COMMUNITY GAMES Wicklow swimmers make a real splash

WICKLOW Community Games were well represented at National Festival finals over the last two weekends in Athlone.

Congratulations to the children from all areas who trained in various events with one goal in mind to reach the national finals in Athlone.

Weekend one saw our swimmers splash in the pool with the Corrigan brothers from Enniskerry in action.

Jack won a gold medal in the under-16 freestyle and Matthew won silver in the under-14 butterfly.

Keith Bentley, also from Enniskerry, claimed a silver medal in the under-16 butterfly while a bronze medal was won by Lakeside’s James McCarney.

The swimming team hats were proudly sponsored by Andrew Auld of Lakeside.

Wicklow had no winners in art but Amy O’Connor in the under-10 and Shelby Richardson in the under-12 both won silver medals in handwriting.

Our talent team were in top form with Erin Connolly and Ella Healy from Arklow winning a silver medal in the under-16 group singing and Rachel Coyne from Westside collected a silver medal for her efforts in the under-16 solo singing.

A bronze medal was won by Clara Shannon from the Aughrim/Annacurra club in the under-16 modern disco dance comeptition.

Not to be out done by the boys of BBK/R pitch and putt winning medals at last year’s final, the girls’ team of Anna Delahunt, Eabha Siun Fleming, Poppy Meehan, Niamh O’Toole and Lauren Ryan putted their way to five gold medals.

Model making is one of the hardest competitions to win a medal in and Odhran Ward from the BBK/R club, who has represent the county for the last few years, won the gold medal in the under-12 group.

Finn Farrell, Jonah Brennan, Chantelle Harnry and Aoife Murphy from Lakeside debated themselves into a silver medal in the bebating.

Weekend two saw Wicklow’s gymnastics take to the floor. Orlaith Holt from Arklow won silver un the under-9 category while Arklow’s Zara Fennell finished fourth.

Track and field was the main event of the second weekend. The wind and rain played havoc with the track with officials having to brush water of the running track.

Our relay teams made the semi-finals. Baltinglass undermixed relay won a fourth place medal.

Many of our children reached semi-finals in very tough weather conditions.

Bronze medals were won by Arina Makarova from Lakeside under-8 in the 60m, Roisin Treacy from Ashford/Glenealy in the 1500m, while a silver medal went to Alan Miley from Westside in the under-14 hurdles.

Kareem Matonmi from Baltinglass who has won medals in the last two national finals was the hero of the hour on the track when he left the rest of the field sitting to take the gold medal in under-10 hurdles. Kareem also made the 9pm news on RTE 1 as they showed him receiving his medal.

The gold medal and overall winners of the Projects at under-11 last year, Millie Barrett and Holly Moody, from Lakeside, had to step up to under-13 and were going for two in a row.

And what excitement there was when the girls won gold and then we had a nail-biting wait on the overall only to have lost out by a few points to Clare.

While three teams, BBK/R skittles, Aughrim/Annacurra girls soccer (silver medals) reached Leinster finals, it was at the national finals that the Wicklow children shone.

Congratulation and well done to all the children at area, county, Leinster and national levels who took part in Wicklow Community Games.

A big thank you is offered to parents and managers, especially Breda Reid and her team at Athlone for a job well done. Wicklow Community Games would also like to thank their main sponsor, Pat Casey, Glendalough Hotel.