Kerryman Article 1/2/10

Kerry Athletics had the pleasure of holding the Munster Athletics Awards on Saturday night last in the Brandon hotel Tralee with several Kerry athletes receiving awards.Tom O’Riordan from Tubrid,Ardfert was choosen to receive the Hall of fame which he received to a rapturous applause and standing ovation from the crowd attending.Tom of course represented Ireland at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the 10,000m and during his athletics career broke no fewer than 13 Irish records over distances varying from one mile to 10,000m.Tom now living in Dublin for most of his life was and still is a distinguished journalist who continues to write and highlight the achievements of Irish athletes in the national media.

    There were ten other awards won by Kerry athletes on the night with Patsy O’Connor Tralee Harriers taking the senior mens track and field award,Alan O’Connor Tralee Harriers winning the u23 track and field award,Daniel Clifford Farranfore Mainevalley was choosen for the Junior mens track and field,Katie O’Shea also Farranfore Mainevalley the u23 womens track and field award,Laura Crowe An Riocht the senior womens track and field award and the u23 cross country award,Niamh O’Sullivan also An Riocht the senior and masters cross country and road award,Eoin O’Carroll Tralee Harriers the Juvenile male Kerry award and Ailbhe Courtney St Brendan’s the juvenile female Kerry award.A fantastic night was had by all in the celebration of Munster athletics with Kerry athletes to the fore once again and long may it continue.

The National Juvenile combined events championships were held last Saturday in Nenagh Co.Tipperary.Eoin O Carroll Tralee Harriers defended his national title in the u16 age group with wins and very impressive jumps in the long jump[5.87] and high jump[1.68m] and top three positions in the 60metre hurdles and 800 metres.Others to compete well but finish outside the medals were Louise O Connor and Courtney Ryan Tralee Harriers.

The Leinster Indoor Open Championships were also held last weekend on Sunday again in Nenagh.Tralee Harriers athletes Sinead O Connor,Padraig Whelan and Donal Crowley made the trip to compete.Sinead won gold in her speciality events the long jump and triple jump in the junior category,Padraig also in the juniors finished third in the 400 metres and Donal first in the masters long jump and high jump and also picking up silver in the 400m.

The Dungarven ten mile road race was held on Sunday last with several Kerry athletes making the trip to compete in the rarely run distance of ten miles.Stephen Griffin Tralee Harriers ran a strong race to finish in 12^th place overall and comfortably win the over 45 category in a time of 55.24 which gave him mile averages of 5.32 minutes.Ann Marie Costello Gneeveguilla also ran a solid race finishing in 1.06.27 giving her average mile splits of 6.39 minutes.Others to compete on the day included Hugh Mc Kenzie Vass[1.09],Mattie Angaland[1.11],Mary O Connell[1.17],Nora Flynn[1.27] and Olivia Fitzgearld[1.33] all Gneeveguilla AC.

The North and South Munster schools cross country championships and qualifiers for the Munster championships were held on Wednesday and Friday last.The North Munsters were held in pallaskenry Co.Limerick.Sarah Cooper Mounthawk won the minor girls event with Vanessa Dineen also of Mounthawk taking third.Mounthawk also won the team event here with Blaithin Griffin and Michelle O’Leary.In the minor Boys Adam Barrett Tralee CBS got up for an impressive third with Mitchell Holland Mounthawk taking fourth in the junior category.Conor O’Mahoney also Mounthawk finished tenth to also qualify for the Munster championships. Pobail Scoil An Daingean took second  in the junior girls team event with  Jenny ni She 11^th, Roisin Breatnach 12^th, Taylor nic Gearailt  14^th and Maud ni Bhric-Heslin 15^th.Jack O Suilleabhain Of Dingle was Kerry’s only qualifier in the inter boys finishing in 13^th place while Luke O’Keeffe Mounthawk and Stephen Walsh Tralee CBS finished 7^th and 8^th respectively in the senior event to qualify.Mounthawk also finished second in the senior mens team event with Stewart Nolan,Daryl Byrne and Kelvin Reidy. Niamh de Hora Dingle CS finished 4^th in a very high standard Inter girls event with Roisin ni Choncuir also of Dingle CS finishing 13^th.In the Senior girls event Mercy Mounthawk won the team title with solid runs from Naoimi Reidy 2^nd ,Molly Mcgilton 3^rd ,Taylor Maher 4^th and Jennifer Locke 5^th .

    Ath the South Munster Championships held in CIT in Cork there were equally impressive performances.In the girls section Jane Hickey of Intermediate School Killorglin finished second in the junior girls event with Olivia Dawson St Brigids Killarney 3^rd ,Sarah Kenny 5^th,Cammy Kelliher 6^th and Laura Mclarnon 7^th all St Brigids to take the overall team title also.For good measure Elaine Courtney again St Brigids Killarney also finished 11^th to qualify for the Munster championships.In the inter girls Brigit Dennehy Colaiste na Sceilige took gold with team mate Karen Curran in 3^rd  and Orla O Donovan in 11^th to easily take the team title.Kerry athletes dominated this category with Niamh Clifford ISK in 4^th and Emer Foley St Brigids in 5^th.Intermediate school Killorglin also took second here in the team event with Niamh being joined by Aileen Crowley in 10^th and Naoise Doherty in 12^th.In the senior girls event Mary Fitzgearld Colaiste na Sceilige finished second with Niamh Joy ISK in 3^rd.

In the boys section Michael Burns St Brendans college had a fantastic win in the minor boys event to start off proceedings.Cillian O Donovan led Colaiste na Sceilige to team gold in the junior boys when he finished second with his team mates Andy Quigley 7^th,Liam O’Connell 8^th and Brian Sugrue 9^th.David O’Keeffe of Borherbue comprehensive also did well to finish 3^rd in this race.In the senior mens event Tadgh Moore of St Brendans college Killarney ran impressively to take 3^rd place in a very high standard event and is showing every time he runs that he has the makings of a top class athlete.Sean O’Sullivan of Colaiste na Sceilige also ran a solid race to finish 5^th.

The National Masters Indoor track and field were held on Sunday January 24^th.The following are the Kerry medallists-

Tralee Harriers-

Patsy O’Connor-V4-1^st Shot

Donal Crowley-V6-3^rd 400m,2^nd Long Jump,2^nd High Jump

Pat Canty-V4-1^st 60m,3^rd Long Jump,3^rd High Jump

Kieran Moynihan-V1-3^rd 400m

Gneeveguilla-

Sheila O’Donoghue-V2-3^rd 60m,1^st Shot

Mike Browne-V7-2^nd 200m,2^nd 400m

An Riocht-

Tomas Griffin V1-2^nd 60m,2^nd 200m,3^rd 800m,3^rd 1500m,

Spa Muckross-

Donal O’Doherty-V1-3^rd Long Jump

Farranfore MV-

Jim O’Shea-V7-2^nd 60m,3^rd Long Jump,1^st High Jump

Michael O’Connor-V6-3^rd 3k Walk

Iveragh-

Patrick O’Shea-V5-1^st 3000m

Fixtures-

Munster u9-u13 Indoors-Feb 6^th/7^th-Nenagh

National Senior Indoors-Feb 6^th/7^th-Belfast

Munster u14-u19 Indoors-March 6^th/7^th-Nenagh

Kerry u9-u14 Sportshall Games-March 13^th-Tralee CBS