Kerryman Article 27/10/09

The Kerry Intermediate/masters and uneven age juvenile championships were
held in Firies on Sunday last in excellent cross country conditions.The
highlight of the championships was the fantastic performance of the Lynch
family from Lios Tuathaill ac with Rebecca and Sophie taking gold in the
u11 and u15 events with Abigail and Kieran taking both third respectively
in the u9 and u13 events.They are quickly becoming a keystone in Kerry
athletics especially in cross country and track distance running.
    Ed Murphy Gneeveguilla was back in action after his second place in
the novice event two weeks ago and went one better here taking the
intermediate title in Style.Billy O Brien of An Riocht took second
place with the evergreen Patrick O Shea of Iveragh in
third.Gneeveguilla  took the mens team title here with Ed
Murphy,Jonathan Leniston,Vincent McGaley and Kevin Lynch.Caoimhe Casey
of St Brendans took victory in the Intermediate womens 4km. Niamh O
Sullivan An Riocht was dominant in the womens masters event with
Patrick O Shea equally dominant in the mens event.
   In the juvenile events there were some fantastic battles with few
winners having their own way.Those who earned there victories included
Donal Geaney An Riocht boys u9,Adam King Iveragh boys u13,Muireann
McKenna Lios Tuathaill girls u13,Rebecca Lynch Lios Tuathaill girls
u15,Niamh Joy Gneeveguilla girls u17,David Hogan St Brendans boys u17
and Mary Fitzgearld An Riocht girls u19.In the girls u9 there was a
fantastic three way battle between eventual winner Fiona Doyle Star of
the Laune,Ruth Courtney Spa Muckross[2nd] and Abigail Lynch Lios
Tuathaill[3rd].In the boys u11 Patrick Warren Gneeveguilla pipped Dara
Lowth St Brendans on the run ;in the boys u15 Kevin o Sullivan Star of
the Laune  was strong enough to hold off Liam O Connell Iveragh at the
finish;Sophie Lynch battled with her team mate Ciara Donegan both Lios
Tuathaill to eventually take gold and in probably the closest event of
the day Stephen Walsh held on to win from Brendan Joy Gneeveguilla in a
very tight finish in the u19 6km.
    In the team events St Brendans AC took gold in the girls u9,boys u11
and boys u17,silver in the girls u11 and bronze in both the boys and
girls u13.Gneevguilla had a win in the boys u19,second in the girls
u13,boys u15 and boys u13,with bronze in the boys u11.Lios Tuathaill
took gold in the girls u11 and silver in the boys u11.Riocht were easy
winners of both the boys u9 and girls u13;Iveragh taking double gold
in the boys u13 and u15 with Farranfore Mainevalley finishing third in
the girls u11.
    St Brendans AC lead the overall championship going into the final day
on 205pts to Gneeveguilla’s 156pts with Iveragh on third in 106pts.In
the newly formed division 2 section An Riocht AC lead the way on 93
points with Lios Tuathaill AC hot on their heels with 88pts.Farranfore
Mainevalley are third on 31pts with Star of the Laune on 28pts,Spa
Muckross on 22pts, Spa Fenit Barrow both on 18 points and Tralee
Harriers on 11 points.
   On the day there was also a senior league event run with Cian Murphy
Iveragh taking victory in the mens followed home by Tim O Connor An
Riocht in second and Arthur Fitzgearld Farranfore Mainevalley in
third.Maura Heffernan of Liscarroll AC in Cork won the womens event.
   On another note it was great to see the new Kenmare athletics club
compete in their first event.We hope to see alot more of them in the
season ahead.

Bu9-1.Donal Geaney  Ri 2.Dara Courtney STB 3.Shae McCarthy IV
Gu9-1.Fiona Doyle SOL 2.Ruth Courtney SM 3.Abigail Lynch LT
Bu11-1.Patrick Warren GG 2.Dara Lowth STB 3.Donal Hunt LT
Gu11-1.Sophie Lynch LT 2.Ciara Donegan LT 3.Shona O Brien SM
Bu13-1.Adam King IV 2.Dean Crowley GG 3.Kieran Lynch LT
Gu13-1.Muireann Mckenna LT 2.Katelynn McCarthy SFB 3.Aoife Crowley SFB
Bu15-1.Kevin O Sullivan SOL 2.Liam O Connell IV 3.David O Keeffe GG
Gu15-1.Rebecca Lynch LT 2.Vanessa Dineen LT 3.Claire Brenna SFB
Bu17-1.David Hogan STB 2.Dylan Carey STB 3.PJ Galvin STB
Gu17-1.Niamh Joy GG 2.Grace Lynch IV 3.Niamh Clifford SOL
Bu19-1.Stephen Walsh 2.Brendan Joy GG 3.Sean Curtin GG
Gu19-1.Mary Fitzgearld RI 2.Grainne Dineen GG

Masters-
040-1.Brendan King IV 2.PJ FitzGerald
045-1.Michael Dineen GG
O50-1.Michael Mangan SOL 2.Vincent McGaley GG
055-1.Patrick O Shea IV 2.Patrick O Riordan STB
O60-1.Kevin Griffin IV 2.Donal Crowley TH
O65-1.Mike Browne GG
Women-1.Niamh O Sullivan RI 2.Margaret O Leary GG

The Final day of Kerry Cross country action will take place next Sunday at
12pm at the Demense Killarney, location to be confirmed later.
Senior : Mens and Ladies
Junior : Mens and Ladies
Relays
U9, U11: 4 x 250m
U13, U15: 4 x 500m each club can enter as many teams as they want.