Forde’s focus secures silver
Super run from Slaney Olympic athlete in Rathdrum
ON THE day the country went to the polls, athletes from all over Ireland converged on the lovely grounds of Avondale House in Co. Wicklow for three national cross-country events: Intermediate and Masters, Development, and Relays.
The grounds of the ancestral home of Charles Stewart Parnell are as spectacular now as they were in the late 1800s when the man known as ‘The Chief’ was in his political prime.
It did not end well for the man who fought so hard to get Home Rule for Ireland. He discovered that life in politics is like a hard-run cross-country race which often throws up some nasty surprises just when you think you are home and dry.
Athletes competing there on Saturday found that nature had a few unpleasant surprises of her own in the form of driving rain, hailstones the size of marbles, and gusting winds.
That didn’t deter Slaney Olympic‘s Ger Forde, Wexford’s top contender in a very competitive Intermediate men’s 8,000m.
From the start he looked like a man intent on taking a national title in a race considered one of the toughest on the domestic cross-country calendar. Part of a breakaway pack on this very difficult course, he battled from fourth position to second on the last lap and stayed on to take the silver.
This was the perfect finish to what has been a very good cross-country season for Ger. He also led Wexford to team silver medals thanks to good solid packing by the rest of the team: Joe Lillis (United Striders, 22nd), Brendan Lyng (U.S., 32nd), Mark Poole (Croghan, 37th), Paul Flanagan (D.M.P., 39th), and Pat Foley (Croghan, 40th).
Alan O’Connor of Striders finished 41st and just missed out on a medal. United Striders were the eighth club home, with George Delaney completing the scoring team.
Croghan’s Alexander Williams and Kevin Morris contributed to the club’s tenth place finish.
The Masters championship races are always hotly-contested affairs. In the women’s 4,000m, Wexford took home two good silver medals, with Kilmore’s Jackie Carthy placing second in the M45 category, and Ann Sullivan second in M60. Elizabeth Egan (Bree) had a good run in M40, finishing 13th.
Martin Kelly of Menapians was eleventh in the men’s M65 category. Jim Stafford (Slaney Olympic) and Ger Moloney (St. Paul’s) just missed out on medals, both finishing fourth, Jim in M60 and Ger in M55.
The Wexford M50 team were also fourth, with David Kehoe (U.S.) 13th, Pat O’Callaghan (U.S.) 25th and Billy Reck (Slaney Olympic) 26th, and Bernard Fortune of S.B.R. 27th. Nicky Foley (Kilmore) was 34th in M40, and clubmate Michael O’Flaherty was 25th in M45.
Des Kennedy from Gorey, competing for Raheny Shamrocks, was a brilliant sixth overall in the Masters race.
The development championship is a very worthwhile and popular competition for Juveniles who miss out on qualification for the national championships, giving them another opportunity to develop their racing skills and finish the season on a high.
Wexford Under-13 girls took home bronze medals, with Aoife Walsh (D.M.P.) in 13th place, Katie Foley (Kilmore) 22nd, Ava Wolohan (Croghan) 35th, Rayna Thompson (Kilmore) 40th, Éabha Keane (D.M.P.) 44th, and Nicole Lageu (D.M.P.) 46th.
D.M.P. were fifth team, with Sarah O’Mahony the final scorer. Croghan were ninth with Ava, Erin Byrne, Mia D’Arcy and Isobel O’Flaherty.
Well done also to Rachel Cullen (D.M.P.) and Stephanie O’Connor (Enniscorthy) who also ran.
The Under-11 girls were sixth, with Saoirse Flanagan (D.M.P.) 26th, Ruby Gallagher-O’Reilly (Croghan) 36th, Kayleigh Butler (Taghmon) 43rd, Siún Byrne (Croghan) 78th, and Mary Kate Diskin (Taghmon) 89th. Well done also to Issy Aspel and Emma Crean, both Taghmon, and Justina Tkacheva (Croghan).
Enda Byrne (S.B.R.) was the best of the Under-11 boys in 18th, with Oisín Ennis (D.M.P.) 49th.
Joseph O’Flaherty (Croghan) led home the Under-15 boys in 15th place. Well done to Patrick Byrne and Sam Deacon, both Croghan, who also ran, and to
Ben Redmond, Daithí Murphy and Darragh Ennis, all D.M.P., in the Under-15 boys.
There was good representation of Wexford clubs in Under-15 girls, with Sophia Tkacheva (Croghan) first home in 34th.
Also running were Cara Kelly (D.M.P.), Freya Thompson (Kilmore), Abbey Wolohan (Croghan), Kate O’Flaherty (Kilmore), Ella D’Arcy (Croghan), Isabel Bawden (United Striders), Arwyn Thompson (Kilmore), Aine Byrne (Croghan), and Aoife Lyng, Ava Leacy and Hazel Hickey (all United Striders).
Ciara Dolan (Menapians) finished well in 16th place in the Under-17 girls, with United Striders athletes Erinn Shannon 18th and
Clodagh Foran 20th respectively. Seán Kinch of Croghan was twelfth in the boys’ Under-17 race, with clubmate Daniel Byrne 16th.
In the relay championships, the United Striders team of Tommaso Hickey, Ethan Hattersley, Luca O’Connor and Seán Lennon placed an impressive sixth in the Under-14 event.
At the A.A.I. National Indoor Games, which took place at N.I.A., Abbotstown, on Sunday, Lystus Ebosele, competing in the colours of U.C.D., placed second in shot putt with a best of 11.97m.
Another talented local athlete, Michael Bowler (Enniscorthy), finished second in the pole vault (4.40m).
Fixtures:
February 11, N.I.A.
Live, Juvenile and Senior indoor programme (5.30-9.30 p.m.), Abbotstown; February 12, Irish Life Health Leinster schools cross-country, Santry; February 12, A.I.T. indoor international grand prix, Athlone; February 18, N.I.A. Live, National Indoor Arena, Juvenile and Senior indoor programme (5.30-9.30 p.m.), N.I.A., Abbotstown; February 22 (10 a.m. start), Leinster Junior, Senior and Masters indoor championships, N.I.A., Abbotstown; February 23, Leinster Juvenile relays and some field events (Junior and Senior men), Abbotstown - high jump and shot putt (Under-17-19); pole vault (Under-15-19, combined events (J.S.M.), triple jump (Under-14-19); February 29 and March 1, Irish Life Health national indoor Senior championships, N.I.A., Abbotstown.