Kilnaboy runner retains ‘home’ 10-mile title

Kilnaboy’s Michael Shannon made history when he retained his title at the 29th annual Michael (Sonny) Murphy Memorial 10-mile road race and 6km fun walk. The event was held in very windy conditions and, again this year, attracted a fine turnout of competitors with 60 walkers and more than 120 athletes from all over Ireland competing. The race incorporated the Clare AAI Road Championship.

Shannon led from start to finish to retain the title in 53.21 from Julio Cesar F Castro (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) in 56.39 and Danny Smith (Ballynonty, Tipperary) in 56.53. Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare retained the team title on 26 points, with Ennis Track second on 70, followed by Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare B on 93 and the local club, Kilnaboy, on 114 points.

The senior ladies’ title was retained by Angela McCann (Clonmel) in 63.20, with local athlete Tracy Guilfoyle taking the runner-up spot in 66.54 followed by Siobhán Lennon,s (Ennis Track) in 67.10 and the 2010 and 2011 champion Tracy Roche (Dooneen AC) in a time of 67.54. Ennis Track retained the team title on 17 from Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare on 33 and Kilnaboy on 51.

Two athletes made an early break and Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy), now running with St John’s and Julio Cesear F Castro (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) took this big field through the first mile in 5.10. Before they had reached the three-mile mark, Shannon was looking very strong at the front and had opened up a 10-second lead on Castro, with Danny Smith (Ballynonty), Mike Cunningham (Bilboa) and Donal Coakley (Togher) chasing down the leaders.

Further back, the field was Anthony Malone, running with the BHAA Dublin Gardaí, Thomas Garrahy, Michael Kelly, (all Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) and Keith Ryan (Limerick).

Shannon went through the five-mile mark in 26.26 and at this stage he was well clear. Going towards the seven-mile mark, he was almost one minute clear and he went on to make history by becoming the first local athlete to win back-to-back titles.

Julio Cesear F Castro was second in 56.39 followed by Danny Smith (56.53). In the team awards, Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare retained the title.

Tom Micks (Ennis Track) won the masters’ O-40 in 65.23 from Niall O’Callaghan (Dooneen) and Liam Shannon (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare), with the O-45s title going to Mike Cunningham (Bilboa) in 59.37 ahead of Keith Ryan (Limerick) and Vasily Neumerzhitskiy (Clonmel), with local athlete Ambrose Heagney (Kilnaboy) winning the O-50s title in 63.45 from TJ Whyte Tuam and Ger Meehan (Country Club, Limerick).

In the masters’ O-55, the winner was James Kenny (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) in (65.37) with second place going to Tom Mackey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) and third to Patrick Holmes (Dundrum).

The over-60s was won by Tom Madden Marian (69.35) from Enda Whelan (Kilnaboy) and Sligo AC and Richard Lenihan (West Limerick).

The first local athlete was Michael Shannon, ahead of Ambrose Heagney and Aonghus Mullins. Tracy Guilfoyle was the first local girl, winning from Barbara Henry and Danielle Ball.

The ladies’ race attracted Angela McCann (Clonmel), the Munster masters road champion and last year’s title holder, along with the 2010 and 2011 champion Tracy Roche (Dooneen AC) and Siobhán Lennon and Imogen Cotter (both Ennis Track). Angela McCann set a lively pace for the first mile, with Tracy Johnston settling in nicely alongside Tracy Guilfoyle as they made their way towards the halfway stage.

Angela McCann was getting stronger as the race progressed and she came home a big winner in 63.20 from Tracy Guilfoyle in 66.54 and Siobhán Lennon, third, in 67.10. Tracy Johnston came fourth in 67.54 followed by Imogen Cotter in 70.05 and Deirdre Haugh (Wicklow) in 73.24.

Ennis Track retained the team title with 17 points from Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare on 33 and Kilnaboy on 51 points.

