Four Kerry runners selected to represent Ireland at British Masters

THERE were four Kerry runners selected to represent Ireland at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country Championships that were held at Tollcross Park in Glasgow last Saturday with all four athletes bringing bronze team medals home to the county. Maria McCarthy from Farranfore/ Maine Valley competed in the O-40 category and An Riocht’s Niamh O’Sullivan and Sharon Cahill were part of the O-50 women’s team. Representing the men was Pat O’Shea from Iveragh in the O-65 age group.

Limerick Race Course was the venue for the Munster Juvenile Uneven Age, Junior and Senior Cross-country Championships last Sunday. There was a good turn out of Kerry athletes across the board with some fine individual and team performances despite the very muddy condition of the course. Some of the best results of the day came from Farranfore/ Maine Valley with individual medals for Cian Spillane who was first in U-13 boys, Shauna McCarthy 4th in U-13 girls and Rhian McCarthy 8th in U-9 girls.

There were also some successes for Kenmare AC. Most notably Shauna Doellken O’Shea who finished an excellent 2nd in the U-19 girls event, improving on her 4th place finish in the U-18 championships two weeks ago.

The highest placed team of the day also hailed from Kenmare with the U-9 boys team of Seamus O’Donoghue, Robbie Guest, Michael O’Mahoney, Dylan Treyvaud and Rossa MacGearailt finishing in fourth place. Seamus who finished in 11th place overall was also the first U-9 boy to across the line for Kerry. Rhona Randles, competing U-15, was first across the line for Kerry in 22nd place and team mate Michael O’Reilly was also the first Kerry boy to finish, taking 34th overall position.

In the U-11 girls race Kathryn Ryan from Killarney Valley led the Kerry athletes home in 17th place and in the U-11 boys Adam Quigley (Iveragh) was first to cross the line for Kerry, finishing in 14th place overall.

In the Junior Championship, Fiona Kavanagh (An Riocht) was 12th overall in the women’s race and Darragh Browne from Lios Tuathail finished 9th in the men’s event.

Grace Lynch (Iveragh) continued to show her form crossing the line in 7th place in the Senior Women’s race with Niamh de Hora (Farranfore Maine Valley) in 12th place. The An Riocht ladies team of Mary O’Connor, Deirdre Enright, Liz Heaslip and Helena Shanahan finished in 4th place. Cian Murphy (Iveragh) was 20th in the Senior Men’s race, first Kerry man to cross the line.

Young athletes from Farranfore Maine Valley who competed at the Munster Uneven Age Championships. From left to right: Rhian McCarthy, Grainne Costello, Eabha McCarthy, Shauna McCarthy, Cian Spillane, Cormac Costello, Conall O’Mahony

Niamh O’Sullivan, Sharon Cahill and Maria McCarthy who were part of the Ireland teams that won bronze medals at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country Championships.