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| Linda Byrne |
In a day of surprises, Linda Byrne of Dundrum South Dublin was the only athlete who lived up to the script at the Woodie’s DIY Senior Interclub Cross-County in Santry.
Byrne lead the 8km race from the start and came home a comfortable winner. A surprise second behind her was 41-year-old former Irish international Una English who got the better of defending champion Ava Hutchinson of DSD.
With two runners in the top three, DSD on 34 points retained their team title although North Belfast Harriers, just five points adrift, chased them hard and packed brilliantly (see result).
Annadale’s Eddie McGinley is a much-improved runner these days after taking a break from the sport. He led from the start of the men’s 12km, with only Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe attempting to stay with him after the initial exchanges.
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| McGinley leads men |
Clonliffe regained the team title they had lost to DSD last year – ironically DSD’s defending champion Joe Sweeney and his clubmate Alan McCormack, neither of whom ran today, are coached by Jerry Kiernan of Clonliffe.
Led by Emmett Jennings and the veteran Peter Matthews, DSD still managed to hold on for third behind Clonliffe, who had Gary O’Hanlon in third place and Brian McMahon fourth. Raheny Shamrock, led by Mick Clohisey in fifth place, finished second.
Opening the day’s programme was the women’s 6km, with reigning champion Siofra Cleirigh Buttner of DSD expected to retain her title without too much bother. In her usual style, Buttner moved to the front early, but for the first time in many years of domestic competition, found she was not alone. Joining her was Swiss-based Sarah Mary Collins who has a Cork mother and a Donegal father. In the race for the line, it was the Swiss athlete, wearing a Finn Valley vest, who proved the stronger. With Clare McCarthy finishing third, DSD retained their team title, beating Raheny.
Raheny’s Kevin Dooney won the junior men’s 8km race, despite the best efforts of Stephen Kerr from Armagh in the early stages. Kerr held out for second place ahead of the bare-footed Jake O’Regan from St John’s Clare. Raheny Shamrocks narrowly beat Clonliffe on countback for the team medals. DSD was third.
Although Dublin and Ulster clubs dominated at the front of the field in all four races, pride was at stake in the B and C grades for teams such as Drogheda and District and Sliabh Bhui Rovers and all their runners were cheered loudly out on the course and coming across the finish line. SBR picked up silber in Grade C, beaten only by the barefooted crew from Ennis TC who wre fourth team overall. For Drogheda, Conor Cooney got some of the biggst cheers of the afternoon when he finished well off the pace in around 50 minutes, helping complete his team.
* In the well-supported Adare 10km, Sean Hehir of Rathfarnham WSAF beat Annadale’s Paddy Hamilton for overall victory. Barbara Cleary was first woman.
Woodie’s DIY Inter Clubs C-C Championships, Santry, Dublin ( jun women and team points provisional; see www.precisiontiming.net).
Women – Junior 6km (19 finishers): 1 Sarah Collins (Finn Valley 19:35; 2 Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD) 20:00; 3 Clare McCarthy (DSD) 20:22. Teams – 1 DSD 5; 2 Raheny Shamrock 45; 3 Clonliffe 61.1
Senior 8km (47 finishers): 1 Linda Byrne (DSD) 25:53; 2 Una English (DCH) 26:16; 3 Ava Hutchinson (DSD) 26:38; 4 Sarah McCormack (Clonliffe) 27:13; 5 Breege Connolly (NBH) 27:21; 6 Sharon Trimble (NBH) 27:38; 7 Gladys Ganiel (NBH) 27:58; 8 Pauline Curley (Tullamore) 28:00; 9 Kate O’Neill (MSB) 28:06; 10 Anne Curley (Donore) 28:13 Teams – 1 DSD 32; 2 North Belfast Harriers 37; 3 Raheny 84.
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| Drogheda and District |
Men – Junior 8km (38 finishers): 1 Kevin Dooney (Raheny Shamrock) 24:07; 2 Stephen Kerr (Armagh) 24:32; 3 Jake O’Regan (St John’s Clare) 24:39; 4 Hugh Armstrong (Ballina) 25:00 ; 5 Cillian Mooney (DSD) 25:07; 6 Aaron Hanlon (Clonliffe) 25:11; 7 Ian Guiden (Clonliffe) 25:38; 8 Fintan Doherty (Clonliffe) 25:45 9 Liam Fitzpatrick (DSD) 25:48; 10 Kevin Brennan (St Abban’s)25:55. Teams – 1 Raheny Shamrock; 2 Clonliffe Harriers; 3 DSD.
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| SBR 2nd Grade C |
Senior 12km (122 finishers): 1 Eddie McGinley (Annadale) 35:09; 2 Sergiu Ciobanu (Clonliffe)35:24; 3 Gary O’Hanlon (Clonliffe)35:35; 4 Brian McMahon (Clonliffe) 36:02; 5 Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock) 36:06; 6 Cillian O’Leary (Raheny Shamrock) 36:12; 7 Tom Fitzpatrick (Tallaght) 36:28; 8 Martin Quinn (Dunleer) 36:30; 9 Declan Reed (City of Derry) 36:36; 10 Emmett Jennings (DSD)36:40; 11 David Morwood (Annadale) 36:41; 12 Peter Mathews (DSD) 36:49. Teams – 1 Clonliffe 25; 2 Raheny Shamrock 45; 3 DSD 78. B: 1 Ferrybank 183; 2 Tullamore 221; 3 Liffey Valley 303. C: 1 Ennis Track Club 159; 2 Sliabh Bhui Rovers 224; 3 Craughwell 226.
Men: 1 Sean Hehir (Rathfarnham WSAF) 30:39; 2 Paddy Hamilton (Annadale Striders) 30:42; 3 Michael Shannon 31:48; 4 Cian Murphy (Iveragh) 33:07; 5 Mike O’Brien (W Lim) 33:23; 6 Julio Cesar Castro ( Kil/Ibr) 33:33. M40: Dermot Kearns (W Lim) 35:09. M45: Tom Blackburn (Moreabbey Milers) 36:33. M55: Eugene Moynihan (Marian) 35:40.
Women: 1 Barbara Cleary 36:42; 2 Tracey Roche (Dooneen) 38:50; 3 Dympna Ryan (Dundrum) 39:03; 4 Aislinn Nic Dhomhnaill (W Lim) 39:32; 5 Anna MacPhail (W40) 40:29; 6 Deirdre Enright 40:42.
Dungarvan Business Centre 10km (Race 4 Michael Roche Carpets Spring Series). www.westwaterfordathletics.org.
Men: 1 Sandis Bralitis (WW AC) 32.17; 2 Danny Smith (Ballynonty)33.36; 3 Ian McGrath (Slí Cualann) 33.38 M40: Finlay Weir (WAC) 36.59. M45: Martin Hayes (WW AC) 36.11. M50: Martin McCarthy (WW AC) 36.13. M55: Joe Gough (WW AC) 37.20. M60:
Con Kelleher (WAC) 44.06, Jun: Damien Murphy (WW AC) 35.47
Team – West Waterford AC (Raivis Zakis 34.12, Des Feeney 36.09, Trevor Mason 36.17).
Women: 1 Angela McCann (Clonmel) 36.40; 2 Corinna Walsh (WW AC) 38.43; 3 Norma Wall (West Waterford) 39.32. W35: Esther Murphy (St Finbarr’s) 41.58. W40: Diane Behan (WAC) 41.26. W45: Elaine Barry (WAC) 44.52. W50: Josie Uí Chuirrín (WW AC) 46.42. W55: Patricia O’Keeffe (WAC) 59.07
Team – West Waterford.
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