River Lee Hotel
Tuesday December 17th 2019
Sean Doyle, North Cork AC is Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month for November 2019
The award was presented at a function at the River Lee hotel, on Tuesday December 17th 2019
The Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month Award is sponsored by 96FM/C103FM, The Echo, The River Lee, Cork Crystal and Leisureworld
Cork City Sports - Awards Archive
This afternoon, Tuesday December 17th, 2019, Sean Doyle, North Cork AC was presented with the Cork City Sports Athlete of the Month Award for November 2019
Sean Doyle (North Cork AC) receives the Cork City Sports November award for his outstanding performance at the Munster Cross Country championships in Conna. Sean had great run to win the provincial senior title for the first time. A month earlier Sean led his North Cork AC team to the club's first county senior title.
Sean Doyle with Cork City Sports Committe Members and Sponsors
Photos
Photo album from the function on Cork Athletics County Board Facebook Page
Sean Doyle Interviewed by John Walshe
Watch all Cork Athletics Videos on Vimeo
Registered Cork Athletics Races during the Festive Season 2019
Sunday December 15th to Sunday December 29th
Lots of races to choose from over the Christmas period, with races all over the County
First up, on Sunday December 15th, we have two popular races, the Cloyne Commons 4k and Duhallow AC's Newmarket Classic 5k
The Annual GOAL Mile will be held in a number of locations around Cork. Details are being 'fleshed out' at the moment, but there will be GOAL Miles at CIT Track and Doneraile Park, with info about other locations yet to come in.
This highly popular St Stephen's Day 'Turkey/Pudding Burner' has the added bonus of chip timing this year, so we're probably looking at numbers in excess of it's usual 650/700 finishers
Registered Cork Athletics Races & Events for Week Ending Sunday December 15th 2019
Saturday December 14th, 11am, Nenagh - Officials Training Course | Saturday December 14th, 1pm, CIT Track - Cork Youth Development Initiative - CYDI Day 8 | Saturday December 14th, 2:30pm, CIT Track - Cork Athletics Winter Coaching Series - Day 8 | Sunday December 15th, 09:30am, Cloyne - Cloyne Commons 4k Series - Race 2 2019/20 | Sunday December 15th, 1pm, Newmarket - Newmarket Christmas Classic 5k Road Race 2019 | Sunday December 15th, Dunboyne, Co. Meath - Athletics Ireland National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross-Country Championships |
w/e Sun December 15th - Officials Training Course (Nenagh), Cork Youth Development Initiative - CYDI Day 8, Winter Coaching Series - Day 8, Cloyne Commons 4k Series - Race 2 2019/20, Newmarket Christmas Classic 5k & National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross-Country Championships
Cork Athletics Race Calendar
Comprehensive Calendar of Registered Athletics Ireland events in Cork
Results of Athletics Ireland Registered Events - April 2014 - May 2016 (on Old Cork Athletics website)
Results of Athletics Ireland Registered Events - May 2016 to date
Cork Events This Week
Saturday December 14th, 11am, Nenagh - Officials Training Course
Open to all AAI Members - NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED
Saturday December 14th, 1pm, CIT Track - Cork Youth Development Initiative - CYDI Day 8
Saturday December 14th, 2:30pm, CIT Track - Cork Athletics Winter Coaching Series - Day 8
Sunday December 15th, 09:30am, Cloyne - Cloyne Commons 4k Series - Race 2 2019/20
Sunday December 15th, 1pm, Newmarket - Newmarket Christmas Classic 5k Road Race 2019
Sunday December 15th, Dunboyne, Co. Meath - Athletics Ireland National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross-Country Championships
Online Registrations
The Following Upcoming Races currently have Online Entry or Online Registration open:
If your event is missing, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Newmarket 5k Classic, Sunday December 15th (500 Entry Limit)
Dick Copithorne Memorial Belgooly 4, St. Stephen's Day, December 26th
Togher 5k, Sunday December 29th
Kinsale 10 Mile, Sunday February 23rd 2020
Crosshaven 5k & 10k, Sunday March 8th 2020
Duhallow 10 Mile, Sunday March 8th 2020
Mallow 10, Sunday March 22nd 2020
Sonia O'Sullivan Cobh 10, Sunday April 5th 2020
Doneraile 10k, Saturday June 6th 2020
Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
Athletics Weekly: With the temperature on Sunday expected to reach around 16 degrees centigrade and the weather set fair, the Parque da Bella Vista should provide a somewhat different test to the usual cross country challenges to be found on these shores.
