With a mixture of music and a running “boot camp” on the menu, a mixed group of Dublin athletes descended on the County Clare village of Quin last weekend to take part in the Seisuin na hEireann weekend, organised by our own Eileen Hassett, a mainstay of the Kiely’s “seisuin” in Donnybrook.
By the time the Seisuin na hEireann Quin 10k took place on Saturday evening, the group should have been entirely knackered. Most of them had already run up and around Slieve Bernagh on the Friday evening (great views of Lough Derg) and on Saturday, had disturbed the pheasants on an early morning jog around the golf course at Dromoland Castle (but no sightings of Russell Crowe, unfortunately).
Back in the Clare Castle leisure centre, we eased out the muscles by popping into the pool and then lying back in the jacuzzi. A few brave souls ventured into the freezing cold plunge pool. After lunch came an hour of so of stretching exercises in the hotel before heading back to the village for 10k road races. Well actually, it was about 9.4km because of the potential for a major traffic jam, but Eileen has told us under pain of death not to mention that!!
Despite all the hectic activity, there were still some good runs in the 10k race, although our group instructor Joe O’Connor from Kerry club Riocht, had to pull out with a sick stomach after two kilometres (it was the chowder, folks – honest!). It meant that Tulla athlete James McIntyre had a comfortable win, finishing over two minutes ahead of his club mate James Liddane.
In third place was Rathfarnham WSAF veteran John Farrelly, fresh from his run at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland. Another pair of Tulla athletes – Thomas Walsh and Ivan O’Connell – were fourth and fifth, ensuring team victory ahead of local club, Quin.
Best of the women was Kilnaboy’s Tracey Guilfoyle, a fiesty woman who only took up running after her children started in athletics. “I was going to races and seeing women of my own age competing. So I thought, why not join them?” says Tracey, who is English by origin but living in Ireland for the past twenty years. Next step for her in the marathon in a few weeks time.
Second of the women was Helen Leonard, another Rathfarnham raider although she is originally from Cork via Melbourne. Ann Marie Costello of Marian was fourth woman. With Zoe Melling fifth and Fidelma Ayres sixth, Rathfarnham WSAF took the team award ahead of the Crusaders trio of Fionnuala Ni Bhradaigh (guest), Emma McAuley and Rachel Cinnseallagh, with Colleen Robinson also running well, despite facing an imminent break from her three year retirement as an Irish dancer (Eileen can be very persuasive). That is why she is clearly thinking very hard in the picture attached…
Next morning came a beach conditioning session and a run/hike through the magnificence of the Burren, with John, Zoe and Emma heading off for a two and a half hour run and yours truly opting to take photos of the local flora!.
This was the second such camp supervised by Joe O’Connor; the first was in collaboration with Barry Minnock in the Mount Brandon last May. He promises there will be more. Watch this space!
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