Keen contests expected for senior titles

The Clare Athletics Association Senior Cross-country Championship plus the juvenile B cross-country championships for U-9s, U-11s, U-13s and U-15s will take place on the lands of John and Bríd Collins, Kilnaboy, this Sunday.
The programme starts at 12 noon and the first race will be the girls U-9. The senior ladies 5,000m will be at 1pm followed by the senior mens 10,000m at 1.30pm.
In the ladies race, last year’s title-holder Claire Madigan, St John’s, the Munster U-23 cross-country champion will start as favourite. Marian Burke, St Mary’s, will be looking to capture her first Clare title and others to watch include last year’s runner-up Michelle O’Mahoney, Dympna O’Dwyer, Sue Garrahy all Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare; Veronica Colleran, Imogen Cotter, Marie Carey, Aishling Power, Deirdre Daly, Siobhán Lennon, Jackie O’Connor, all Ennis Track; Sharon Rynne, who is getting back to full fitness after a serious knee operation; all Kilmurry Ibrickane/North and Loretta Duggan, St Mary’s.
In the team contest the 2008 champions Ennis Track Club will be expected to do well with St Mary’s, St Cronan’s and Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, last year’s title-holders all battling for the title.
The men’s race will be run over a distance of 10,000m. In the team event, it will be six to score in grade A and four to score in grade B. The senior men’s race for the individual title should be one of the best ever with a number of former champions chasing the crown.
These include Jason Fahy, Olympic Harriers; Seamus Power, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare; Rory Chesser, Ennis Track, who competed in the European 1500m this year; Dermot Galvin, St John’s; Kenneth Rodgers, St John’s (Clare intermediate champion); Michael Shannon, Kilnaboy (Clare novice champion); James McIntyre, Olympic Harriers, a former Finn Valley athlete now back running in Clare and Michael Fenney, Ennis Track, last year’s novice and intermediate champion.
Others expected to be in the race include Darragh Lynch, Adrian Kearney, Martin Grealish, Martin Glynn, Brian Murphy, Keith White, all Ennis Track; Jake O’Regan and Noel Garry, St John’s; Fergal Smithwick, Marian; James Liddane, Olympic Harriers; Tom Mackey, James Kenny, Damian Roche, all Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare; Ambrose Heagney, Kilnaboy and Eugene Moynihan, Marian.
In the team contest for the All-Army Perpetual Cup, Ennis Track will carry the favourites’ tag but St John’s, Olympic Harriers, Marian, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, St Cronan’s and St Mary’s will all be in the hunt.

Fixtures

November 2010
7 Munster Intermediate plus Juvenile Uneven Ages Cross-country Championships U-9 to U-19 at Charleville starting at 12 noon.
12 Clare Athletics Association AGM at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis, at 8.30pm.
13 Masters Home Countries Cross-country Championships in Santry.
13 Athletics Ireland Sports Star Awards in Crown Plaza Santry Dublin.
14 Patrick O’Dea Juvenile Cross-country Races U-7, U-8, U-9, U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16, plus mens and ladies road races at Lissycasey starting at 12 noon.
17 North Clare versus West Clare National Schools Cross-country Championships on the lands of the McGuire family, Carhunagry, Mullagh, starting at 11am.
19 Clare Secondary Schools Cross-country Championships for minor, junior, intermediate and senior on the lands of the McGuire family, Carhunagry, Mullagh, starting at 10.30am.
20 Clare Sports Partnership and Clare AAI 5km frostbite road series in Ennis starting at 10.30am.
21 Munster masters and juvenile Bs U-9 to U-19s Cross-country Championships at Dungarvan, Waterford, starting at 12 noon.
28 Athletics Ireland Inter-county Cross-country and even ages U-12 to U-18 plus senior and junior cross-country at Oak Grove College, Derry.