Tuesday 27 January 2015

Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

hree National Indoor titles won

A small number of athletes from West Waterford and Ferrybank competed
at the National Junior Indoor and under 23 Championships in Athlone on
Sunday last and they came away winning three junior titles.Two of
these were won by athletes from West Waterford AC in the junior pole
vaults. Megan O'Connor cleared 3 metres to win her event while Yuri
Kanass tied for first place on 4 metres. For Ferrybank  Paul Murphy
was a very easy and impressive winner of the 400 metres in a personal
best time of 48.03 seconds and Neasa Murphy was third in the high jump
with 1.60 metres,she was defending the title she won last year with
1,68 metres. Other placings included Jamie Fennell West Waterford 4 th
pole vault, Megan Dunford 4 th pole vault,Sean Curran 5 th in 1500
metres and Steven Walsh Ferrybank 5 th in 200 metres final. Unluckiest
athlete of the day was Ben Kiely  Ferrybank a strong fancy for the 400
metres under 23 but having won his heat was disqualified for a lane
infringement

Frank Leahy Memorial 5 Miles.

170 competed in the Annual Frank Leahy Memorial 5 miles road race in
the city on Sunday last in aid of St Paul's Parish. It resulted in a
dead heat for first place between Frank Quinlan and Trevor Power both
Waterford AC in 26.58, Emmet Kelly Waterford Triathlon Club was third
in 28.17  Kate Nolan Focus on Fitness was first lady home in 32.28
,Jennifer Murphy do was second in 34.20 and Diane Behan Waterford AC
was third in 35.19.
.
John Treacy 10 Miles in Dungarvan

The 24 th Annual John Treacy Dungarvan 10. Miles road race takes place
on Sunday next starting at  Dungarvan Sports Centre at 1.30 p.m.
entries closed since November 2014, no entries on race day,2100
compete

 East Munster Schools Cross Country

On Friday next with a 12.30 pm start at St Augustine's College
Abbeyside the East Munster Secondary Schools Cross Country
Championships go ahead with many athletes from Waterford Schools and
Colleges competing in,minor,junior,intermediate and senior grades boys
and girls
.
Indoor Meeting

Nenagh Olympic A.C. will be holding their 2 nd open competition for
athletes U/9 to U/12 in Nenagh Indoor Stadium on Saturday 31 st
January with High Jump starting at 11.30am & Track events at 12 noon.
Full programme on Munster Athletics Website

Munster Star Awards Banquet

The Golf Resort Hotel in Blarney is the venue on Saturday next for the
Munster Star Awards Banquet.Waterford athletes receiving awards are as
follows; Juvenile Track and Field James Murphy Waterford AC and
Siobhan Whelan Ferrybank AC Juvenile Cross Country Sean Curran, West
Waterford International Award Joe Gough do, Best Club in senior road
and cross country  West Waterford, best master's track and field Club
Waterford AC, Kelly Proper gets a special award. Another award to go
to Waterford this year is the Patsy O'Connor  Award and it goes to
Michael Gregan who has served the County as an outstanding
Officer/Official over the years.

Road Races in early February

, Saturday week February 7 th Anne Valley 5 Miles Run and Walk Dunhill
12 noon, ( Walk starts 10 am ) Saturday Feb 14 th Mt Juliet 10 km and
Half Marathon 11 am.

Sunday 25 January 2015

National Junior & u 23 Indoor Championships

Congratulations to Paul Murphy who had a splendid win in the National Junior 400m today in a pb of 48.04. Neasa Murphy was jumping very well and secured bronze in the high jump. Stephen Walsh had two pb's in the 200m for fifth in junior event. Sean Whittle had a fine run in the junior 400m as had Richard Lucas in the u 23 800m. Spare a thought for Ben Kiely who cruised to a very easy heat win in the u 23 400m and looked a dead cert for gold in the final only to learn that he was disqualifed in the heat due to a lane infringement. Well done to everyone.

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

Many Munster titles won by Waterford athletes

Nenagh was the venue on Sunday for the Munster Senior and Master's
Indoor Championships as well as the junior pole vaults and triple
jumps and Waterford athletes collected medals in all three especially
the master's The sole winner at senior level was Stephen Walsh
Ferrybank AC in the 400 metres in 52.16 seconds, junior pole vault
titles were won by Megan O'Connor 2.80 metres and Yuri Kanass West
Waterford  4.20 metres and Seamie Fennell also from West Waterford
was second behind Kanass while Grace Furlong Waterford was third in
the triple jump equalling her personal best

Eleven Master's titles

West Waterford in the Master's section had two athletes who had
trebles that man again Joe Gough showing no signs of tiredness after
his exertions on Saturday in Athlone won in the over 60.grade  200,800
and 1500 metres while in the ladies Terri Gough was first in the
60,200 and 800 metres over 70,Harry O'Brien won the over 50 1500
metres and Ray Hahessy was third in the 3000 metres over 50. Doubles
were recorded by two Waterford AC athletes Brendan Leahy 60 and 200
metres over 35 and Paschal Halley long jump and 800 metres over 45.
For Ferrybank Tom Boucher was second in both the shot putt and weight
throw over 35 and Pat Kennedy was was second in the shot putt over 60.

