Greene
Selected for Ireland
Congratulations
go to Cillin Greene of GCH on his selection on the Irish team for the European
Indoor Championships in Glasgow this March. This follows his superb win and
qualifying time achieved in the 400m at the National Indoor Championships in
Dublin yesterday. The European Championships take place from March 1st to 3rd
next, and Greene’s first race will be the 400m heats on Friday morning March
1st.
National
Senior Indoor Championships
It was a hugely
successful and momentous weekend for Galway City Harriers’ athletes at the
National Senior Indoor Championships held in Abbottstown, Dublin last weekend. The
city club brought home a haul of four National medals, two of them gold, with Cillin
Greene winning a fantastic maiden National Senior title, and Sean Breathnach
adding to his haul of over twenty National Senior titles.
Men's 400m winner Cillin Greene of Galway City Harriers AC, Co. Galway, gold, celebrates his win at the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Athletics Championships
Greene stormed
to victory to win his first National Senior title over 400m, in just his fourth
race at the distance. Greene tore off in the first lap and held an all-important
lead at the break leading into the second lap, with athletes behind including
the famed Thomas Barr running into difficulty. Greene held on to his lead all
the way and took a memorable victory with a top-class display of front running
over the 400m. In claiming gold, he also set a European qualifying standard
with his 47.19 clocking, all in all a truly remarkable day for the hugely
talented GCH athlete.
Not to be outdone, the erstwhile Sean Breathnach of GCH claimed yet another National title, winning the Shot Putt with a best throw of 16.22m. GCH throwers made it a clean sweep for the city club, as Brendan Staunton of Galway City Harriers won Silver and Michael Breathnach, younger brother of Sean claimed the bronze medal.
Men's Shot Putt event medalists, from left, Brendan Staunton of Galway City Harriers AC, Silver, Sean Breathnach of Galway City Harriers AC, Gold and Michael Breathnach of Galway City Harriers AC, Bronze, during day two of the Irish Life Health National Senior Indoor Athletics Championships at the National Indoor Arena in Abbotstown, Dublin
Sarah Quinn, a
NUI Galway athlete won bronze in the 60m Hurdles in the colours of St Colman’s
South Mayo, while other good performances came from Veronica Burke of
Ballinasloe and District AC, fourth in the Ladies 3k Walk,
Alanna Lally now of UCD, also fourth in a top class 800m, while Aisling Joyce
of GCH was 8th in the Ladies 1500m final, and Brendan Lynch of Loughrea placed
seventh in the Triple Jump
Connacht
Schools Cross Country
The Connacht Schools Cross Country Finals were held place at Bushfield, Loughrea on Saturday February 16thlast, and produced some good performances from Galway schools. Presentation College Athenry picked up a number of team titles, while individually, Aoibhe Carr placed third in the Junior Girls for the Athenry school, Clodagh O Meara was third in the Minor Girls for St Raphaels Loughrea, Sean Cotter of Calasanctius Oranmore was second in the Intermediate Boys ahead of Barry Murphy of St Enda’s, while Ailbhe Miskella of Pres Athenry had a great race to take the bronze medal in the Senior Girls race. The top 15 athletes qualify for the Irish Schools Cross Country championships which will be held in Clongowes College on 9th March next
Fixtures
Connacht
Indoor Championships
The Connacht Indoor Track and Field Championships takes place over two days next weekend, Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th February. Day one sees the U12 and U13 competitions take centre stage, while Day two features the U14 to U19 Juvenile
Laura Cunningham, Craughwell AC
who was presented with the Athletics Ireland Juvenile Star Award at a glittering ceremony in Tullamore at the weekend in recognition of her achievements at National level in 2018
