Track events will qualify for the Munster Regional finals which will be held in John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road on Saturday July 23 while the first two in Field events will go forward to the National finals in Carlow in August as will the first in each Relay.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Munster Regional Finals
Sat 23rd July – John O’Sullivan Park, Lees Road @ 9am
Soccer U15 Girls
10th August TBC – Kilmihil
Soccer U12 Girls
10th August TBC – Kilmihil
Soccer U12 Boys
15th-17th August,
Newmarket-on-Fergus
Hurling
Sat 13th August
O’Garney Park, Sixmilebridge Registration 9.30am for 10am
Rounders Sat 20th August
Cappalodge GAA Pitch,
Sixmilebridge. Registration 9.30am