Sweeney, Treacy winners at Sligo; Britton 3rd in France

Dublin’s Joe Sweeney of Dublin was an impressive winner of the men’s senior race at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Inter County Cross-Country Championships at Sligo racecourse.
On a mucky and challenging course, Sweeney led the race from the early stages and soon only had  Andrew Ledwith for company. He then shook off the challange of the Meath man and built up a big lead. Ledwith held on for second with Paul Pollock of Antrim a close third. Michael Mulhare in fourth place was first U23, with  Dublin pair Emmet Jennings and Liam Tremble second and third in this category.
England-based Sarah Louise Treacy of Meath was a surprise winner of the women’s senior race, beating Claire McCarthy Gibbons of Cork and Dublin’s Aoife Culhane, who was fighting for the lead with Treacy until she fell on the final lap.  She was then caught for second place by the fast finishing Claire Gibbons McCarthy. In fourth place was  Kerry Harty (Down), followed by  Eilish Kelly (Roscommon) and Lizzie Lee (Cork).
Treacy was also taking the U-23 title for a third consecutive year. Wicklow’s Una Britton  was second.  
Westmeath’s  Jake Byrne beat Dublin’s Kevin Dooney to take the junior men’s title, with Liam Brady of Offaly third – Byrne had come home from the USA specially for the race.
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner  of Dublin was a convincing winner of the junior women’s race. For second place, Buttner’s DSD club-mate Clare McCarthy, stormed past  World Youth Walk champion, Kate Veale  of Waterford in the final 400m.
Dublin teams took three of the four titles on offer – junior men and women, and senior men. With two in the top six, Cork won the senior women’s title.
* Fionnuala Britton finished third in the Cross de l’Acier in France. Winner of the race was Ethiopia’s Filesa Tadese with Almenesch Belete second.
Irish teams for European C-C
WomenSenior: Fionnuala Britton (Kilcoole), Claire Gibbons-McCarthy (Leevale), Aoife Culhane (DSD), Kerry Harty (Newcastle), Eilish Kelly (Raheny Shamock). U23: Sarah Louise Treacy (Moynalvey), Una Britton (Kilcoole). Junior: Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD), Claire McCarthy (DSD), Kate Veale (West Waterford), Mary Mulhare (Nth Laois), Mary Ann O’Sullivan (Tinryland)

Men – Senior: Joe Sweeney (DSD), Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy’s), Paul Pollock (Abbey), Mark Hanrahan (Leevale), Gary Thornton (GCH). U23: Michael Mulhare (Nth Laois), Emmet Jennings (DSD), David Flynn (Clonliffe), Liam Tremble (MSB), David Fitzmaurice (Clonliffe).  
Junior: Jake Byrne (Mullingar), Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock), Liam Brady (Tullamore), Sean Tobin (Clonmel), Ruairi Finnegan (Letterkenny).
Results Intercounties-
Men – Senior: 1 Joe Sweeney (Dublin) 32.07; 2 Andrew Ledwith (Meath) 32.53; 3 Paul Pollock (Antrim) 32.58. Team – 1 Dublin; 2 Antrim; 3 Cork.  U23: 1 Michael Mulhare (Laois) 33.21; 2 Emmett Jennings (Dublin) 34.39; 3 Liam Tremble (Dublin) 35.05. Junior: 1 Jake Byrne (Westmeath 20.49; 2 Kevin Dooney (Dublin) 20.58; 3 Liam Brady (Offaly) 21.14. Team – 1 Dublin; 2 Cork; 3 Meath.
Women – Senior: 1 Sarah Treacy (Meath, U23) 31.20; 2 Claire McCarthy (Cork) 31.27; 3 Aoife Culhane (Dublin) 31.30; 4 Kerry Harty (Down) 31.31; 5 Elish  Kelly (Roscommon); 6 Lizzie Lee (Cork) . Team – 1 Cork; 2 Dublin; 3 Meath. U23: 1 Treacy; 2 Una Britton (Wicklow) 32.27; 3 Mary Finn (Cork) 32.34; 4 Lauren Scott (Down) 33.26. Junior: 1 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Dublin) 16.06; 2 Clare McCarthy (Dublin) 16.15; 3 Kate Veale (Waterford) 16.24. Team – 1 Dublin; 2 Meath.
Juvenile Even Ages: 
Girls –  
W12:   1  J McCann (DSD), 2 J McCambridge (DSD), 3 SO’Brien (Spa Muckross A.C). County: 1 Clare, 2 Cork, 3 Dublin. Club: 1 DSD, 2 Tullamore Harriers, 3. Bandon.  
W14 : 1 N Power (Dublin), 2 A Hamilton (W Waterford), 3 E.Fitzpatrick (DSD). County: 1 Waterford, 2 Dublin, 3 Cavan. Club: 1 West Waterford , 2 DSD, 3 Mullingar Harriers.
W16:  1 C O’Reilly (Annalee), 2  A Quinn (Waterford), 3  S Fitzpatrick (DSD).  County: 1 Antrim, 2 Dublin, 3 Cork. Club: 1 Lagan Valley, 2 DSD, 3 Tullamore Harriers A.C.
W18: 1 G Dolan (Annalee), 2 S Humphries (DSD), 3 B Kearns (St Senan’s). County: 1 Dublin, 2 Clare, 3 Kilkenny. Club: 1 DSD, 2. Ennis Track, 3. Mullingar Harriers. 
Boys – 
M12: 1 A McGlynn (Finn Valley), 2 P Chambers  (Westport), 3 C McHugh (Mullingar Harriers). County: 1 Cork, 2 Clare, 3 Dublin. Club: 1. Finn Valley, 2 Westport, 3. Mullingar Harriers.
M14: 1 F Curtin (Cork), 2 C Dalton (Mullingar Harriers), 3  S Bracken (Swinford). County: 1 Dublin, 2  Donegal, 3 Antrim. Club: 1 Mullingar Harriers, 2 DSD, 3 St Malachy’s.
M16: 1 C Kirk (Lagan Valley), 2  P Gibbons (Letterkenny), 3 L Fitzpatrick (DSD). County: 1 Antrim, 2 Dublin, 3 Westmeath. Club: 1 Mullingar Harriers , 2. Lagan Valley, 3. DSD.
M18: 1 S Tobin (Clonmel), 2 R Finnegan (Letterkenny), 3  I Hartnett (Togher). County: 1 Dublin, 2 Cork, 3 Donegal. Club: 1 Mullingar Harriers, 2 Togher, 3 Clonmel.

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