A total of 602 athletes representing 40 countries – including Russian athletes competing as Authorised Neutral Athletes – have been declared across the seven races. The entry lists also include all six reigning individual champions – U20 winners Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway and Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, U23 gold medallists Anna Emilie Møller of Denmark and Frenchman Jimmy Gressier, as well as Filip Ingebrigtsen and Turkey’s Yasemin Can in the senior races.
Stephanie Cotter and Adams State University Gear Up for European XC
Adams State University trio Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC), along with twin sisters Eilish & Roisin Flanagan (Carmen Runners, Tyrone) form the nucleus of the Irish Womens Under-23 squad in Lisbon on Sunday. This is another huge occasion for Adams State to have three girls from the same NCAA University on the same team at the one time, and for the second consecutive year. The University is delighted to have the three students represent Ireland again.
Just two weeks ago, at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, in Sacramento, California, Stephanie Cotter won, in a Championship Record time, with the Flanagan twins coming in directly behind her, in second and third places. With three to score, we'll be rooting for the girls.
As asked in other media locations, it will be interesting to see how the US-based trio fare in the European setting, but one would think that the Portuguese park setting should be somewhat comparabale to that of the Carifornia course, and therefore suit the Irish girls. It's certainly going to be better than my recollection of a particular Munster master XC, in Borrisoleigh, in January 2001...with freezing temperatures, driving sleet, deep much and a film-setting-like snow-line, just 400m or so away. I'd take Portugal any day!
This year sees probably the smallest Cork contingent in several years, with just two Corkonians on the team: Stephanie Cotter, West Muskerry AC, and Glengarriff's Darragh McElhinney, who now runs with UCD AC, having transferred recently from Bantry AC
Athletics Ireland Release - Darragh Browne
The Irish team will be looking for good performances at the 26th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon on Sunday (December 8th) ahead of the championships in Dublin next year. This will be the third time Portugal has hosted the championships and this year Bela Vista Park hosts the event in downtown Lisbon.
Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) is the only returning athlete to the women’s U20 team which will have a fresh look. Last year’s team just missed out on medals finishing fourth, but this year will be more about experience ahead of Dublin 2020. Aoife O'Cuill (St. Coca's AC), Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers AC), Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Maeve Gallagher (Swinford AC) and Sarah Kelly (Inishowen AC) make up the rest of the team.
It’s a case of déjà vu with Norway’s wunderkind Jakob Ingebrigtsen who now is looking to make even more history by winning four individual titles in the U20 men’s race. Darragh McElhinney (UCD) and Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) are the only returnees on the Irish U20 men’s team which finished fifth in last year’s event.
Strong U23 teams
The women’s U23 team will look to have a strong showing with Adams State trio Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry) and twins Eilish and Roisin Flanagan (Carmen Runners). The trio led a 1-2-3 clean sweep of the podium at the NCAA Division II cross country championships. Eilish Flanagan also won a silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the European U23 Athletics Championships last summer and will aim to improve upon her 16th place finish in this event last year. With three athletes to score, it looks like they will need a score inside 35 points to win a team medal.
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock), Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) and Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) return to the men’s U23 team and will be strengthened by Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers) who finished 13 at the NCAA Division I Championships. They will hope to build on their 6th place finish from last year.
Fionnuala McCormack’s (Kilcoole) name is synonymous with this event and creates more history by running for a record-breaking 16th time (only Italy’s Gabriele De Nard (17) and Ukraine’s Sergiy Lebid (19) surpassing McCormack’s tally on the men’s side) along with her famous back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2012.
Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn) comes into the event on the back of her stunning top 10 finish at the World Championships in Doha, as well as recently setting a new 5km road personal best of 15:44. Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) makes her senior debut in this event after a good 19th place finish at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. The team will be looking to improve on last year’s 11th place finish.
The senior men will hope to put in a strong performance with Sean Tobin (Clonmel) who was 10th individually last year, and Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) who brilliantly won the national senior title leading the charge.
