D&D club show off new home

DROGHEDA & District’s magnificent new grounds at Newtownstalaban was the venue was the Louth Senior Cross-Country Championships where a clear sky and an air of frost made for perfect running conditions.

Karen Costello (Dunleer AC) pipped Drogheda & District’s Pamela Howard in the ladies race and Mark O’Shea from the host club was second to Brian McCloskey (NER) in the men’s event.

Ruaidhri Nolan led the way for Drogheda & District AC at the Dublin Marathon when scorching round the course in 2hr 54min. Nuala Reilly and Mary Leech won gold and bronze team medals for Ireland at the British & Irish Masters Cross-Country International.

Boyne AC captured a rare double when scooping the awards for Best Club 2016 in both cross-country and track & field at the Athletics Louth Awards Night.

Boyne and Seapoint renewed their long-standing rivalry when clashing in a Friday night AIL match at Kilbogget Park and the lights seemed to suit the Drogheda men as they stormed to a 37-15 victory.

Five second-half goals fired Newfoundwell in round three of the FAI Junior Cup as they breezed past Athboy Celtic, and in the next round they put four without reply past AUL club Kippure in Finglas.

Drogheda Town’s seven-month wait for a home win went on, but their good away form continued as Keith Boyle’s goal stopped CIE Ranch in their tracks.

Drogheda native Shauna Newman, at just 21 years of age, picked up her fourth Women’s FAI Cup winner’s medal when her club Shelbourne trounced Wexford Youths. Termonfeckin knocked fancied hosts Corduff out of the Under-13 SFAI Cup on penalties, with keeepr Nick Messbacher saving two spot kicks in the shootout. Tenure native Thomas Byrne scored for Republic of Ireland Under-18s in their 3-2 defeat by Germany.

Nobody gave Sean O’Mahony’s a chance when Kildare champs Sarsfields arrived in Drogheda, but the Quay men thrive in that kind of situation and they thoroughly deserved their Leinster semi-final spot before going out at the hands of Rhode.

The silverware kept coming for St Colmcille’s as their minors captured the Delaney Cup. Meanwhile, their seniors went all the way to the Leinster IFC decider before completing the job in style, with captain Ben Brennan scoring the winning point against Westmeath’s Rosemount.

Simonstown captured their first Meath SFC crown with a convincing win over Donaghmore/Ashbourne.

Holy Family Boxing Club were celebrating another Irish Senior title when Eugene McKeever out-foxed Vinny Esler of All Saints (Belfast).

Donore native Gerard Campbell, secretary of the Drogheda Wheelers club, was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Cycling Ireland awards.

Drogheda-based Maeve Coleman was appointed head coach of the Ireland Under-20 women’s basketball team.