National Indoor Track and Field League
The first qualifying round of the National indoor League took place Sunday last in the National Indoor Arena in Dublin with two Galway clubs competing. Clubs need to place in the top six after two rounds to make the final on February 12th next.
Galway City Harriers had a very successful opening day, as GCH Ladies placed fifth team and their Men’s squad placed sixth and are well placed to qualify ahead of Round 2 in two weeks.
Nicole Walsh, Ella O'Connor, Nicole Quirke, Eimear Rowe, and Laura Nally made up the GCH Women's Team while Rob McDonnell, Rob Meagher, Andrew Egan, Neill Keane and Jim Phelan competed for the clubs Men's Team.
The highlight of the day was via Olympian Robert McDonnell who laid down a massive statement of intent by smashing both GCH club indoor records for both 60m and 200m in lightning-fast times of 6.90 and 21.27 respectively.
Craughwell AC (pictured above) also competed in the Men’s League, placing tenth overall with a team of Ronnie Warde, Jack Miskella, Brian Malone, Cormac Kearney, Patrick Noonan, John Walkin and Justin Lane
Galway Indoor Championships
The Galway Indoor Track and Field championships have been refixed in light of the current COVID situation. The new dates are detailed as follows:
2022 Galway Indoor County Championships (AIT)
U17s +, Senior & Masters, Feb 11 (commencing @18:30 subject to government guidelines)
U12 - U16s, Feb 12
U9-U11s, April 3
Connacht Athletics Awards Night
In true Connacht grit, the current restrictions never had a chance to stop the great and the good of Connacht Athletics, both past and present from joining an online Awards Ceremony to celebrate possibly the best year in Connacht Athletics History on Saturday night.
Over 250 logged on to the zoom call at various times which had people far and wide engaged to celebrate 2021.Organised by Pierce O Callaghan, Connacht Athletics PRO and his team, the night was a great success and testament to the hard work of several months input.
Ireland’s fastest ever man Paul Hession (Athenry) dialled in from Perth, Australia to present the Connacht Sprinter of the Year Awards which was jointly won by Olympic relay finalists Chris O’Donnell (North Sligo) and Cillin Greene (Galway City Harriers).
Irish 1500m and Mile record holder Ray Flynn (Longford) dialled in from Tennessee, USA to present the overall Connacht Athlete of the Year to his clubmate Cian McPhillips.
Heather McDonnell, the only daughter of legendary coach John McDonnell (Crossmolina & Arkansas, USA) dialled in to present the John McDonnell Connacht Coaches of the year to Brendan Glynn (Galway City Harriers), Philip Finnerty (Moy Valley) and Marie Mullen (North Sligo).
Legendary coach Liam Moggan (Tuam) presented the club of the year awards jointly to Moy Valley and Craughwell and the Developing Club of the Year to Loch Lurgan.
2009 European medallist Mary Cullen (North Sligo), 2009 World 20km Walk Champion Olive Loughnane, (Loughrea) 1962 Irish Long Jump Champion Billy Glynn (Tuam) and former Irish Heptathlon international Mary Barrett (Loughrea) all presented their awards to the top Connacht Athletes in their respective disciplines, including Evan Hallinan of Craughwell
Former Connacht Chairman Michael O’Brien was posthumously awarded the Hall of Fame award for his major contribution to Connacht Athletics
Sarah Quinn, (St Colman’s South Mayo and NUIG) who was a member of the Irish team who finished second in the 4x200m relay at last year’s World Championships was presented with the silver medal won at the event
Tokyo Olympic Marathon 10th placer Sinead Diver (Mayo AC) won two awards – Connacht Athlete of the Year (female) and Connacht Road Runner of the Year and sent a video message from her training camp in the mountains in Australia.
1994 European Cross Country Champion Catherina McKiernan was on hand to present a number of awards including the Cross Country athletes of the year to Keelan Kilrehill and 12-year-old Freya Renton and Catherina also present the Connacht Masters athlete of the year to Cross Country specialist Katheryn Casserly. Catherina also presented the Connacht Road Runner of the year to Feidhlim McGowan (North Sligo) for his outstanding 2.22.34 Marathon in Valencia in December.
1972 Olympic Shot Putter Philip Conway presented the Connacht U18 Athlete of the year to Liam Shaw (Athenry) who was the youngest ever winner if the Irish U20 Shot Put title last year and Philip also presented Shot Putter Sean Breathnach with the Masters athlete of the year and Conor Cusack with the Martin Sheridan Award for Connacht Thrower of the year.
Coaches Dermot McDermott and Seamus Lynch presented their charges Erin Taheny (Coran) and Angela Cielecka (Galway City Harriers) with their awards for U20 and U18 athletes of the year respectively.
Athletics Ireland President John Cronin presented the Fr Kevin Ryle Awards to the Official of the Year to Amanda Hynes (Swinford) and Iain Shaw (Athenry) both of whom were most popular winners.
Galway Chairperson Marion McEvilly presented Jessica Burke (Galway City Harriers) with the Inspiration Award for her never say die attitude to Cross Country running this winter while Mark Davis presented Shauna Bocquet with her Inspiration award for raising €50,000 for the track in Craughwell.
All in all, there is much to be proud of within Connacht Athletics and much to look forward for 2022.
