Local swimmers strike gold at gala
New snooker season begins with a bang Greyhound results round-up
LAST month Dundalk SC’s less experienced competitive swimmers took to the blocks for the first time this season at the Glenalbyn Swimming Club gala on the 28th October in Dublin and there was plenty of local medal success when Hugo Friel took Gold in the U9 25m Fly and 25m Free and Silver in the 50m Free event.
Shyne Kasozi also took two Golds in the U8 25m Back and 50m Free. There was Silver and Bronze for Roonald Univer in the U8 25m Free and 25m Back and there were new Personal Bests for Emily Coyle across her busy schedule in the U9 25m Fly, 25m Free, 25m Breast, 25m Back and the 100m Individual Medley. Maebh Mullen also took a silver in the U9 25m Backstroke.
The following weekend was the Leinster Short Course championship which are the pinnacle of the provincial short course season and are only surpassed nationally by the Irish Short Course Championships in December.
Some of the cream of Irish swimming were in action alongside our local talent including many Irish National Record Holders and Darragh Greene who became Ireland’s first swimmer to go inside the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Qualification time at the 2019 FINA World Championships as he set a new Irish Record in the 100m Breaststroke in Gwangju, South Korea.
One of the highlights of the weekend was when Evelyn Donnelly took to the starting blocks alongside Junior Olympic Silver Medalist and 2020 Olympic hopeful Niamh Coyne in the finals of the 16&Over 100m and 200m Breaststroke. Evelyn put in some impressive performances posting PBs in both events but ultimately Coyne proved the stronger and took the gold medal on both occasions. Evelyn also competed in the 50m Breaststroke final and again posted a PB performance in the event, this time also securing a qualification time for the prestigious Irish Short Course Championship next month.
Evelyn will be joined in the Short Course Championship by Eliza Logan, following her very impressive display in the final of the 15&Under 50m Butterfly. Eliza secured a Leinster Silver medal for Dundalk in the event when she recorded a
THE biggest day of the Cross Country season took place at the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown Dublin when the National Senior and Even age Juvenile Championships took place.
The St Peters club had four athletes competing. Niamh Brady who was both on the Leinster and Louth under sixteen team had another strong run.
In really tough under foot conditions Niamh who moved up an age from under 15 got her head new personal best time. Eliza also appeared in the final of the 50m Backstroke providing the Club with one of a host of top 10 finishes.
Dundalk ‘Flyers’ were again in action in the final of the Boys 17&Over 50m Butterfly event when both Patrick Harmon and Donal Carty were both unlucky to finish outside the medals in 4th and 6th places following posting new PBs.
Patrick also positioned 4th in the 200m Breaststroke but he soon secured a second Leinster Silver for Dundalk in the 17& Over 400m Individual Medley (IM) and also appeared in two more finals over the weekend.
Eoin Harmon made it a fourth Butterfly final for Dundalk when he competed in the 16&Under 50m event and there were two further top 10 finishes for Rebekah Friel in the 15&U 800m Freestyle and 400m IM plus there were a host of PBs by all of the Dundalk Swimmers in what was a very competitive championships.
Last weekend the Dundalk Swim Team were again in action at the NAC Swim Club Short Course Gala and the team took home a down and ran her heart out to finish 21st and claim her place on the Leinster team and win a national silver medal to add her to already impressive collection of national medals.
Dearbhla Allen continued her great year with another very impressive run in the girls under fourteen race, Dearbhla also moved up an age and was part of the Leinster under fourteen team and although hatful of medals at the event.
Conor Goss secured a Gold, Silver and Bronze at the event when he secured 1st place in the 10&Under 200m Backstroke, 2nd in the 200m Freestyle and 3rd in the 200m Breaststroke while Evelyn Donnelly did likewise in the 15&Over 50m Fly, 50m Free and 100m Breaststroke.
Meanwhile Jake Logan took a silver in the U12 200m Breaststroke and two bronzes in the U12 50m and 200m Freestyle events. Julia Von Collier landed a hat-trick of Bronzes in the U12 50m Free, 50m Fly and 100m Breaststroke while Eliza Logan secured two Golds in the U14 100m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke events.
Rebekah Friel finished second in the 200m Butterfly event while Patrick Harmon secured Bronze in the 15&Over 100m Breaststroke as did Maebh Mullen in the 10&Under 50m Backstroke.
