UNITED STRIDERS A.C.
United Striders Athletic Club held the very first Declan Shannon 1,500m perpetual race at Town Park track in New Ross on Saturday.
Declan Shannon was a talented 1,500m runner and a former member of the club, back in the ‘80s, winning numerous county and Leinster medals, along with an All-Ireland medal for his school.
Tragically, Declan was involved in a motorbike accident, aged 30, and passed away on June 8, 1998. To mark his 20th anniversary this year, Declan’s family had asked if the club would organise a 1,500m race in his memory and donated a perpetual trophy as a prize.
Twelve athletes from the club, both Juvenile and Senior, lined up to compete for the honour of claiming the trophy. It was the first time the club’s Senior and Juvenile athletes competed together and both factions had their eye on the prize.
It promised to be a hotly-contested event and whilst, secretly, many had their favourites, nobody knew which athlete would be crowned winner. A large crowd gathered at the track to support and cheer on the athletes, including many members of Declan’s family.
The race lived up to expectations, with six athletes grouped closely at the front and still in contention on the last lap.
With 250m to go, Alan O’Connor broke to the front, closely followed by John McGrath, Alan’s son Adam O’Connor, and Darragh Flannelly.
But with 150m left Adam O’Connor, aged 15 years, spurred on by the cheers of the crowd, made a decisive move to the front and kicked hard all the way to the finish line, claiming victory just in front of his dad, Alan, with John and Darragh just a few metres behind.
This group was closely followed home by Brendan Lyng, Cian Flanagan, Paul Doran, Colin Carney, Eoin Shannon, Finn Kelly, Pat Callaghan and Mick O’Gorman. It was a fantastic performance from all athletes.
After the race, Katriona Shannon said a few emotional words to the supporting crowd, recalling her brother Declan’s time at the club and his love for running. It was a proud moment for Declan’s family and for the club.
Adam O’Connor was presented with the perpetual trophy by Declan’s parents, Kathleen and Michael Shannon.
A big well done to Aoife Moran, Luca O’Connor, Isabella O’Connor, Roan Kavanagh and Sam Dowling who all competed at the Wexford ‘B’ track and field championships in Enniscorthy, and brought home a number of medals.
Highlights included an impressive 300m victory for Luca and a stunning 3.65m long jump from Roan, to win gold in a competitive field.
Please note that U.S.A.C. Juvenile training has finished, for a short summer break. We will resume training in August, with club members being notified of the exact date in due course. mixture of experienced, seasoned and young players) vying for the starting eleven places.
Parallel with the Seniors’ recent run of victories (excluding the Dick O’Neill quarter-final), our Taverners have a hectic schedule with games versus Ashford, Arthur’s Knights and Wicklow Co. in the offing, culminating in the CL Minor Cup Trophy, a competition for the second Senior team such is the expanding numbers of our members.
History will also be created on Wednesday, July 4, when our promising Under-15s, mentored by Chris Sheeran, will be making their C.L. debut at home versus Adamstown, Dublin.
Brochures for sponsorship, a much-needed lifeline in maintaining the club’s upward trend, are currently available. Brief and informative, this manual is encouraging businesses to be part of Gorey Cricket Club’s success. Contact Al (086-1599074) for more details.