An experienced team will compete in the mixed relay with the race set to start at 12:05pm
Irish Squad
Women
U20
Aoife O'Cuill (St. Coca's AC), Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers AC), Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC), Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers AC), Maeve Gallagher (Swinford AC), Sarah Kelly (Inishowen AC)
U23
Claire Fagan (Mullingar Harriers AC), Eilish Flanagan (Carmen runners), Fian Sweeney (Dublin City Harriers AC), Roisin Flanagan (Carmen runners), Sorcha McAlister (Westport AC), Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC)
Senior
Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers AC), Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC), Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC), Fionnuala Ross (Armagh AC), Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Una Britton (Kilcoole AC)
Men
U20
Daragh McElhinney (UCD), Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers AC), Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley AC) , Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers AC), Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers AC), TBC
U23
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC), Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers AC), Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers AC), David McGlynn (Waterford AC), Jack O'Leary (Mullingar Harriers AC), Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers AC)
Senior
Conor Bradley (City of Derry Spartans AC), Damien Landers (Ennis Track AC), Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers AC), Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel AC), Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers AC), Sean Tobin (Clonmel AC)
Mixed Relay
Amy O'Donoghue (Emerald AC), John Travers (Donore Harriers AC), Luke McCann (Dublin City Harriers AC), Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers AC)
List of Entries (PDF File)
Course Preview
The 26th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be disputed on a 1500m lap course, with a second 500m lap, to be used in the beginning of certain races. It is a demanding course, designed in a hilly area of the Bela Vista Park, basically with a grassed surface
TV Coverage & Livestream
Action will be covered on RTE 2, from 12pm
Livestreamed on European Athletics
BBC: Live coverage, from 10am - 2pm, on BBC Red Button, Connected TV, online & the BBC Sport app, with highlights on BBC Two from 17:15pm - 18:15pm
Note: Some BBC coverage is restricted to UK viewers
09:45 Opening ceremony
10:00 U20 men (6,225m; Ss + 4L laps + Fs)
10:30 U20 women (4,225m; Ss + 2S laps+ 2L laps + Fs)
10:55 U23 men (8,225m; Ss+ 1S lap + 5L laps + Fs)
11:30 U23 women (6,225m; Ss + 4L laps + Fs)
12:05 Mixed relay (4 x 1,500m; Ss + 4x1L lap + Fs)
12:35 Senior men (10,225m; Ss + 2S laps + 6L laps + Fs)
13:20 Senior women (8,225m; Ss + 1S lap+ 5L laps + Fs)
S: Short lap (500m); L: Long lap (1,500m); Ss: Start straight (125m); Fs: Finish straight (100m)
Individual Irish:
1994 - Senior Women- Catherina McKiernan - GOLD - 14:29
1998 - Junior Men - Gareth Turnbull - BRONZE - 16:55
2006 - U23 Women - Fionnuala Britton - SILVER - 18:56
2011 - Senior Women - Fionnuala Britton - GOLD - 25:55
2012 - Senior Women - Fionnuala Britton - GOLD - 27:45
Irish Teams:
1999 - Junior Mens Team - BRONZE - 43 pts
Gary Murray 8th, Brian Keane 15th, Mark Smyth 20th, Joe McAlister 75th, Robert Connolly 94th
2000 - Senior Mens Team - BRONZE - 72 pts
Peter Matthews 10th, Seamus Power 14th, Gareth Turnbull 23rd, Keith Kelly 25th, Ken Nason 55th, Fiachra Lombard 67th
2003 - Senior Womens Team - SILVER - 78 pts
Sonia O’Sullivan 4th, Rosemary Ryan 13th, Ann Keenan Buckley 27th, Catherina McKiernan 34th, Marie Davenport 52nd
2004 - Junior Mens Team - SILVER - 54pts
Mark Christie 5th, Andrew Ledwith 7th, Danny Darcy 11th, Jamie McCarthy 31st, Joe Sweeney 44th, Mark Hanrahan 56th
2010 - U23 Mens Team - GOLD - 60pts
David McCarthy 11th, Brendan O’Neill 13th, Michael Mulhare 16th, David Rooney 20th (25th), John Coghlan 34th, Ciarán Ó Lionáird 76th
2012 - Senior Womens Team - GOLD - 52 pts
Fionnuala Britton 1st Linda Byrne 8th, Ava Hutchinson 20th, Lizzie Lee 23rd, Sarah McCormack 36th, Sara Treacy 42nd
2014 - Senior Womens Team - BRONZE - 87 pts