The leading Master O-35 was Laoise Griffin (West Limerick) in 73.50, ahead of Michelle Timmoney Reeves and Edel Henniques (Limerick) with the O-40s going to Loretto Duggan  in 73.41 from Fiona Kinsella and Mags Malone (both Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare).

The O-45s title went to Sue Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (76.57) from Deirdre Finn (Ballina) and Eileen Cremin (Dromina) with Christina Organ (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) taking the O-55 title in 86.43 from Josephine Brown (Thurles).

The junior ladies’ title went to Siobhán Lane ahead of Aishling Henry (both Kilnaboy).

Results
Senior ladies: 1 Angela McCann (Clonmel) (63.20); 2 Tracy Guilfoyle (Kilnaboy) (66.54); 3 Siobhán Lennon (Ennis Track) (67.10); 4 Tracy Roche (Dooneen) (67.54); 5 Imogen Cotter (Ennis Track) (70.05); 6 Deirdre Hough (Wicklow) (73.24).
Teams: 1 Ennis Track = 17 points; 2 Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare = 33 points; 3 Kilnaboy = 51 points.
Masters ladies
O-35: 1 Laoise Griffin (West Limerick) (73.50); 2 Michelle Timmoney Reeves (Ennis Track) (76.17); 3 Edel Henniques (Limerick) (84.16).
O-40: 1 Loretto Duggan (Ind) (73.41); 2 Fiona Kinsella (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (77.18); 3 Mags Malone (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (78.50).
O-45: 1 Sue Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (76.57); 2 Deirdre Finn (Ballina) (81.35); 3 Eileen Cremin Dromina (84.02).
O-50: 1 Christina Organ (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (86.43); 2 Josephine Brown Thurles (110.56).
Local ladies: 1 Siobhán Lane (Kilnaboy) (111.17); 2 Aisling Henry (Kilnaboy) (111. 24).
Senior men: 1 Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) (53.21); 2 Julio Cesear F ­Castro (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (56.39); 3 Danny Smith (Ballynonty) (56.53); 4 Donal Coakley (Togher) (59.10); 5 Anthony Malone (Garda AC) (59.53); 6 Thomas Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (60.21); 7 Michael Kelly (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (60.49); 8 Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (60.55); 9 Kenneth Hickey (Ennis Track) (62.48); 10 Oliver McInerney (Ennis Tri Club) (62.52).
Teams: 1 Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare (2. Julio Cesear F Castro, 7. Thomas Garrahy, 8. Michael Kelly, 9. Willie Devitt) = 26 points; 2 Ennis Track (11. Kenneth Hickey, 17. Tom Micks, 20. Pat Hogan, 22. John Murphy) = 70 points; 3 Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare B (18. James Kenny, 23. Liam Shannon. 24. Tom Mackey, 28. John O’Malley) = 93 points; 4 Kilnaboy (15. ­Ambrose Heagney, 31. Aonghus Mullins, 32. James Raleigh, 36. Roy Singleton) = 114 points.
Masters O-40: 1 Tom Micks (Ennis Track) (65.23); 2 Niall O’Callaghan (Dooneen) (66.09); 3 Liam Shannon (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (66.39).
O-45: 1 Mike Cunningham (Bilboa) (59.37); 2 Keith Ryan (Limerick) (61.01); 3 Vasiliy Neumerzhitskiy (Clonmey) (63.30).
O-50: 1 Ambrose Heagney (Kilnaboy) (63.45); 2 TJ Whyte (Tuam) (65.47); 3 Ger Meehan (Country Club) (76. 23).
O-55: 1 James Kenny (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (65.37); 2 Tom Mackey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (67.40); 3 Patrick Holmes (Dundrum) (76.10).
O-60: 1 Tom Madden (Marian) (69.35); 2 Enda Whelan (Sligo) (74.03); 3 Richard Lenihan (West Limerick) (76.02).
Junior men: 1 Robert O’Donoghue (Cork) (82.13).
Local men: 1 Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy); 2 Ambrose ­Heagney (Kilnaboy); 3 Aonghus Mullins
(Kilnaboy).