A Report on all the action in Lissycasey from James Sexton

Fergus Athletic Club and the Patrick O’Dea open cross country and 5k road races in Lissycasey took place this weekend on the lands of J. J. Sheehan with fine fields in all Juveniles races from U/7 to U/16’s. The misty weather made underfoot conditions tough for the juvenile athletes. In the ladies 5000m road race Marian Burke of St. Mary’s recorded a big win in (19mins . 30secs) with Sharon Rynne Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare a very good second and Margaret Ryan Kilnaboy third. Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare retained their team title ahead of Loughrea and St Mary’s.

Jason Fahy of Olympic Harriers was victorious in the men’s 5000m race in 15:09 with Dermot Galvin of St. John’s taking the runner-up spot and James McIntyre Tulla was third with St Johns taking the senior men’s team title and the Bernie Meaney Shield ahead of Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and Tuam.

In the novice race there was a great win here for Donal Howley Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare. He captured this title for the second year in a row and he was followed home in second place by Kenneth Rodgers Crusheen and a surprise third was the captain of the County senior football champions James Kelly of Fergus Athletic Club. This concluded a mighty team victory with the Patrick O’Dea Cup going to St. Cronans ahead of Fergus A. C. and Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare.

The Patrick O’Dea Cup was presented to Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare for the best overall club on the day with (255pts) with St. Johns second on (184pts) and third were St. Marys on (153pts).

The heavy rain on Saturday made underfoot conditions difficult for fast running and athletes from all over Clare contested all the races. In the girls U/7’s Eimear Hodgins of Marian took the gold medal ahead of Ruth Finucane of St. Mary’s and Eirin Neylon Marian third. John Murphy Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare recorded a great victory in the boys U/7’s and a fine second was Seamus Casey St. Mary’s who was leading on the home straight a took a tumble just metres from the finish with Thomas Kelly St. Mary’s producing a great finish to snatch third.

Fidelma Marrinan St Johns came with a late surge to take the Girls U/8’s from Emma Mc Mahon and Tara Kelly both St. Mary’s and in the boys U/8 Adrian Mc Carthy St Cronans outsprinted Niall Canavan Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare just metres from the finish line with Thomas Clancy St Johns storming home in third place.

Cliodhna Blake St Johns lead from start to finish to caused a big surprise in the girls U/10’s when taking the title ahead of Caoimhie Harvey St Johns with Niamh Fitzhenry Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare working hard to take third place and their was a great contest in the boys U/10’s with Jason Mc Carthy St Cronans producing a great sprint finish to snatch this victory from the early leaders Brian Leyden Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and coming with a late burst to take third Wayne Linnane St. Mary’s.

There was a mighty contest in the girls U/12’s with two Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare athletes contesting this title and Roisin Considine had to work hard on the uphill stretch to hold off that strong challenge from Siobhan Nestor to win with Rachel Clancy St Johns taking the bronze medal and in the boys U/12 once again a very impressive winner was Jacob Loughnane Marian from David Mc Carthy St Cronans and a fine performance from Eoin Devereaux Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare to finish third.

The Girls U/14’s was a cracking contest and run over two laps and Shauna Harvey St Johns along with Laura Egan Kilmihil producing a mighty contest and with the lead changing hands on several occasions it was Laura Egan who had to push hard all the way to take this title after a mighty sprint over the last 100metres with Shauna Harvey and Orla Flanagan Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare working hard to hold onto third spot and in the boys U/14’s Damian Burke Kilmihil made it look so easy and this man is running with great confidence with the All-Ireland this Sunday in Kildare he wil be among the leading contenders for National honours and the man that was second Conor Cleary Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare ran a fine race with Ian Slobody Kilmihil a very good third.

Lisa Loughnane St Cronans dominated the girls U/16’s from start to finish with Niamh Donnellan Kilmihil a close second and Sorcha Loughnane Marian taking the thir spot with Paul O’Conghaile Marian running in the boys U/16’s made all the front running and he made the hills look very easy when he coasted to a big win over Shane O’Loughlin Kilnaboy with Eoin Brew St Johns working hard to take third place.