Fionnuala Britton 6th, Sara Treacy 12th, Michelle Finn 23rd, Ann Marie McGlynn 46th, Siobhan O’Doherty 47th, Laura Crowe 53rd
2015 - Senior Womens Team - BRONZE - 83 pts
Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton) 4th, Lizzie Lee 13th, Caroline Crowley 23rd, Ciara Durkan 43rd, Michelle Finn 54th, Kerry O’Flaherty 55
Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Sunday December 15th 2019
Can all Nominees please Confirm with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725, ASAP
Any athlete who feels that they should also be nominated, should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Orla | Byrne | St Finbarrs AC |
Michelle | Ahern | East Cork AC |
Fiona | Everard | Bandon AC |
Ida | Kelleher | Mallow AC |
Ellen | McCarthy | Skibbereen AC |
Emmii | Gocke | Leevale AC |
Andrea | Bickerdike | Leevale AC |
Franziska | Skogsholm | Leevale AC |
Jennifer | Montague | Leevale AC |
Michelle | Kenny | Leevale AC |
Emily | Knox | Leevale AC |
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Alan | O'Brien | Eagle AC |
Jeremiah | Sheehan | North Cork AC |
Shane | Harrington | East Cork AC |
Kevin | O'Leary | East Cork AC |
Eoghan | McElhinney | Bantry AC |
Michael | Harrington | Durrus AC |
David | O'Connor | St. Catherines AC |
Naoise | Ó Flaitheartaigh | Bandon AC |
Gavin | O'Rourke | Leevale AC |
Hewood | Richardson | Leevale AC |
Jonathan | Murphy | Leevale AC |
Feidhlim | Ó Dubhlaing | Leevale AC |
Donal | Coakley | Leevale AC |
Conor | McCauley | Leevale AC |
Brian | Kearney | Leevale AC |
John | Goggin | Tracton AC |
Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Sunday December 15th 2019
Can all Nominees please Confirm with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725, ASAP
Any athlete who feels that they should also be nominated, should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Orla | Byrne | St Finbarrs AC |
Michelle | Ahern | East Cork AC |
Fiona | Everard | Bandon AC |
Ida | Kelleher | Mallow AC |
Ellen | McCarthy | Skibbereen AC |
Emmii | Gocke | Leevale AC |
Andrea | Bickerdike | Leevale AC |
Franziska | Skogsholm | Leevale AC |
Jennifer | Montague | Leevale AC |
Michelle | Kenny | Leevale AC |
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Alan | O'Brien | Eagle AC |
Jeremiah | Sheehan | North Cork AC |
Shane | Harrington | East Cork AC |
Kevin | O'Leary | East Cork AC |
Eoghan | McElhinney | Bantry AC |
Michael | Harrington | Durrus AC |
David | O'Connor | St. Catherines AC |
Naoise | Ó Flaitheartaigh | Bandon AC |
Gavin | O'Rourke | Leevale AC |
Hewood | Richardson | Leevale AC |
Jonathan | Murphy | Leevale AC |
Feidhlim | Ó Dubhlaing | Leevale AC |
Donal | Coakley | Leevale AC |
Conor | McCauley | Leevale AC |
Brian | Kearney | Leevale AC |
John | Goggin | Tracton AC |
This Article, by John Walshe, appeared in the Irish Runner magazine (Issue 4, Vol 15) in September 1995
There is a current catchy advertising slogan, devised by a certain well-known shoe company, which simply says, 'You either ran today, or you didn't'. For East Cork athlete, Denis McCarthy, this question just does not arise, for, on June 5th last, Denis completed ten years without missing a single day’s running.
The greatest exponent of an unbroken running streak has to be Doctor Ron Hill, the European, Commonwealth and Boston Marathon champion from the late 'sixties and early 'seventies, who has a streak going all the way back to December 1964. Seven or eight years ago, Hill recorded another unique landmark by competing in 50 different countries before his fiftieth birthday.
It was this achievement of Hill's that prompted Denis McCarthy to go for a similar target, that of running a race in each of the 32 counties on this island, before his 32nd birthday.
This he accomplished in March of last year, with some nine months to spare, and he must surely be the only runner to achieve this quite remarkable feat.
Denis started in athletics, as a juvenile, in 1976, competing in the local East Cork Cross country leagues, which also served as a grounding for Sonia O'Sullivan, a few years later, his father, Dan, has been a long-standing servant of athletics in the area, as chairman of the East Cork Board, and is probably best known to outside runners as the official starter of the many road races in the region, in particular the Ballycotton '10'.
