European Clubs Cross Country Championships
Galway City Harriers and Dundrum South Dublin AC - the two Irish Junior teams that competed at the European Clubs Cross Country championships in Portugal.
Back: Michael Healy, Gary Martyn, Thomas McStay, Aaron Brennan, James Frizzell and Eanna Folan.
Front: Grace Dervan, Aisling King, Roseanne McCullough, Niamh Carey, Lucy McCann and Abbi Taylor.
Galway City Harriers Junior Men’s Cross Country team competed in Mira in Portugal at the European Clubs Cross Country Championships on Sunday last and the five-man squad did the club and the city proud, with a great ninth place finish in their first outing at European level.
The race saw Europe’s top U20 cross country runners compete for their clubs on a twisting and sandy circuit over the 6.2km course. The race was fast from the gun, and saw a victory for Spanish athlete Aaron Las Heras, with defending champions Castellon of Spain retaining their team title after a tough battle with Portuguese outfit Benfica with 13 teams completing the event.
All five of the GCH squad ran strongly in what was a hugely competitive field. First home for Harriers on the day was Thomas Mcstay, in 28th, one place ahead of Eanna Folan in 29th, Aaron Brennan was next home in 42nd,with Gary Martyn fourth scorer in 59th and Michael Healy fifth man home for GCH in 65th.
Lead coach Matt Lockett and team manager Brian Bruton were delighted with their charges performance, with the squad intent on making a return to this level again.
National Track and Field Indoor League
Craughwell AC Women's Team - National League Bronze Medalists 2018. Pictured are: Arlene Earls, Chloe Casey, Sinead Gaffney, Sinead Treacy, Laura Cunningham and Sarah Finnegan. (missing from photo: Caron Ryan and Eva Kelly)
Craughwell AC secured bronze medals at the National Indoor League final held in Dublin in Saturday last, with a great team performance, behind winners Dublin City Harriers and Sli Cualann in second place.
There were great performances on the day from the young squad of Craughwell athletes, with Chloe Casey winning the Shot Putt in her first senior competition, Laura Cunningham placed second in the High jump and sixth over 60m while captain Sarah Finnegan was third in the 60m hurdles and second in the Triple Jump. Sinead Treacy finished third in the Long Jump and sixth over 200m while Sinead Gaffney was fourth in the 800m. Arlene Earls came third over 400m and Caron Ryan secured fourth in the 1500m.
The final event of the day was the 4x200m relay which was run by a squad comprising Sinead Treacy, Sinead Gaffney, Arlene Earls and Laura Cunningham who finished in 4th place.
GCH Ladies just missed out on a medal, placing fourth, with all of the squad doubling up in events to score points with Kathryn Casserly scoring well in both the 800 and 1500m, Aoife Sheehy finished 2nd in the 60m hurdles, 3rd in the triple jump and 6th in the high jump. Seren O'Toole took 2nd in the long jump and 6th in the shot putt, Laura Nally finished a fine 2nd in the 400m and Nicole king finished 3rd in the 60m and 5th in the 200m.
GCH Men’s team finished in fifth place in the Mens event with the ever-consistent Sean Breathnach taking maximum points in the Shot Putt. His brother, multi eventer Michael Breathnach, took on three events, finishing 3rd in the 60m hurdles, and 6th in both the pole vault and the high jump.
Sprinter Cillin Greene doubled up in the 200m and 60m finishing in 4th and 5th position respectively, Henrique Nkolovata placed 4th in the Triple Jump and 5th in the Long Jump, John Moroney doubled up with 3rd in the 1500m and 5th in the 1500m while Jonah Erugo scored in 5th in the 400m. Darren Costello joined Rob Meagher, Jonah Erugo and Michael Breathnach in the 4 x 200m relay to finish in 5th position.
GCH National Indoor league Men's team members Cillin Greene, Michael Breathnach, John Moroney, Sean Breathnach and Henrique Nkolovata.
National Cross Country Championships
The Brothers of Charity grounds at Kilcornan, Clarenbridge will play host to the National Juvenile Relays, B Championships and the Intermediate and Masters cross country championships on Sunday next. The event starts at 11am with the U 11 Juvenile races, which will be followed by the U13, 15 and 17 events for Girls and Boys, the Juvenile 4x500m relays, the Masters races and finally the Intermediate events, which will close the day, with the last race at 3.10 pm. Galway Athletics Board assisted by Craughwell AC will organise the event with well over 1,200 athletes are expected to compete.
Galway will have very strong teams at adult level, with the Intermediate Mens team including Brendan McDonnell, Andrew ó Donnghaile, Talon Thompson and Neil Keane of GCH and Daire Comer of Tuam all likely to place highly.
At Masters Level, Galway ladies team will be captained by Kathryn Casserly, and the squad features Niamh Hennelly of GCH, who is a regular top echelon performer at National cross country, two National marathon team champions in Elaine Walsh and Grainne Ni Uallachain, as well as Tara Whyte and Eilis Ni Dhuill of GCH, and Mags Kilkenny of Ballinasloe
At Over 50 level, Christine Kennedy of GCH, Ian Egan of Tuam and Martin Kearney of GCH will lead teams, with each also gunning for individual category honours.
Virtually all Galway clubs will field club teams at both Juvenile and adult level across the 16-race programme, with great interest in this major event from right across the county
Maree 8KM
The annual Maree AC 8KM Run was held Sunday February 4th last, with Mick Fogarty from Ferbane Athletic Club running 26.48 to claim victory, ahead of Paul Fitzgerald of Limerick and Conor Dolan of GCH in third. Yvonne Fehily from Athenry AC won the Ladies section in 33.16
Other news
Sean Breathnach returned to action at the weekend with a 17.28 metre throw to win the Shot Putt at the AAI Games in the National Indoor Arena on Sunday last. Alanna Lally of UCD continued her good form, placing second over 800m in 2.06, following a 2.04 last week in a mixed race,
Loughrea athlete Laura Shaughnessy now with DSD won the Dungarvan 10-mile road race on Sunday in a fast time of 56.47
Gort 5km
The Gorgeous Gort 5K will be held next Sunday at 1.30pm. The race route is Jones counter measured and Athletics Ireland permitted. Entrants will be chip timed.
Registration will open at 11.30am in Gort Community centre, the Race HQ and start location, where pre-registered entrants can collect their race packs.