There were also personal best times for Eanna Finnegan (50m Free), Cedric Saaveda (100m Free and 100m Back), Emily Coyle (50m Breast) and strong performances from Dylan Gilmore, Eoin
Dearbhla didn’t medal this time out she will take great confidence from thirty second place finish and will hopefully take that confidence into her own age group in two weeks time. Elle Smyth had a great finish to her Cross Country season with a very good run also in the girls under fourteen race and with her enthusiasm for training returning it is hoped that she can kick on from this and enjoy a successful 2020. Hannah O’Reilly who will compete in the girls under eleven in two
Harmon, Faye O’Rourke, Sean O’Rourke, Amy McEvoy, Amelie Friel and Hugo Friel.
The local club now turns its attention to Evelyn Donnelly and Eliza Logan’s appearances at the Irish National Short Course Championships in mid December ahead of the start of the Long Course season in January 2020 when all the Club’s swimmers will be hoping to secure qualifying times for some of the key events through the season including the Leinster Long Course Championships, Irish Open Championships, McCullagh International Open and the Irish Summer Nationals (Division 1 & 2).
The Club are always on the look out for the next generation of Dundalk swimming talent and are particularly interested in hearing from parents of children aged 7-12 who have completed the Aura Swim Academy and two sessions of Lane Coaching (or equivalent standard) or swimmers who have some competitive swimming experience.
For enquiries or further details contact Paul at SwimClub.Dundalk@gmail.com. weeks time was part of the Louth under twelve team on Sunday, the experience of running in the national event will really stand to her as she coped very well on her National Championship debut.
Next weekend Niamh Brady will make her international debut when she travels to Glasgow as part of the Irish School’s Indoor combined event team, this is a great honour for Niamh and everyone at the club wish her the very best of luck.
THE new season of the Dun- dalk Snooker League broke with a bang last Wednesday with a thrilling opening night at the Commercial Club.
First up saw the return of Ken Mullholland to the baize for the first time in years and he showed no sign of rustiness in beating Peter O’Hagan to put The Camelot one up on the night.
However Glen Duffy of Ginos Diner ensured the teams would go in level at the half way stage beating Paddy Hayes.
Paddy was up again in frame three but was again beaten by Alan Thompson to put Ginos Diner 2-1 up with the Doubles match looming.
For The Camelot Hayes and Mullholland teamed up against Ginos Diner’s Thompson and Duffy and it was the Ginos pair who won the frame to make a great start to the new campaign.
In match two on the night Charlie Chaplins raced into an early lead when Stephen McBride beat Maddy Hoey in a great advertisement for local snooker. Things got better for Chaplins when Mickey Ralph
Friday
Race 1 Messan Rocks won in 30.77 Haslett Lisburn
Race 2 Santro Duke won in 29.49 for Gary Silcock NI
Race 3 Shuttlefield won in 19.02 for George Gamble
Race 4 Lisacaha Ice won in 18.92 for Damian Maginn
Race 5 Bellmore Scholar won in 28.92 for Fiona Scullion
Race 6 Messan Mercury won in 29.66 for Gordan Haslett Lisburn
Race 7 Void
Race 8 Ballyhone King won in 21.79 for Willie Mullan NI
Saturday for Gordan
Race 1 Cals Picnic won in 29.99 for Michael beat Dominic O’Connor in an equally thrilling encounter however that was as good as it got for Chaplins as The Commercial club rallied with wins in the last two games to earn a point as Joe Mcenany saw off Gary McNally and in the doubles when Joe McEnaney paired with Aaron Lee to beat Aaron Callan and Mickey Kelly despite a fine performance from Kelly.
Global Tyres started their new season with an outstanding all round performance despite losing the first frame when Bar One Racings Patsy Muckian beat Tiernan Mallon. However after that it was all one way traffic with the excellent Justin McArdle beating Patrick McArdle and then captain fantastic Keith Morris beating Patsy Muckian to put Global Tyres 2-1 up going into the doubles match.
In the final frame it was Justin McArdle and Gerry Rodgers who took the all important frame beating Patrick McArdle and Patsy Muckian to secure a fine 3-1 win to conclude week ones excellent proceedings.
Calvert
Race 2 Glenvale Mike won in 29.18 for Vincent Toner Down
Race 3 Boherna Ozzie won in 29.27 for Alison Thompson Co Antrim
Race 4 Nero won in 21.72 for Adrian Hall Larne Race 5 Colarhouse Flash won in 21.85 for Jason White Lifford
Race 6 Brownshill Shep won in 29.76 for Kevin O Kane Derry
Race 7 Clonard Diamond won in 21.92 for Pat Loftus
Race 8 Cruz on Louie won in 21.90 for Dean McComb Co Antrim
Race 9 Cals Supreme won in 21.79 for Michael Calvert Coleraine
Race 10 Santro Bossi won in 29.75 for Gary Silcock
Race 11 Bellmore Warrior won in 29.19 for Martin Lanney