Matthews to Lead Irish Masters Team in Belfast

Barbara Cleary -W35 debut

Twice champion Peter Matthews of DSD will lead the Irish men’s team at the forthcoming British & Irish Masters Cross-Country International  at the Queen’s playing fields, Belfast on Saturday October 10.
In his quest for a hat-trick of victories, Matthews will stiff competition not just from the English, Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish but also from  current Irish masters’ cross-country champion, Ciaran Doherty and from Northern Irish pair Stephen Duncan and David Morwood. At the recent NI trial race, Duncan outsprinted  Morwood to beat him by a  second.
Other medal contenders include Pauric McKinney of Inishowen, winner of the M45 class in the Dublin Marathon,  Galway’s Martin McEvilly  in the M60 race and former Olympian Jim McNamara  of Donore in the M70 race. 
Leevale’s Carmel Parnell  hope to retain her W55 title and move closer to Karen Marshall’s  record number of victories in this event. Former winner Niamh O’Sullivan of Riocht on her W50 debut faces  stiff competition from Scotland’s Fiona Matheson,  who is the defending champion. Donore’s Barbara Cleary makes her masters debut in the W35  race, while Evelyn McNelis W60 is another strong medal contender.