With personal bests on the track of 8:33 for 3000m and 14:58 for 5000m, Denis is no mean performer. He has represented Cork on many occasions in cross-country, particularly in the intermediate grade where he was a regular on the team for seven years. This enabled him to compete in quite a few counties, before he moved out of intermediate, as a member of a winning county team, in 1988.
When he had achieved about 18 different counties, Denis felt that his his goal was attainable. Obviously, for someone in the far south of the country, the northern counties would be the hardest to get to. A trip to Belfast in '91 saw him get in Antrim (Belfast Games 3000m), and the following day, Armagh (Craigavon 10K). This was despite getting lost in the Craigavon race, ending up in the ‘twenties’, an incident (one of many, we hasten to add) that is now consigned to the folklore of East Cork AC.
One of the most novel races was an 11 mile event, in Comber, Co. Down, comprising of road, fell and cross-country. Some of the races he won include the now-defunct Rosslare Half-Marathon in 1983, two ten mile races in Youghal and Leamybrien (Co. Waterford), and a '1 OK' in Ballyporeen, Co. Tipperary.
At Christmas '93, Denis had just three counties to go. On St. Stephens Day, he travelled to Tyrone, where, on a snow-covered course he finished third in the Greencastle '10K'. A week later, he availed of an invitation to take part in the Derry Cross Country Championships, thus leaving just Monaghan on his agenda, and this he 'bagged' the following March, when he finished fourth in a road race in Glaslough.
For most of the races in the far North, it meant leaving his home in Ballynoe at an unearthly hour, and not arriving back until near midnight. One of the longest journeys he undertook was to Donegal, a round trip of about 500 miles. He left home at 5:30am, slept for a short while in his car alongside the tomb of W.B. Yeats in Drumcliffe, Sligo, before going on to Donegal Town, where he finished 6th in a '5K' on the road.
Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Sunday December 15th 2019
Cork and Munster singlets for next Sunday's (December 15th) National Juvenile UnEven-Age Cross-Country Championships at Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, can be collected from John Copithorne, on Thursday next, December 12th, between 8pm and 8:30pm.
John will be inside the Red-Brick Building, adjacent to the Stand at CIT. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on 0861713500
Red Brick/Admin Building Location
All Cork Juvenile athletes are requested to return, immediately after their event on Sunday, for a group photo. A group photo will be taken after each Juvenile event. The photo location will be adjacent to the Tent where athletes will have picked up their race numbers on the day. Vontact is John Copithorne
Athletics Ireland National Novice and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross-Country Championships 2019
Sunday December 8th 2019
European Bronze for Stephanie!
Stephanie Cotter celebrates!
Stephanie Cotter, West Muskerry AC and Adams State University, ran a very competive race, in the Under-23 Women's race, leading at one point. However, reigning champion, Anna Moller, Denmark, took the race by the scruff of the neck, and ran away, to win by, arguably, the biggest margin in championship history. Stephanie held a good lead over teh fancied Jasmijm Lau, Netherlands, until the final downhill section, where Lau overtook her.
Stephanie's Adams State University colleagues, twin sisters Eliish and Roisin Flanagan, from Carmen Runners AC (Tyrone), were in the mix throughout and finished strongly, in 9th and 7th respectively, to secure Team Silver
Under-23 Womens Individual Results
Irish Under-23 Women
Under-23 Women Team Standings
Efrem Gidey, Le Cheile AC (Dublin), Athletics Ireland's Irish Schools Athlete of the Year 2019
Efrem Gidey, Le Cheile AC, set the tone for the day, winning Bronze with a very strong run, to announce his presence as a force to be reckoned with. The race was won by Jakob Ingebritsen, Norway, who took an unprecedented fourth consecutive Championship. Bantry/Glengarriff's Darragh McElhinney was 12th, with Thomas McStay 24th and Kevin Reihill 26th
Under-20 Men Individual Results
Under-20 Men Team Results
Irish Men's Under-20 Team
Under-20 Men Individual Standings
Team Silver for Senior Women
Ireland's Senior Women's Silver Medal Team
Senior Womens Team Standings
Under-20 Women Individual Results
Under-23 Men Individual Results
Senior Women Individual Results
Athletics Ireland Report - Feidhlim Kelly
Medal Mania for Ireland at Euro-Cross
Ireland’s most successful European Cross Country Championships
Full Irish Results at bottom of this release
Ireland had its most successful European Cross-Country Championships, winning four medals, two individual and two team, at Bela Vista Park in Lisbon today, Sunday December 8th 2019
There were two individual Bronze medals, won by Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers), in the U20 men’s race, and Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry), in the U23 women’s race. Two team Silver medals were won, by the U23 women, and the senior women.
