Double National Cross Country success for Nenagh Olympic athletes

Tramore was the venue last Sunday for the National Novice Cross Country Championships where the underfoot conditions were mainly good on this undulating course.

These Championships are always very competitive as every club vies for these coveted titles. The distance for the women’s race was 4k while the men ran 6k.

Women

Laura Cooney of Clonmel AC ran a fantastic race when finishing a very close fourth in 15 mins 1 sec. Always well positioned throughout the race, she was in the breakaway group of eight athletes going out on the second lap. She maintained that strong pace especially over the final 500m, moving from sixth up to fourth place with a storming finish. This course is familiar to Laura as she won the Munster Under 23 title last month but this by far her most impressive performance to date and making her mark at Senior level.

There were also good performances from: Aoife Delargy, Nenagh Olympic AC, 17th in 15.54; Sharon Cantwell, Moyne AC, 27th; Eileen McCullagh, Moyne AC, 40th; Louise Fogarty, Moyne AC, 43rd; Ruby Carroll, Clonmel AC, 71st; Sarah Whelan, Clonmel AC, 84th; Lisa Quinlan, Moyne AC, 91st, Sareen Walsh, Clonmel AC, 92nd, Martina Ryan, Thurles Crokes, 104th; Deniece Touhy, Thurles Crokes, 105th; Joan Stakelum, Thurles Crokes, 116th, and Regina Dorney, Thurles Crokes, 117th.

The County team of Laura Cooney, Aoife Delargy, Sharon Cantwell, and Eileen McCullagh finished a very good fourth in such a competitive race. As regards competitiveness there were 39 clubs competing in this event and it was great to see three clubs from the County having teams competing. Moyne were 7th, Clonmel 9th and Thurles Crokes 16th.

Men

The Men’s race was also very competitive with 57 clubs involved. Daniel Ryan Ellis of Nenagh Olympic AC ran a brilliant race. Always up close at the business end of the event and setting the pace, he put in a great effort over the closing stages when winning the bronze medal in 19 mins 9 secs.

This performance spurred on the rest of the County athletes like: Luke Purcell, Nenagh Olympic AC, 11th; Cian Hodgins, Nenagh Olympic AC, 37th; Caolon Curran, Thurles Crokes 38th; Jamie Moloney, Nenagh Olympic AC 42nd; Daragh O’Leary, Thurles Crokes, 45th; Thomas McCarthy, Thurles Crokes, 46th; Cathal Kennedy, Thurles Crokes, 48th; William Hughes, Thurles Crokes, 52nd; Conor Flaherty, Clonmel AC, 114th; Mark Corcoran, Nenagh Olympic, 127th; Denis McCullagh, Thurles Crokes, 157th, and Jim Halley, Dundrum AC, 206th.

Daniel Ryan Ellis had the distinction of leading Nenagh Olympic to win the club silver medals, a first for any Club in the county since Athletics Ireland was formed. The quartet also included Luke Purcell, Cian Hodgins, and Jamie Moloney. Thurles Crokes also performed very well with their team of Caolan Curran, Daragh O’Leary, Thomas McCarthy and Cathal Kennedy finishing a close fourth. With two clubs from the County in the top four hopes were high that the Tipperary team would be on the podium, but alas no, finishing a very creditable 4th place.

Juvenile

In the Girls U11 race, Tipperary had a county team competing. They were led home to a ninth place position by Annie Ely Moyne AC 37th. She was followed home by Meadhbh Hall, Moyne AC 73rd; Meabh O'Donnell, Dualla Ballytarsna Boherlahan 85th; Emer Dorney, Thurles Crokes AC 94th; Orlaith Costigan, Moyne AC 98th; and Clodagh Walsh, Nenagh Olympic AC 113th.

Moyne AC also had a club team taking part in this age group where they finished in twelfth position. The team was made up of Annie Ely, Meadhbh Hall, Orlaith Costigan and Poppy Shanahan 123rd.

Tipperary also had a county team represented in the Boys U11 race. They team combined to finished in tenth place. Scoring members of the team were Billy Heaney, Clonmel AC 53rd, Philip Croke, Dundrum AC 96th, Cian Long, Thurles Crokes AC 104th, Darragh Long, Thurles Crokes AC 115th, George O'Brien, Newport AC 121st; and Archie Spillane, Thurles Crokes AC 134th.

Tipperary’s next representation came in the Boys U13 race with another county team taking part. The Boys finished in seventh place, led home by Fionn Aird, Clonmel AC in a brilliant 29th position. The other members of the team were: Brendan Judge, Thurles Crokes AC 53rd; Evan Bourke, Thurles Crokes AC 81st; Matthew Esmonde, Moyne AC 84th; Harry Cahill, Thurles Crokes AC 88th; and Aaron Savage, Newport AC 91st.

Neasa Moloney, Mooreabbey Milers AC, was the sole Tipperary representative in the Girls U15 race where she finished in 49th position.

The Boys U15 race once again contained a Tipperary team. The team finished in ninth position and consisted of Albert Maher, Dundrum AC 24th; Liam Carroll, Thurles Crokes AC 54th; James Long, Newport AC 62nd; Sean Sheehan, Moycarkey/Coolcroo AC 108th; Aaron Byrne, Dualla Ballytarsna Boherlahan AC 118th; and JD Treacy, Thurles Crokes AC 133rd.

Alana Spillane represented Tipperary in the Girls U17 race. She put in a great performance to finish in 31st position and secure a place on the Munster team who won the silver medals in the Inter-Provincial competition. Kevin Finn was Tipperary’s sole competitor in the Boys U17 race where he finished in 35th position.

In the Boys U19 race, Tipperary were represented by Diarmuid Moloney 16th and Ben Walshe 60th, both from Nenagh Olympic.

This competition brings the National Juvenile Cross Country Season to a close.

European Cross Country Championships

Athletics Ireland confirmed a 36 strong team for the Spar European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey on next Sunday, 8th December.

Sean Tobin of Clonmel AC has been selected on the Senior team. He is no stranger to these Senior Championships having competed in three already like in Slovakia in 2017 when he was 15th, the Netherlands in 2018 when he was tenth and 2019 in Portugal where he finished eighteenth.

It is great to see him back competing again at the European Cross Country Championships. We wish him and the rest of the Irish squad the very best of luck.