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The Athletic Association of Ireland Cork County Board |
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International
Awards
Night
Friday, January 16th 2009
Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire
On
behalf of the Cork County Board of the Athletic Association of Ireland I would
like to welcome you all here tonight to celebrate the fantastic achievements of
all the athletes receiving awards. On
behalf on the Board, I wish these athletes, their coaches, clubs and supporters
continued success in 2009.
Noreen Murphy,
Chair Cork County
Board
International
Award Winners
The following athletes
are the recipients of International Awards for representing Ireland in junior,
senior or masters international competition during 2008:
Orla Barry (Leevale AC): Paralympic athlete, Orla Barry set a new
European Record of 27.98m in the discus at the German Open National
Championships, held in Berlin on 7-8 June 2008. She placed 5th in her discus event at the Beijing
Paralympics in September 2008.
Cathal Owens (Leevale AC): Cathal Owens is an
exciting prospect over 400m breaking the 50sec barrier for the first time this
year. He represented Ireland on the
4×400m relay team that competed in the World Junior T&F Championships in
Poland during July 2008.
Rob Heffernan (Togher AC): Robbie had another
exciting year in 2008 culminating in an excellent 8th place finish
in the mens 20k walk at the Beijing Olympic Games. Rob has been representing Ireland at European, World and Olympic
level for almost a decade and is currently ranked as one of the top 10 race
walkers in the world.
Marian Andrews (Togher AC): Marian is one of Irelands top 400m
runners. She had a breakthrough year in
2008 winning her first Irish Senior track title and breaking the 54sec barrier
(53.97) in the process. She represented
Ireland at the European Cup in Leiria, Portugal in June 2008 where she finished
an excellent 3rd in the 400m.
Derval O'Rourke (Leevale AC): Derval O’Rourke is a
former World Indoor 60m hurdles Champion and current European outdoor silver
medallist in the 100m hurdles. She is a
multiple Irish Champion and record holder at 60m and 100m hurdles. Derval represented Ireland in the 100m
hurdles in the Beijing Olympics in August 2008.
Ailis MacSweeney (Leevale AC): Sprinter Ailis had a great return to form in
2008 taking the Irish Indoor title over 60m in February 2008. She was one of only 2 athletes selected to
represent Ireland in the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain in March
2008. She was also selected for the
European Cup in Leiria, Portugal in June 2008 where she competed over 100m and
as part of the 4x100m squad.
Craig Murphy (Togher AC): Craig had an excellent year in 2008 and is
an exciting prospect for the future. He
won the Irish Schools Cross Country title in 2008 and represented Ireland in
both the World and European Junior Cross Country Championships. He was 4th European finisher at
the Worlds in Edinburgh and followed this up with a top 20 finish at the
Europeans in Brussels in December.
Craig was the first Irish athlete over the line in both events.
Carmel Crowley (Bandon AC): Carmel Crowley has been at the forefront of
Cork athletics since her schoolgirl days.
She won the County Road Race Championship this year among other Road and
Cross Country titles. Now in the
over-40 category, Carmel represented Ireland at the British and Irish Masters
Cross Country Event in Swansea, Wales in November 2008.
Joan Healy (Bandon AC): Joan is one of the
top junior sprinters in the country.
Along with capturing many Schools and National Junior accolades this
year, she also represented Ireland at the 2008 World Junior Track and Field
Championships in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay.
Ciaran O'Lionaird (Leevale AC): Ciaran gained his
first senior international vest at the European Cup in Talinn, Estonia in June
2008. He placed 2nd in the
5,000m in a personal best time of 14:24.35, a time which gained him
qualification for the 2009 European U23 T&F championships.
Mark Carroll (Leevale AC): Mark Carroll is a legend of Irish
athletics. He is a multiple Irish
record holder, a former European Indoor 3000m champion and former European
Outdoor Bronze medallist over 5,000m.