There were two agonising fourth place finishes, for the U20 men’s team, and Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole) in the senior women’s race.
Athlete interviews are on the Athletics Ireland Facebook page, the Athletics Ireland Twitter page and the Athletics Ireland Instagram page
Full event results are on European Athletics website
Efrem Gidey got the medal haul underway, with a fine individual bronze in the men’s Under-20 6,225m race, which was won, for the fourth successive time, by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Unfortunately, it was heartbreak for the U20 men’s team finishing fourth on countback.
Great Britain & Northern Ireland won with 25 points followed by Norway on 38 points and Portugal who scored 39 points also. With three athletes to score for the team standings, it comes down to the highest place third scorer, the final counter, to decide the medals.
The Irish team were backed up by Darragh McElhinney (UCD) in 12th, Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers) 24th, Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley) joint 25th, Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) 28th, Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) 76th.
The Under-20 women’s (4,225m) team were 11th led home by Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) in 46th. Aoife O'Cuill (St. Coca's AC) was 62nd, Sarah Kelly (Inishowen AC) was 77th, Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers AC) 84th, Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 85th, and Maeve Gallagher (Swinford AC) 93rd.
The Under-23 men’s (8,225m) team put in a gritty performance for 7th with Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) 22nd, Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) 25th and Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers) 26th packing well to score followed by Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) 49th, Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 71st, and David McGlynn (Waterford) 72nd.
Then it was a super Silver medal for the Under-23 women’s (6,225m) team, with brilliant bronze for Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry). Cotter went with race favourite Anna Moller (Denmark) who fulfilled that tag to win gold while the West Muskerry athlete hung on gamely for bronze.
She was backed up by her Adams State teammates, and twins, Eilish and Roisin Flanagan (Carmen Runners) in 9th and 17th, followed by Fian Sweeney (Dublin City Harriers) 38th, Claire Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) 47th and Sorcha McAlister (Westport) 57th.
The mixed relay team of Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers), John Travers (Donore Harriers), Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald) and Eoin Pierce (Clonliffe Harriers) finished 7th.
Sean Tobin (Clonmel) scored his third consecutive top twenty individual placing, in the senior men’s race, in 18th place followed by Conor Bradley (City of Derry) 52nd, Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) 61st, Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) 64th and Damien Landers (Ennis Track) 71st, with the team 13th overall. Unfortunately, Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) dropped out on the first lap through injury.
Finally, it was the turn of Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole) to cap off a wonderful day of Irish performances, even though they were tinged with some frustration and near misses. None more so than McCormack, who was making a record 16 appearance, as she just missed out on the Bronze medal, in fourth place, behind Sweden’s Samrawit Mengsteab, by just two seconds – Mengsteab ran 27:43, to McCormack’s 27:45. Turkey’s Yasmin Can won her fourth consecutive title.
There was a silver lining though, as the senior women finished second with Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) 17th, Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn) 20th, Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise) 35th, Una Britton (Kilcoole) 37th and Fionnnuala Ross (Armagh) 47th.
Ireland placed fourth out 21 countries on the placing table overall. These were Ireland’s first medals since 2015, in Hyeres, France, and builds a brilliant platform as Dublin host the championships next year, at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus.
The Irish team also won the second highest number of medals, behind Great Britain & Northern Ireland, to cap off the most successful championships in the history of the event.
Irish Results - European Cross Country Championships, Lisbon
Women
U20 4,225m
Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) 46th, Aoife O'Cuill (St. Coca's AC) 62nd, Sarah Kelly (Inishowen AC) 77th, Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers AC) 84th, Eimear Maher (Dundrum South Dublin AC) 85th, Maeve Gallagher (Swinford AC) 93rd.
Team: 11th
U23 6,225m
Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry) 3rd, Eilish Flanagan (Carmen Runners) 9th, Roisin Flanagan (Carmen Runners) 17th, Fian Sweeney (Dublin City Harriers) 38th, Claire Fagan (Mullingar Harriers) 47th Sorcha McAlister (Westport) 57th.
Team: 2nd
Senior 8,225m
Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole) 4th, Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers) 17th, Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn) 20th, Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise) 35th, Una Britton (Kilcoole) 37th, Fionnnuala Ross (Armagh) 47th.