Celtic Games.

A number of Waterford athletes competed in the Celtic Games meeting in
Dunboyne on Sunday with Órna Murray Ferrybank on the Irish under 23
team  but she finished down the field. Three others ran in Development
teams Sean Curran West Waterford and Barry Keane Waterford AC under 20
where they finished 13 th and 14 th respectively while Miceál Power
Waterford AC was 15 th under 17.

Another Irish Masters title for Joe

In Athlone on Saturday last Joe Gough West Waterford AC won the
National Over 50 Combined Events Indoor title with a total of 1581
points. In second last place going into the final event he ran a
terrific1000 metres to seal the victory he also won the title last
year

 Colligan Cup

130 competed in the 27 th Annual Colligan Cup Run in Colligan Wood on
Sunday and the winner was Dermot Dwyer. the shield was won by the
first lady home Mary Harney and Clare Fitzpatrick won the Victor
Mullins Trophy and the Albert Mc Grath Newsagent's Juvenile Shield was
won by Ronan Mansfield

Waterford Secondary Schools Cross Country

In ideal conditions on Thursday last the Waterford Schools Cross
Country Championships went ahead in St Augustine's College Grounds
Abbeyside ande entries were well up on last year and many schools got
among the medals individual and team. The following were the winners;
Minor Girls 1 Tara Ramasawmy Presentation Convent,2 Lucy Holmes Árd
Scoil na n Deise 3 Emer Mc Glynn Ursuline Team Ard Scoil na n Deise
Junior 1 Lyndsey Mc Guire Ursuline Convent, 2 Emily Gough do 3 Nell
Murphy do  Team Ursuline  Intermediate 1 Aoife Ni Urmholtaigh Mean
Scoil San Nioclás, An Rinn, 2 D ni Sheanlaoich St Augustine's 3
Hannah De Paor Mean Scoil San Nioclas Team St Aiugustine's Senior 1
Órla Queally Árd Scoil Na Mara Tramore. 2 Emer O'Brien Blackwater CS
Lismore  3 Kristin Meade Ursuline Team Ard Scoil na n Deise. Minor
Boys  1 Jake Bagge Árd Scoil na Mara, 2 Cormac Mahony CBS Dungarvan 3
Michael Troy St Augustine's Team Junior 1 Aaron Donnelly Abbey
Community College,2 Cian O'Riordan CBS Dungarvan 3  Shane O'Neill De
La Salle  Team Abbey CC Intermediate 1 David Mc Glynn De La Salle,2
Jamie Murphy St Declan's Kilmacthomas 3 Niall Blackwell CBS Dungarvan
Team St Declan's Senior1 Shane O'Riordan CBS Dungarvan.2 Fiachra
O'Mahony De La Salle 3 Tadg Brennan do Team De La Salle All Round Cup
Girls Ard Scoil na n Deise,Boys Tie between De La Salle and CBS
Dungarvan. The East Munster Schools Championships are in St
Augustine's on Friday January 30 th at 12.30 pm.

National and Local Fixture on Sunday.

On Sunday next January 25 th the National Junior and u 23 Indoor
Championships are in  Athlone and there is expected to be a sizeable
entry from Waterford the first event is at 10 am on the track and
first field event at 11 am, full timetable on Athletics Ireland
Website. Here at home at 1 pm on Sunday the Annual Frank Leahy
Memorial 5 miles Road Race in aid of St Paul's Parish starts near
Paddy Browne's Road, Lismore Park in the City and entries from 11.30
am at The Craftsman Lounge The run will be preceded by a walk at 12.30
pm.

 Munster AGM
,
The 2014 Munster Athletic Convention will take place on this Saturday
24 th January 2015 in the Park Hotel, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

Award for Michael Gregan

At the recent county board meeting, it was decided that the Patsy
O’Connor award will be presented to Michael Gregan of Tramore. The
Munster award is presented to someone who has served their county as
an outstanding officer/official over the years and Michael will be
Waterford’s first recipient of the award.Michael has been involved in
the sport of athletics for almost 40 years.  During that time he has
been involved in a broad range of roles across the athletics spectrum.
Over the decades Michael has regularly filled board roles at club,
county, provincial and national level.  He served on the National
Executive, beside his late wife Marie, while also holding roles on the
Munster Council. Michael has and continues to be actively involved
with the coaching of athletics. While primarily based with Tramore AC,
Michael is also actively involved with local schools where he provides
coaching to many. Congratulations are in order to Michael.there were
two other nominations Tom Prendergast and Fintan Walsh.

Winter League

The Winter League will continue on this Thursday at 7 pm at the RSC in
the City and continue every Thursday.

Road Races in early February

Sunday February 1 st John Treacy 10 miles Dungarvan 1 pm entries
closed, Saturday February 7 th Anne Valley 5 Miles Run and Walk
Dunhill 12 noon, ( Walk starts 10 am ) Saturday Feb 14 th Mt Juliet 10
km and Half Marathon 11 am.

Sunday 11 January 2015

Aisling Quinn wins Munster Junior XC

Well done to Aisling Quinn who was a runaway winner of the Munster Junior XC today in Carriganore. Well done to all our juveniles on the county xc relay teams also .