Titles for Carey and Shannon

The Bernie Meaney Memorial and the 37th annual St Mary’s 5.5 mile road race was held at Kilmurry McMahon, organised by St Mary’s AC. The event attracted a fine turnout of athletes with Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) recording a big win in a sprint finish with a time of 27.09 from Kenneth Rodgers (St John’s), who led all the way until the final few metres. In third place was Dermot Galvin (St John’s).
The Tommy McCarthy Cup went to St John’s on 27 points ahead of Nenagh Olympic on 50 points, with Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare third on 54 points.
Maria Carey (Ennis Track) was the big winner when she captured the ladies’ title in 32.39. Former Irish International athlete Rita Kierce (St Mary’s), who was competing in the O-50 section, captured the runner-up spot in 35.57. In third spot was Marian Burke (St Mary’s) in 36.15.
Four athletes made an early break with Kenneth Rodgers (St John’s) setting a lively pace from the start along with Michael Shannon, Dermot Galvin and Jake O’Regan (both St John’s). The leaders had opened up a gap on Shane Scully (Nenagh Olympic), James McIntyre (Olympic Harriers) and Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare). Between the two and three-mile mark,  Rodgers and Shannon started to pull away from the rest of the field with junior athlete Darren Dunne (Nenagh Olympic) making good progress towards the top six.
Michael Shannon produced a massive sprint over the final 50m to win from Kenneth Rodgers with Dermot Galvin and Jake O’Regan both crossing the finishing line together in 28.27 followed by Shane Scully and James McIntyre.
The ladies’ race was very well supported with the 2009 champion Marian Burke (St Mary’s), along with Maria Carey (Ennis Track) setting the pace, going through the first mile in 6.24, with Rita Kierce (St Mary’s) making very steady progress through the field.
Maria Carey arrived in Kilmurry McMahon with well over three minutes to spare to take the title in 32.39 with Rita Kierce second in 35.57 and 2009 champion Marian Burke third in 36.15.
The team award went to Ennis Track.

RESULTS
Senior ladies (5.5 miles)
1 Marie Carey (Ennis Track)(32.39); 2 Rita Kierce (St Mary’s) (35.57); 3 Marian Burke (St Mary’s) (36.15); 4 Noreen Mackey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (36.32); 5 Aoifa Nash (Ennis Track)(36.37); 6 Sue Garrahy (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (38.57).
Teams
1 Ennis Track= 13 points; 2 St Mary’s = 18 points.
Masters ladies’ O-35
1 Rose McMahon (Ind) (44.48).
O-40
1 Ann Reidy Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (41.48); 2 Mags Malone (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (44.10).
O-45
1 Christina Organ (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (48.54).
O-50
1 (Marian) O’Loughlin (Ennis Track)(41.23).
Junior ladies
1 Siobhán Nestor (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (45.18); 2 Chantel Burke (St Mary’s) (46.39).
Senior men
1 Michael Shannon (Kilnaboy) (27.09); 2 Kenneth Rodgers (St John’s) (27.10); 3 Dermot Galvin (St John’s) (28.27); 4 Jake O’Regan (St John’s) (27.27); 5 Shane Scully (Nenagh Olympic) (29.27); 6 James McIntyre (Olympic Harriers) (29.54); 7 Darren Dunne (Nenagh Olympic) (30.03); 8 Willie Devitt (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (30.40).
Teams
1 (St John’s) = 27 points; 2 Nenagh Olympic = 50 points; 3 (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) = 54 points.
Masters men O-40
1 Trevor White (St Cronan’s) (31.49); 2 Keith Butler (Nenagh Olympic) (32.10); 3 Pat Healy (Marian) (33.00).
O-45
1 James Ryan (Dundrum) (32.02); 2 Pat Morrissey (Ennis Track)(35.14); 3 Michael Kenny (St Mary’s) (39.08).
O-50
1 Michael Harvey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (35.06); 2 John Convey Fergus (37.34); 3 Michael Quinlivan (Tulla) (38.07).
O-55
1 Tom Mackey (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (33.20); 2 James Sexton (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (36.11); 3 Donie Shine (Duhallow) (38.21).
O-60
1 Con O’Brien (Banteer) (35.19).
Junior men
1 Darren Dunne (Nenagh Olympic) (30.03); 2 Eoin Brew (St John’s) (34.13); 3 Patrick O Rourke (Kilmurry Ibrickane-North Clare) (34.24).
Novice men confined to Mary’s AC for the James Hanrahan Shield.
1 Michael Kenny (St Mary’s) (39.08); 2 Dermot Moran (St Mary’s) (41.35); 3 Denis Meaney (St Mary’s) (43.59).