Team: 2nd
Men
U20 6,225m
Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) 3rd, Darragh McElhinney (UCD) 12th, Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers) 24th, Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley) 25th, Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers) 28th, Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers) 76th.
Team: 4th
U23 8,225m
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock) 22nd, Jack O’Leary (Mullingar Harriers) 25th, Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers) 26th, Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) 49th, Cathal Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers) 71st, David McGlynn (Waterford) 72nd.
Team: 7th
Senior 10,225m
Sean Tobin (Clonmel) 18th, Conor Bradley (City of Derry) 52nd, Eoin Everard (Kilkenny City Harriers) 61st, Liam Brady (Tullamore Harriers) 64th, Damien Landers (Ennis Track) 71st, Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) DNF
Team: 13th
Mixed Relay 4 x 1500m
Team: 7th – Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers), John Travers (Donore Harriers), Amy O’Donoghue (Emerald), Eoin Pierce (Clonliffe Harriers)
Placing table overall: Ireland 4th
Individual:
1994 Senior Catherina McKiernan GOLD 14.29
1998 U20 Gareth Turnbull BRONZE 16.55
2006 U23 Fionnuala Britton SILVER 18.56
2011 Senior Fionnuala Britton GOLD 25.55
2012 Senior Fionnuala Britton GOLD 27.45
Teams:
1999 U20 Team BRONZE 43 pts Gary Murray 8th, Brian Keane 15th, Mark Smyth 20th, Joe McAlister 75th, Robert Connolly 94th
2000 Senior Team BRONZE 72 pts Peter Matthews 10th, Seamus Power 14th, Gareth Turnbull 23rd, Keith Kelly 25th, Ken Nason 55th, Fiachra Lombard 67th
2003 Senior Team SILVER 78 pts Sonia O’Sullivan 4th, Rosemary Ryan 13th, Ann Keenan Buckley 27th, Catherina McKiernan 34th, Marie Davenport 52nd
2004 U20 Team SILVER 54pts Mark Christie 5th, Andrew Ledwith 7th, Danny Darcy 11th, Jamie McCarthy 31st, Joe Sweeney 44th, Mark Hanrahan 56th
2010 U23 Team GOLD 60pts David McCarthy 11th, Brendan O’Neill 13th, Michael Mulhare 16th, David Rooney 20th (25th), John Coghlan 34th, Ciarán Ó Lionáird 76th
2012 Senior Team GOLD 52 pts Fionnuala Britton 1st Linda Byrne 8th, Ava Hutchinson 20th, Lizzie Lee 23rd, Sarah McCormack 36th, Sara Treacy 42nd
2014 Senior Team BRONZE 87 pts Fionnuala Britton 6th, Sara Treacy 12th, Michelle Finn 23rd, Ann Marie McGlynn 46th, Siobhan O’Doherty 47th, Laura Crowe 53rd
2015 Senior Team BRONZE 83 pts Fionnuala McCormack (nee Britton) 4th, Lizzie Lee 13th, Caroline Crowley 23rd, Ciara Durkan 43rd, Michelle Finn 54th, Kerry O’Flaherty 55th
Guest Article by John Walshe
This article, by John Walshe appeared in The Echo, on Thursday December 5th 2019
The winning Youghal team: (back) Richella Bennett, Carol Murphy, Susan Casey, Keith Ansbro, Martin Drake, Sean Ahern. (front) Claire Kilgannon, Deirdre Ansbro, Louise O'Brien, Dave Kilgannon
Many Cork runners are familiar with the annual Emer Casey Memorial race held in Youghal for the past 12 years. The Emer Casey Foundation was set up in 2006 following the death, at a young age, of Emer Casey, a native of the town.
Not so well known is a similar race in London, organised by James Ward, a member of Herne Hill Harriers – a club that recently celebrated its 130th birthday. A number of Youghal athletes have travelled over for the past few years to take part in the 10km which is held in Brockwell Park.
Two years ago, to add a bit of spice to the race, local Youghal business man Ger Flanagan sponsored a cup to be contested annually between Herne Hill Harriers and a Youghal selection.
“Flanagan Print sponsored the cup and the whole idea is to have a competition between the two clubs,” explained Ger. “It’s worked out on aggregate times, whatever number of athletes travel over that number is matched by Herne Hill. They won it last year but this time Youghal came out on top, the margin of two minutes was very close considering the numbers involved.”