The ladies race run over a distance of 5000metres attracted a fine turnout from St. Marys, St. Cronans, Ennis Track Club, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, Loughrea, Tuam, and Galway City Harriers with the race starting near the Credit Union in Lissycasey and running over a two lap course Marian Burke St. Mary’s, Sharon Rynne, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and Margaret Ryan Kilnaboy set a good lively pace for the first lap and they were closely followed by Liz Keane Loughrea, Claire O’Callaghan Fergus and Aishling Power Ennis Track.

The big field was well strung out as they made their way out on their final lap Marian Burke was now working hard at the front and when she came back on to the main road she had opened up a fine lead and she crossed the finishing line to record a mighty victory with a time of (19mins . 30secs) with Sharon Rynne coming through over the final 800metres to take second place in (20mins . 55secs) and a mighty race from Margaret Ryan Kilnaboy to take third in (21mins . 19secs).

Their was one great contest for the team award with team title holders Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare taking the title for the third year in a row with 2nd Sharon Rynne, 7th Maura Falsey and 8th Christine Organ for a total of (17pts) and second were Loughrea on (27pts) and third St. Marys on (31pts).

The masters ladies O/35 and a great victory here for Aishling Power Ennis Track ahead of Audrey Greaney Tuam and Teresa Ryan St. Mary’s with Liz Keane Loughrea taking the masters O/40’s ahead of Christine Organ Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare and Marie Fennessy Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, with Maura Falsey Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare retaining her masters O/45’s title and a close second Bernie Kelly Galway City Harriers with Marie Kelly Loughrea third.

The senior mens 5000metres race attracted one of the biggest field of athletes ever to the village of Lissycasey and their was and early break of three athletes Jason Fahy Olympic Harriers, Dermot Galvin St Johns, and James Mc Intyre Tulla, they started out with a very fast pace and taking the big field around by Kearney’s Pub and over the first of this two lap course they had this fine field of athletes in almost single file, Donal Howley, James Kenny, both Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, Pat Hogan Ennis Track, T. J. Whyte Tuam and Kenneth Rodgers Crusheen.

The final lap and Jason Fahy up the tempo and with one uphill stretch he made a very decisive break and he held that slight advantage all the way to the finish to take the Patrick O’Dea Cup with a time of (15mins . 09secs) after a great battle with Dermot Galvin where he had to settle for the runner up spot in (15mins . 31secs) and again another big performance by James Mc Intyre Tulla to finishing third in (16mins . 01secs).

The senior mens team award and the Bernie Meaney Shield went to St Johns on (53pts) with 2nd Dermot Galvin, 15th Paul daly, 16th John Galvin, 20th Willie Keane second were last years runners up Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare on (103pts) with Tuam A. C. third on (142pts).

Their was a great contest for the masters O/40’s with Pat Hogan Ennis Track holding offa strong challenge from Terry Hennessy St Cronans and David Mullins Tuam.

The Masters O/45’s title went to T. J. Whyte Tuam after a mighty battle with Iggy Landers St Cronans and John Convey Fergus.

The masters O/50’s was dominated by three Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare athletes and the big winner here was James Kenny from Tom Mackey and Michael Harvey.

Willie Keane St Johns had just ten seconds to spare over Tom Madden Marian to capture the masters O/55’s with Denis Meaney third and the O/65’s going to Roger Rush Tuam.

The Mens Novice title once again for the second year in a row was dominated by Donal Howley Kilmurry Ibroickane/North Clare who finished 7th overall in the field with a surprise second Kenneth Rodgers Crusheen and what a performance from James Kelly Lassycasey Captain to take place and finish 13th overall in the field.

The Patrick O’Dea Cup going to St Cronans and this team was made up of a father and two sons with 9th Terry Hennessy, 10th Iggy Landers, 14th Padraig Landers, 18th Damian Landers for a total of (51pts) second were the host club Fergus A.C. on (104pts) and third Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare on (121pts.

The leading male Fergus A.C. athletes title went to James Kelly with Claire O’Callaghan taking the ladies title.