Kelly and Dunne Win Dublin Masters

Elish Kelly of Raheny Shamrock, a newly minted W35 master, ran away with the women’s 3000m race at the Dublin Masters’ Cross-Country Championships which attracted record numbers to St Anne’s Park.

After the start, Kelly quickly emerged from the pack and built up a strong lead with only her Raheny clubmate Annette Kealy attempting to stay with her. She came home a clear winner, with Kealy second and first W45 and Sportsworld’s Jean Wilson third. Raheny also won the team title, thanks to strong back-up runs from Brid Ni Chonaill and Orla Gormley, who had won the Bull Run in Clontarf on St Stephen’s Day.  In the older age groups, June Comiskey won the W65 title, while Donore’s Ann Woodlock was first W75.

Former footballer  John Dunne of Donore ran a smart race to win the men’s 6000m. In only his third ever cross-country, Dunne kept to his pre-race plan, which was to stick to the leaders and then take his chance. He finished a comfortable winner ahead of Rathfarnham’s Paul Fleming and Brian Leahy of Raheny. Declan Fahy of Clonliffe was first M40 and Civil Service’s Paul Cowhie first M45.  First over 65 was Paddy Reilly of Liffey Valley with Donore’s Terry Mee first M70. Winning the  M35 team title was Donore Harriers, ahead of Clonliffe and Rathfarnham WSAF. Rathfarnham took the M55 team title with Raheny second.

Teams from new clubs Balbriggan and Portmarnock were in action and Balbriggan took their first ever championships medals. Chris Keeling won the M55 title, while Bernie Martin was second W55. Despite the cold wet conditions, record numbers turned out for both races, underlining the growing appeal for all ages of club running.

* International triathlete Bryan Keane of Leevale won the men’s race at the Munster Cross-Country Championships in Tipperary. Siobhan O’Doherty of Borrisokane won the women’s race.

Dublin  Masters’  Cross-Country Championships, St Anne’s Park, Raheny  (corrected and amended; full results www.dublinathletics.com).

Women’s 3,000m (81 finishers)– 1 Elish Kelly (Raheny Shamrock, W35) 10.30, 2 Annette Kealy (Raheny Shamrock, W45) 10.57, 3 Jean Wilson (Sportsworld, W35)11.03, 4 Ruth Kelly (Sportsworld, W35) 11.23, 5 Maria Dolan (Rathfarnham WSAF, W45) 11.25, 6 Derval  Devaney (Rathfarnham WSAF,W35) 11.26, 7 Rachel Morgan (Sportsworld, W40) 11.27, 8 Anne Curley (Donore, W40) 11.30, 9 Vanessa Sallier (Rathfarnham WSAF, W40) 11.34, 10 Brid Ni Chonaill (Raheny Shamrock, W40) 11.35, 11 Alma Hanevy (Donore, W35) 11.35, 12 Bernie Byrne (Clonliffe, W50) 11.44. W45: 3 Jacqui Boyle (Tallaght) 11.48. W50: 2 Riita Kansanniva (Civil Service) 12.53, 3 Fiona Kirwan (Raheny Shamrock) 12.57. W55: 1 Sheelagh Jones (DSD) 12.30, 2 Bernie Martin (Balbriggan & Dist) 16.18. W60: 1 Eileen O’Brien (Lucan Hrs) 14.48, 2 Josie Power (Fingallians) 15.22. W65: June Comiskey (Raheny Shamrock) 15.49. W75: Anne Woodlock (Donore Hrs) 16.14. Teams (10)– 1 Raheny Shamrock 30 (1,2,10,17), 2 Sportsworld 45 (3,4,7,31), 3 Donore Hrs 47 (8,11,13,15), 4 Rathfarnham WSAF 61, 6 DSD 100. .

