St Joseph’s win first All-Ireland CC title

THEY are still celebrating in St. Joseph’s CBS in Sundays Gate this week, following the spectacular win by a group of local lads in this year’s All-Ireland Cross Country Championships — the first such honour for a team from the school.

The Drogheda team beat the cream of Ireland’s young crosscountry runners in atrocious conditions in Belfast last week. Despite being very definite underdogs throughout all this year’s competitions, the lads from St. Joseph’s made inspired efforts on muddy cross country courses in all corners of the land and well deserved their prize.

This week the eight man team are still in high spirits about their surprise win. Described by their running trainers, Mark Stephenson and Jim Mooney, as “a cheerful bunch of lunatics,” the eight are over the moon about their achievement and, despite the prospect of being moved up an age group from under 17 to under 20 for next year’s competitions, they are confident of winning all before them in the future.

The eight trained as a team with Mark Stephenson and Jim Mooney throughout the year, clocking up about one and a half hours of intensive training every week. But it was each individual teammember’s dedication and determination that made the difference.

Ciaran Kelly from Grangebellew, Conor Meegan from Termonfeckin, Noel Smith from Tullyallen, David Cowley from Brookville, Kevin Matthews from Mell, Roger Wade from Julianstown, Gary Stewart from Ballsgrove and David Hughes from Brookville, were the eight who carried off the much prized all Ireland trophy

All of the team run for local athletic clubs too —Ciaran and Conor for Dunleer A.C., Noel, Kevin and David Hughes for Crusaders A.C., David Cowley for Lourdes A.C., Roger Wade for Star of the Sea A.C. and Gary Stewart for Tredagh A.C.

An extra boost for the school in 1987 was Ray Hughes’ triumph in the North Leinster CC. The 13 year old is a hot prospect for the future.