Silver medal for O’Donoghue

Amy O’Donoghue, Meelick, running in the Clare colours, won the silver medal in the girls’ U-16 race at the Athletics Association of Ireland Inter-counties Cross Country Championships and juvenile even ages, which were held at Kilbeggan race course.

O’Donoghue, who runs with Dooneen AC declared for Clare this cross country season. She settled in well over the first 800 metres, along with Aishling Darcy and Niamh Markham, both Ennis Track, and as they faced into the storm for the final 400 metres, Amy was in the top six.
She kept working hard all the way to the finish, where she had to settle for the silver medal. Niamh Markham ran a great race to finish in 8th place, with Aishling Darcy in 21st spot. All three scored on the winning Munster team, with Clare having to settle for fourth position.
Clare athletes produced outstanding performances, with the county picking up several medals.
Cliodhna Blake, St John’s, finished 17th in the girls’ U-12 and led Clare to silver medals. In the boys’ U-14 race, Micheal Moloney, Ennis Track, was 15th, with Jacob Loughnane, Marian, 16th. Clare won the bronze medals in that category.
Dara Chesser, Ennis Track, was the leading Clare athlete in the boys’ U-19, with Clare and Ennis Track taking bronze medals.
In the junior ladies, Claire Madigan, St John’s, had a fine race to finish in 10th place overall.
Orla O’Mahoney, a former Marian athlete, also ran in the Clare colours and finished seventh overall in the senior ladies, with Jason Fahy, Olympic Harriers, the top Clare athlete in 21st position in the senior men’s 10,000m.
In the girls’ U-12 race, over 160 athletes went to the start and Clare had a very strong contingent. Cliodhna Blake, St John’s, had to work hard throughout to finish 17th, with 10-year-old Sharon Egan Kilmihil in 28th place and both athletes were scoring members of the Munster team.
Chantel Burke, St Mary’s, was 34th, with Caoimhe Harvey, St John’s, another 10-year-old, 42nd and Áine Rouine, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, finishing in 50th place. The sixth scoring athlete was Sinéad Hogan, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, in 81st spot. Clare won the silver medals.
In the boys’ U-12 race, Keith White, St Cronan’s, came home 35th, with Jamie Roche, Ennis Track, running in his first national championships, finishing 37th.
In the girls’ U-14, Laura Power, Ennis Track, was the top Clare athlete in 53rd position.
The boys’ U-14s were missing Micheal Clancy and here Micheal Moloney, Ennis Track, and Jacob Loughnane, Marian, worked well to finish 15th and 16th, with Eimhín Courtney, Ennis Track, in 30th position and all three were scoring members of the Munster team.
Ennis Track competitors, Kevin Mulcaire (44th), Conor O’Brien (67th) and Eoin Hanrahan (68th) helped Clare to win bronze medals, while Ennis Track also won bronze medals in the inter-club awards.
Ian Slobody, Kilmihil, was the best of the Clare athletes in the boys’ U-16 in 18th place. Domhnaill Rodgers, St Cronan’s, finished 22nd, while in the girls’ U-18, Harriett Flynn, Shannon, finished 26th.
Clare athletes Cathal O’Connor and Liam Markham, made a step up in grade and decided to run the junior men’s 6,000m, which left Clare without their two leading stars at U-18 level.
Dara Chesser, Ennis Track, was running in the top 10 throughout the U-18 race but lost a few places on the final lap to finish 13th, with Adrian Kearney, Ennis Track, doing very well in 18th, followed home by Darragh Lynch, Ennis Track, in 22nd place.
Eoin Brew, St John’s, came 30th, with Kevin Chesser, Ennis Track, 45th and Noel Garry, St John’s 61st. Clare and Ennis Track both won bronze medals.
In the junior ladies’ event, Clare cross country champion Claire Madigan, St John’s, ran a very good race to finish in the top 10, while in the junior men’s 6,000m, Cathal O’Connor from Bunratty finished 16th, with Liam Markham, Ennis Track, in 26th spot.
In the senior ladies’ 8,000m, Orla O’Mahoney from Ennis and Clare was always in the thick of the action and she finished very strong to claim sixth spot.
The final race of the day was the men’s 10,000m and Clare had two athletes in the race, Jason Fahy, Olympic Harriers, and Rory Chesser, Ennis Track.
On the first of this six laps, Fahy led before eventually finishing in 21st position, with Chesser working hard to finish 28th and sixth in the U-23 section.

Results
Girls’ U-12 (1,000m)
Inter-county
3. Clare = 252 points.
Inter-club
14. Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare = 352 points.
Girls’ U-14 (1,500m)
Inter-county
11. Clare = 527 points.
Inter-club
15. St John’s = 406 points.
Girls’ U-16
Inter-county
4. Clare = 216 points.
Inter-club
5. Ennis Track = 162 points.
Girls’ U-18
26. Harriett Flynn, Shannon.
Boys’ U-12
Inter-county
11. Clare = 358 points.
Inter-club
13. Ennis Track = 313 points.
Boys’ U-14
Inter-county
3. Clare = 240 points.
Inter-club
4. Ennis Track = 156 points.
Boys’ U-16
6. Clare = 315 points.
Boys’ U-18
Inter-county
3. Clare = 189 points.
Inter-club
3. Ennis Track = 98 points.
Junior ladies
10. Claire Madigan, St John’s.
Senior ladies (8,000m)
6. Orla O’Mahoney, Clare.
Junior men
16. Cathal O’Connor, Bunratty
27. Liam Markham, Ennis Track.
Senior men (10,000m)
21. Jason Fahy, Olympic Harriers
28. Rory Chesser, Ennis Track (sixth U-23).