Not alone did the seaside club bring back the Flanagan Print Cup, they also supplied the women’s winner in Deirdre Ansbro. Although Deirdre has achieved success at both the half-marathon and marathon distances in recent years, this was her first-ever individual race victory.
Deirdre Ansbro on her way to victory in the women's race
“I was delighted to win the race as it has a special significance for me as I was a class-mate of the late Emer at school in Youghal,” said Deirdre. Over the undulating course which comprised of a number of laps around the park, she recorded a time of 42:16 which gave her a margin of 28 seconds over Nathaile Gaudillat from the Beckenham club.
To make it a memorable day for the visitors, third place went to Susan Casey, sister of Emer, who wasn’t too far behind with her time of 42:53.
The men’s race went to Andrew Inglis of Cambridge Harriers, his time of 33:20 an indicator of how tough the course was. Sean Ahern was the first of the Youghal contingent with an impressive seventh place in a time of 36:34.
The finishing order and times of the 10 Youghal runners were as follows: Sean Ahern (36:34); Deirdre Ansbro (42:16); Susan Casey (42:53); Louise O’Brien (45:20); Dave Kilgannon (44:12); Martin Drake (47:00); Richella Bennett (49:17); Carol Murphy (51:58); Keith Ansbro (52:52); Claire Kilgannon (52:53).
There was a jubilant reception for the Youghal team on their return with Brendan and Juliette Casey, parents of the late Emer, proudly pictured with the Flanagan Print Cup along with the athletes.
One person who was delighted with the success was Martin Drake, currently chairman of the East Cork Athletics Division. Martin has a long involvement with the sport in the seaside town and jubilant homecomings are nothing new to the man described as ‘Coach and Mr Motivator.’
Back in December of 1974, Martin won the All-Ireland U13 Cross-Country title up in Donegal. The reception on his return, when he was carried shoulder-high through the town behind the Youghal Pipe Band, is still fondly recalled all of 45 years later.
Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Sunday December 15th 2019
Can all Nominees please Confirm with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725, ASAP
Any athlete who feels that they should also be nominated, should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Orla | Byrne | St Finbarrs AC |
Michelle | Ahern | East Cork AC |
Fiona | Everard | Bandon AC |
Ida | Kelleher | Mallow AC |
Ellen | McCarthy | Skibbereen AC |
Emmii | Gocke | Leevale AC |
Andrea | Bickerdike | Leevale AC |
Franziska | Skogsholm | Leevale AC |
Jennifer | Montague | Leevale AC |
Michelle | Kenny | Leevale AC |
Emily | Knox | Leevale AC |
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Shane | Harrington | East Cork AC |
Eoghan | McElhinney | Bantry AC |
Michael | Harrington | Durrus AC |
David | O'Connor | St. Catherines AC |
Gavin | O'Rourke | Leevale AC |
Hewood | Richardson | Leevale AC |
Jonathan | Murphy | Leevale AC |
Feidhlim | Ó Dubhlaing | Leevale AC |
Donal | Coakley | Leevale AC |
Conor | McCauley | Leevale AC |
Brian | Kearney | Leevale AC |
John | Goggin | Tracton AC |
Cow Park, Dunboyne, Co. Meath
Sunday December 15th 2019
Can all Nominees please Confirm with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725, ASAP
Any athlete who feels that they should also be nominated, should contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 0851480725
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Orla | Byrne | St Finbarrs AC |
Michelle | Ahern | East Cork AC |
Sinead | O'Driscoll | Midleton AC |
Fiona | Everard | Bandon AC |
Ida | Kelleher | Mallow AC |
Ellen | McCarthy | Skibbereen AC |
Emmii | Gocke | Leevale AC |
Andrea | Bickerdike | Leevale AC |
Franziska | Skogsholm | Leevale AC |
Jennifer | Montague | Leevale AC |
Michelle | Kenny | Leevale AC |
Forename | Surname | Club |
---|---|---|
Alan | O'Brien | Eagle AC |
Jeremiah | Sheehan | North Cork AC |
Shane | Harrington | East Cork AC |
Kevin | O'Leary | East Cork AC |
Eoghan | McElhinney | Bantry AC |
Michael | Harrington | Durrus AC |
David | O'Connor | St. Catherines AC |
Naoise | Ó Flaitheartaigh | Bandon AC |
Gavin | O'Rourke | Leevale AC |
Hewood | Richardson | Leevale AC |
Jonathan | Murphy | Leevale AC |
Feidhlim | Ó Dubhlaing | Leevale AC |