O’Neill leads Clare to gold medals in Sligo

THE Woodies DIY Athletics Association of Ireland Inter-Counties’ Cross Country Championships plus the juvenile even ages from U-12 to U-18 were held in Sligo Racecourse, where Clare athletes produced outstanding performances.
Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) finished fifth in the girls’ U-12 2,000m and led Clare to gold medals.
Aidan McCarthy (St Cronan’s) finished fifth in the boys’ U-12 2,000m with Clare taking the inter-county silver medals.
Niamh Markham (Ennis Track) finished seventh in the girls’ U-18 5,000m and led Clare and Ennis Track to silver medals.
Orla O’Mahoney, a former Marian athlete from Ennis and running in the Clare colours finish eighth overall in the senior ladies’ 8,000m. In the senior men’s 10,000m, Sean Hehir  (Kilkishen and Rathfarnham AC, Dublin) was outstanding in very heavy underfoot conditions and finished seventh overall for the second year in-a-row.
Rory Chesser (Ennis Track) made the journey from London and finished 21st with Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) producing a very gutsy performance to finish 25th followed by Dermot Galvin (St John’s) 36th, Brian Murphy (Ennis Track) 49th, James McIntyre (Olympic Harriers) 55th and Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) 69th. Clare finished fourth overall with the title going to Dublin on 103 points.
The championships attracted huge fields of competitors in all grades. In the girls’ U-12, over 160 athletes went to the start and Clare had a very strong contingent. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s) was always in contention in this 2,000m race where she came home a very good fifth followed by Emma McMahon (St Mary’s) in eighth and Caoimhie Hogan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) 10th with Fidelma Marrinan (St John’s) 28th, Caoimhe Carmody (Marian) 29th and Emer Keane (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare) 32nd.
Clare captured the gold medals and in the inter-regions Munster also won the gold medals with two Clare athletes Alex O’Neill and Emma McMahon helping in this success.

Results
Girls’ U-12 (2,000m)
5. Alex O’Neill (St Cronan’s); 8. Emma McMahon (St Mary’s); 10. Caoimhe Hogan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 28. Fidelma Marrinan (St John’s); 29. Caoimhe Carmody (Marian); 32. Emer Keane (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare).
Teams
Inter-club
7. Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare = 227 points.
Inter-county
1. Clare = 112 points.
Inter-region
1. Munster. 
Girls’ U-14 3,000m
8. Aishling Kelly (St John’s); 38. Sinéad Hogan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 64. Caoimhe Harvey (St John’s); 71. Sharon Egan (Kilmihil); 76. Tara Bradley (St John’s); 85. Anna Courtney (Marian).
Teams
Inter-club
8. St John’s = 254 points.
Inter-county
6. Clare.
Inter-region
1. Munster.
Girls’ U-18, 5000m
7. Niamh Markham (Ennis Track); 15. Laura Egan (Kilmihil); 21. Aishling Darcy (Ennis Track); 22. Niamh Clancy (St John’s); 27. Ciaea Mulcaire (Ennis Track); 39. Rachel Mulcaire (Ennis Track).
Teams
Inter-club
2. Ennis Track  = 94 points.
Inter-county
2. Clare = 131 points.
Inter-region
2. Munster. 
Junior ladies (4,000m)
10. Imogen Cotter (Ennis Track).
Senior ladies (8000m)
1. Sara Louise Treacy (Meath); 2. Claire McCarthy (Cork); 3. Aoifa Byrne (Dublin); 8. Orla O’Mahoney (Clare).
Boys’ U-12 (2,000m)
5. Aidan McCarthy (St Cronan’s); 10. Caoilfhionn O’Dea (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 16. Cian Shannon (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 49. Kevin Hassett (St Mary’s); 52. Zack Whelehan (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 58. James McGuire (Ennis Track).
Teams
Inter-club
6. Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare = 179 points.
Inter-county
2. Clare = 189 points.
Inter-region
1. Munster
Boys’ U-14 3,000
19. Eoin Looney (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 25. Patrick O’Rourke (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 43. Mark Fennell (St Mary’s); 44. Paul Martin (Ennis Track); 49. Jamie Roche (Ennis Track); 65. Stephan Maher (Ennis Track).
Teams
Inter-county
6.Clare.
Inter-region
3. Munster; 19. Eoin Looney, 25. Patrick O’Rourke).    
Boys’ U-13 4,000m
13. Stephen Rooney (Ennis Track); 66. Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track); 71. Liam Gray (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare); 74. Sean Collins (Ennis Track); 77. Patrick Chesser (Ennis Track); 95. Eoin Hanrahan (Ennis Track).
Boys’ U-18 6,000m
15. Ian Slobody (Kilmihil); 48. Conor Rooney (Ennis Track); 78. Darragh Collins (Ennis Track); 80. Jonathon Martin (Ennis Track); 81. Cillian Blake (St John’s); 83. Declan Martin (Ennis Track).
Teams
Inter-region
3. Munster.
Senior men (10,000m)
1. Joe Sweeney (Dublin); 2. Andrew Ledwith (Meath); 3. Paul Pollock (Antrim); 7. Sean Hehir (Clare); 21. Rory Chesser (Ennis Track); 25. Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy); 36. Dermot Galvin (St John’s); 49. Brian Murphy (Ennis Track); 55. James McIntyre (Olympic Harriers); 69. Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare).
Inter-county
1. Dublin = 103 points; 2. Antrim = 109 points; 3. Cork = 182 points; 4. Clare = 193 points.

