Lees Road hosts athletics finals

THE Clare Community Games athletic finals will be held on Sunday on the athletic track at Lees Road. Representatives of 35 areas will battle it out for county honours and qualification for the national finals in August.
On arrival, area officials are asked to have the athletes’ numbers collected, from the county treasurer/secretary. Athletes must wear their official numbers, as shown on the souvenir programme, on the back and front of their vests for their event.
Prior to the finals, there will be a parade of all the athletes, who are to assemble in the vicinity of the all-weather pitches at Lees Road by 11.30am. The parade will move off at 12 noon and proceed around the perimeter of the soccer pitch to the dressing rooms where the official opening ceremony will take place.
All areas are urged to participate in the parade and should have a suitable banner denoting their area, which afterwards can be placed in their designated area outside the track. The athletic events will start with the U-10 relays at 1pm.
The following cups will be presented at the official opening ceremony:
Shannon Development Cup: Best presented area; The Dan O’Donoghue Memorial Trophy: runner-up best presented area; The Meakins Family Shield: third best presented area; The O’Sullivan Family Shield: best presented small area; The Mascot Shield: best mascot in the parade.
Only nominated officials and authorised persons are allowed onto the track.
Athletes will leave the arena immediately after their event and return to their allocated area.
Spikes are only permitted in the U-14, U-15 and U-16 events.
The following cups/shield will be presented to the winners of the following events:
The Ulster Bank Cup: winner of the best athletic area: The Christy Gormley Memorial Cup: winner of the boys’ U-16 1,500m; The Patrick Hawes Memorial Shield: winner of the girls’ U-16 1,500m;
The Shannon Family Shield: winner of the girls’ marathon.
There is parking reserved for some buses in the first car park on the left as one enters. Some parking for cars is available in the vicinity of the dressing rooms building.

Gymnastics
THERE was keen competition at the Golden Vale Clare Community Games gymnastic finals, which were held at the Ennis Gymnastic Club on Sunday last. The event attracted a good turn out of competitors and spectators from a number of areas.
The judges had a difficult task in deciding the winners in some of the categories as many of them showed a high degree of skill and expertise and should do well at the national finals in August in the Athlone Institute of Technology.
The presentation of medals were made by the county president and vice-president of Clare Community Games, John and Cecilia O’Sullivan. The president complimented all the competitors, judges, Marie and Emma Sheehan and Niamh Finnucane, who travelled from Kerry and Megan O’Brien from Clare.   He expressed his gratitude and thanks to Claire O’Sullivan, who also made some of the presentations, and Veronica Keane of the Ennis Gymnastic Club for co-ordinating and running off the competition.

Results
Girls’ U-8
1. Niamh O’Halloran (St John’s, Ennis); 2. Rachel Cummins (St John’s, Ennis).
U-10
1. Dianna Carmody (Doora/Barefield); 2. Jsssica O’Gorman (Newmarket-on-Fergus); 3. Aoidheann Enright (Clarecastle/Ballyea); 4.  Anna Nagle (Doora/Barefield).
U-12
1. Eleanor O’Loughlin (Ennistymon/Lahinch/Liscannor); 2. Leah Mahon (Quin/Clooney); 3. Eodin Walsh (St John’s, Ennis); 4. Ciara Kennedy (Doora/Barefield).

U-14
1. Rachel Brennan (St John’s, Ennis).

U-16
1. Laura Culliney (Doora/Barefield).

Boys
U-8
1. Conor Farrell (Corofin/Kilnaboy); 2. Ronan Tarrent (St John’s, Ennis).
U-10
1. Hugo Kinahan (Cratloe); 2. Aiden Larkin (Newmarket-on-Fergus).
U-14
1. Peter Stack (Clarecastle/Ballyea).

Munster finals
THE Munster finals of Community Games team events will be held in University of Limerick on Saturday, July 9.

National finals
The national finals will take place in Athlone on the weekends of August 12-14 and August 19-21.