He has been at the forefront of elite international athletics since
winning the European Junior 5,000m title in 1991. Mark has represented Ireland at multiple European, World and
Olympic championships. In 2008, he
represented Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels,
Belgium.
Jessika Zebo (Leevale AC): Jessica was a member of the victorious 4x400m squad that scored maximum
points for Ireland at the Celtic Cup Indoor International in Cardiff, Wales
during February 2008.
Christina Broderick (Belgooly AC): Christina was a member of the victorious
4x400m squad that scored maximum points for Ireland at the Celtic Cup Indoor
International in Cardiff, Wales during February 2008.
Christopher Crowley (Belgooly AC): Chris is the reigning Irish Senior High Jump
and Long Jump champion. He produced an
excellent performance at the Celtic Cup Indoor International in Cardiff, Wales
during February 2008. He scored maximum
points for Ireland at that meet by winning the High Jump with a leap of
2.14m. He also represented Ireland at
the European Cup in Tallinn, Estonia in June 2008.
Anne Donnelly (St. Finbarrs AC): Anne is one of the stalwarts of the Irish
Masters Athletics scene. She
represented Ireland once again this year at the British & Irish Masters
Cross Country in Swansea, Wales.
Mary Sweeney (St. Finbarrs AC): Mary is another well known competitor on the
local, regional and national athletics scene.
She has represented Ireland on numerous occasions most recently at the
British & Irish Masters Cross Country in Swansea, Wales.
Joan Hough (Midleton AC): Another of the stalwarts of the Irish
Masters Athletics scene. She
represented Ireland once again this year at the British & Irish Masters
Cross Country in Swansea, Wales.
Brian Murphy (UCC AC): Brian is one of Irelands leading 400m
runners finishing a close 4th over the distance in the Irish Senior
Championships in 2008. He made a number
of international appearances in 2008 including the European Cup in Talinn,
Estonia where he was a member of the 4x400m Irish relay squad.
Denis Finnegan (UCC AC): Denis is the reigning
Irish Senior Triple Jump champion both Indoors and Outdoors. He is also the Irish Intervarsities champion
and record holder at this event. Denis
recorded a personal best of 14.67m whilst representing Ireland at the European
Cup in Tallinn, Estonia in June 2008.
Michelle & Gayle
Finn (Duhallow AC): Michelle
& Gayle represented Ireland in Mountain running in 2008 finishing 16th
& 27th in the junior Race at the European Mountain Running
Championships in Zell am Hammersbach in Germany and 24th & 40th in the World
Trophy in Sierre-Crans Montana in Switzerland.
Joe Warne (Doheny AC): Joe, currently on scholarship in DCU, represented Ireland in the
European Cup in Talinn back in June, finishing 3rd in the 800m in a
time of 1.52.65.
Special Award Winners
2 special awards are
being awarded this year. Noel O’Regan
(Midleton AC) and Rose Ní Shúilleabháin (Bantry AC) are the recipients of these
awards for their lifesaving actions at the Streets of Cobh 5k (August 2007) and
the South Munster Schools Cross Country (February 2008).
County Award Winners
The following athletes are the recipients of County Awards based on their performances in the 2008 County Track & Field championships:
Ciaran Kenny
(Blarney Inniscarra AC): County
Junior T&F (100m, 400m)
Linda O'Donovan (Bandon AC): County Junior T&F
(400m, Long Jump)
Breandan
Dennehy (Rising Sun AC): County Senior
T&F (Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump)
Rachel Roche (Bandon AC): County Senior T&F (Discus,
Javelin, Shot)
Brendan Dennehy County Masters T&F (100m, 200m,
Long Jump, High Jump)
Anne Marie Healy County Masters T&F (800m, 1500m)
Derek Duff (Leevale AC): Munster U23 T&F (100m,
200m)
Paula McCarthy (Bantry AC) Munster U23 T&F (High Jump,
Long Jump, Triple Jump, Javelin)