Senior cross country to take place at Cooraclare

THE Clare Athletics Association Senior Cross Country Championship plus the juvenile B championships for U-9, U-11, U-13 and U15 will take place on the lands of  Joe Garry, Cooraclare, this Sunday at 11.30am.
The first race on the programme will be the girls’ U-9 followed at 1pm by the senior ladies’ 5,000m and by the senior men’s 10,000m at 1.30pm.
The ladies’ race will be very eagerly contested with last year’s title-holder Veronica Colleran (Ennis Track) starting as slight favourite from the 2009 champion Claire Madigan (St John’s) with Marie Carey (Ennis Track) looking to capture her first Clare title. Also in contention will be Sharon Rynne (Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare), Imogen Cotter and Cushla Brid Hehir (Ennis Track).
In the team contest, the 2010 champions, Ennis Track Club will be fancied to do well with St Mary’s, St Cronan’s and Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare all in contention.
The men’s race will run over a distance of 10,000m with four to score in both grade A and grade B. The 2010 Clare senior men’s race for the individual title should be one of the best ever with a number of previous winners in contention including Jason Fahy (Olympic Harriers) the 2008 and 2009 champion,
Sean Hehir (Kilkishen and Rathfarnham AC Dublin) will be contesting his first Clare title at this level, while others in the hunt for honours include Rory Chesser (Ennis Track), Dermot Galvin (St John’s), Kenneth Rodgers (St John’s) the Munster intermediate champion, Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) the Munster silver medal winner, James McIntyre (Olympic Harriers) a former Finn Valley athlete now back running in Clare, Brian McGinley (Ennis Track) and Jake O’Regan (St John’s).
Others expected to make an impression include Darragh Lynch Adrian Kearney, Martin Grealish, Thomas Scanlon, Martin Glynn, Brian Murphy, Keith White (all Ennis Track); Fergal Smithwick (Marian); James Liddane (Olympic Harriers); Willie Devitt, Julias Cesar F Caster, 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 be expected to do well, while St John’s, Olympic Harriers, Marian, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, St Cronan’s and St Mary’s will all be challenging strongly.

Fixtures
December
1. The resheduled Clare Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships for minor, junior, intermediate and senior will take place on the lands of the McGuire Family, Carhunagry, Mullagh, at 10.30am.
3. Athletics Association of Ireland AGM in Crown Plaza Hotel, Dublin at 9.30am. 
4. Clare Athletics Association Senior Cross Country Championships plus Juvenile B U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 on the lands of  Joe Garry Cooraclare starting at 11.30am.
11. Athletics Ireland National Novice plus Juvenile U-11 to U-19 Cross Country Championships at the Curragh Camp County Kildare, starting at 11.30am.

Secondary schools’ championships rescheduled for this Thursday

THE Clare Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships have been rescheduled to take place this Thursday on the lands of the McGuire Family, Carhunagry, Mullagh, with the first race starting at 10.30am.
All schools will be represented and up to 300 athletes competing from Kilrush, Kilkee, Kildysart, Kilmihil, Rice College Ennis, Ennis Community College, Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon, Tulla, Killaloe, St Patrick’s Shannon, St Caimin’s Shannon, St Flannan’s, Coláiste Mhuire Ennis, Spanish  Point,  Ennistymon Vocational School, Mary Immaculate Lisdoonvarna and Ennistymon CBS.
There will be prizes to the first six in all races and the first three teams in the girls (three to score) and the boys (four to score). 
The best overall school will receive the Tully Cup. Kilkee are the holders with Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon, 2009 winners and Kilmihil the title holders in 2008.
John Galvin (Ennistymon CBS) is the co-ordinator for the championships and the special guest will be Irish international athlete Mark Kenneally, (Clonliffe Harriers), who has just qualified for the marathon in the London Olympics. He has Clare roots as his father hails from Newmarket-on-Fergus.
There will be eight races on the programme and the final two races will be the senior girls’ 3,500m and boys’ 5,000m.
Taking part will be many of Clare’s leading athletes including Aisling Kelly (Spanish Point); Elaine Shannon, Áine Rouine (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon); Laura Power (Ennis); Rachel Clancy (Kilkee); Muireann O’Shea (Ennis); Shannon O’Grady (Coláiste Muire, Ennis); Nollaigh Blake, Laura Egan (Kilmihil); Jean and Niamh Clancy, Shauna Harvey (all Kilkee); Niamh Markham, Jamie Roche (St Flannan’s); Paula Loughnane, Rice College, Mark Fennell (Kilrush); Stephan Rooney Gael (Chloiste An Chláir), Liam Gray (Spanish Point); Jake O’Regan, Eoin Brew, Shane Keane (Kilkee); Eimear Hillery, Siobhán Nestor (Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon); Jacob Loughnane (Ennis) and Ian Slobody (Kilmihil).