Men’s 6,000m (158 finishers) – 1 John Dunne (Donore, M35) 19.29, 2 Paul Fleming (Rathfarnham WSAF, M35) 19.43, 3 Brian Leahy (Raheny Shamrock, M35) 19.56, 4 Declan Fahy (Clonliffe, M40) 19.58, 5 Niall Lynch (Donore A, M40) 20.00, 6 Kevin O’Connor (DSD A, M40) 20.08, 7 Des Kennedy (Raheny, M40) 20.25, 8 Ronan Kearns (Rathfranham WSAF, M35) 20.30, 9 David Heffernan (Donore A, M35) 20.40, 10 Eanna Cunnane (Sportsworld, M35) 20.42, 11 Chris Muldoon (Clonliffe A, M35) 20.44, 12 David Fitzpatrick 9Tallaght, M35) 20.45.   M45: 1 Paul Cowhie (Civil Service) 21.06 , 2 Brian Kelly (Raheny Shamrock) 21.10, 3 Gerry Daly (Liffey Valley) 21.48. M50: 1 Gerry Doyle (Rath WSAF) 21.07, 2 Tommy Bishop (Rathfarnham WSAF) 22.24 , 3 Brendan Ryan (Tallaght) 22.46. M55: 1 Chris Keeling (Balbriggan & District) 22.43, 2 Jack Tyrrell (Tallaght) 22.50, 3 Sean Doyle (Rathfarnham WSAF) 23.04. M60: 1 John Cullen (Liffey Valley),22.35 2 Barry Potts (Donore B) 25.37, 3 Joe Cooper (Liffey Valley) 27.37. M65: 1 Paddy Reilly (Liffey Valley) 29.14, 2 Ray McCormack (Raheny)30.28. M70: Terry Mee (Donore) 29.26. Teams – M35 (15): 1 Donore Harriers 34 (1,5,9,19), 2 Clonliffe Harriers 55 (4,11,15,25), 3 Rathfarnham WSAF 58 (2,8,16,32) 4 Liffey Valley 64, 5 Raheny Shamrock. M50 (6): 1 Rathfarnham WSAF 221, 2 Raheny Shamrock 369, 3 Tallaght 395.

Munster Senior, Junior and Juvenile C-C Relays, Tipperary.

Women – Senior (13 finishers): 1 Siobhan O’Doherty (Borrisokane), 2 Madeline Loughnane (Thurles Crokes), 3 Carmel Crowley (Bandon), 4 Sharon Rynne (Kilmurry Ibr/NC), 5 Niamh Roe (St Finbarr’s), 6 Sinead Ni Conchubhar (St Finbarr’s). Team – St Finbarr’s 28 pts. Junior: 1 Aoife Hamilton (W Waterford), 2 Caoilinn Hickey (Midleton), 3 Cliona Ryan (W Waterford). Team – West Waterford 14 pts.

Men- Senior (40 finishers): 1 Bryan Keane (Leevale), 2 James McCarthy (East Cork), 3 Tim O’Donoghue (East Cork), 4 Kenny Rodgers (St John’s Clare), 5 Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel), 6 Sean McGrath (East Cork). Teams (5) – 1 East Cork 23, 2 Togher 59, 3 Clonmel 86. Junior: 1 Kyle Larkin (Emerald), 2 Karl Fitzmaurice (BMOH), 3 Cillian O’Donovan (Iveragh).

Cork BHAA Cross-Country Challenge 5km, Beaumont, Cork
Men: 1 Alex O’Shea (Cork CC) 18:57, 2 Trevor Woods (UCC, M40) 19:20, 3 Darren Molloy (Navy)19:42, 4 Sean Dowling (Keary Car Sales)19:51; 5 Ian Tivy 20:00, 6 Conor Tierney  20:22; 7 Paul Deane (UCC)20:26, 8 Denis Kelleher (Blarney Woolen Mills, M45) 20:53, 9 Tony Archer (UCC, M50) 21:02, 10 Paul Spiteri (Matt Pilates) 21:22.

Women: 1 Michelle Kenny (Dept of Ed) 22:24, 2 Maura Regan (HSE, W35) 22:31, 3 Ann-Marie Hayes (W35) 24:36, 4 Maggie Chojan 25:28, 5 Leonie Dolan 27:01, 6 Kitty Harrington-Buckley (HSE, W45) 27:25.