Mulcaire wins All-Ireland Schools title

THE All-Ireland schools and the Irish Universities’ cross country championships were held at Jordanstown University Belfast on Saturday last in atrocious weather conditions.

Kevin Mulcaire (St Flannan’s) won the intermediate boys’ title, while in the junior girls, Aisling Kelly (St Joseph’s, Spanish Point) finished fifth with Eoin Looney (St Joseph’s, Spanish Point) also finishing fifth in the junior boys and all three athletes will represent Ireland in the Aviva International Schools cross country in Wales on March 23.

St Flannan’s; Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon; Kilkee; Coláiste Muire, Ennis; St Joseph’s, Tulla; St Joseph’s, Spanish Point and St Pat’s, Shannon were all represented and there were eight races minor, junior, intermediate and senior boys and girls.

The first race of the day was the minor girls’ 2,000m with over 110 competitors taking part and Katie Power (Coláiste Muire, Ennis) was the best of the Clare athletes finishing 25th. Coláiste Muire finished seventh in the team event.
In the minor boys, Sean Cahill (St Joseph’s, Tulla) performed very well to finish 18th with the team finishing eighth.
There were three Clare athletes in the junior girls’ 3,000m and Aisling Kelly (St Joseph’s, Spanish Point) had to work very hard in difficult conditions to finish fifth with Caoimhe Harvey (Kilkee) 23rd and Elaine Shannon (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon) 35th.

In the junior boys’ 3,500m, Eoin Looney (St Joseph’s, Spanish Point) was fifth.

The intermediate boys’ 4,500m proved to be the race of the day with the top two athletes only separated by a second at the end of the contest. During the first lap of the race, there was a lead group of six athletes tightly bunched at the front of the field. The group included Kevin Mulcaire (St Flannan’s, Ennis). Mulcaire was eager to push the pace along as he continued to apply the pressure on the rest of the field. Jack MacGabhann was having one of his best races to date as he refused to give in to the punishing pace set by Mulcaire as both athletes entered the finishing straight together with Mulcaire just nipping the victory in a thrilling sprint finish to win the title in a time of 15:20.

Results
Minor girls’ 2,500m
25. Katie Power (Coláiste Muire, Ennis); 30. Caoimhie Carmody (St Flannan’s); 36. Clara Neylon (Coláiste Muire, Ennis); 87. Ciara Sheehan (Coláiste Muire, Ennis).
Teams
7. Coláiste Muire, Ennis = 148 points.
Minor boys’ 2,500m
18. Sean Cahill (St Joseph’s, Tulla); 31. Patrick O’Rourke (Lisdoonvarna); 55. Cian Keogh (St Joseph’s, Tulla); 61. Sean Murphy (St Joseph’s, Tulla); 76. Fergal Kearney (St Joseph’s, Tulla); 89. Conor Touhy (St Joseph’s, Tulla).
Teams
8. St Joseph’s Tulla = 210 points.
Junior girls’ 3,000m
5. Aisling Kelly (Spanish Point); 23. Caoimhe Harvey (Kilkee); 35. Elaine Shannon (Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon); 44. Mia Hanrahan (St Flannan’s).
Junior boys’ 3,500m
5. Eoin Looney (St Joseph’s, Spanish Point); 14. Stephen Maher (St Flannan’s).
Intermediate girls’ 3,500m
39. Laura Power (Coláiste Muire Ennis); 74. Gráinne Cremin (Coláiste Muire Ennis).
Intermediate boys’ 4,500m
1. Kevin Mulcaire (St Flannan’s); 42. Sean Collins (St Flannan’s); 98. Conor O’Halloran (St Flannan’s).
Senior girls’ 2,500m
9. Jean Clancy (Yeats College, Galway); 28. Muireann O’Shea (Coláiste Muire Ennis); 41. Róisín Considine (Vocational School Ennistymon).
Senior boys’ 6,500m
20. Karl Fitzmaurice (St Pat’s).