Mud and thunder at Leinster schools cross-country zones
South, east and west last week - and north now added.
A magnificent total of 2,542 youngsters were in action at the Leinster East, West and South cross-country championships held on Wednedasy and Thursday - before the big storm with the unpronouncable name hit, forcing the postponement of the North zone decider until Wednesday (January 29), when 832 lined out.
Attracting close to a thousand starters was the South zone championships, held in Carlow on Thursday where Ruari McEvoy of St Kieran’s Kilkenny and Kilkenny City Harriers won the boy’s senior race and also led his school to team victory by just four points from Naas CBS, led by Conor Cullen.
David Wajrak of St Mary’s Portlaoise and Portlaoise AC was a clear winner of the boys’ inter race, where Knockbeg College were the team winners.
In a thrilling senior girls’ race, Niamh Garvey of Killina SS and Tullamore Harriers out-sprinted Rachel Ayres of St Leo’s Carlow and St Abban’s AC and Maria Coone from Loreto Wexford and DMP AC with just three seconds between them. Killina beat Sacred Heart Tullamore by just two points for team victory.
Emma Hickey of St Mary’s New Ross and United Striders proved best of the inter girls with Presentation Kilkenny the winning team.
On the traditional 15 Acres course at the Phoenix Park at the East Leinsters on Wednesday, Lorraine O’Connor and Emily Bolton ensured team victory for the Institute of Education in the senior girls’ race, with the pair crossing the line almost together. Bolton, now a member of Clonliffe Harriers, won both the Leinster and All Ireland inter titles last year. O’Connor is a member of Donore Harriers.
Noah Harris from ETSS Wicklow, senior in the Leinster senior race last year, raced to a clear victory in the senior boys’ race setting the pace from the start. Harris is a member of Parnell AC. Charlie White from Blackrock College and Donore Harriers was second, while in third place, Ruairi O’Donoghoe was leading Ard Scoil Ris to team victory.
At inter level, Aoife Murphy of Loreto Foxrock had a comfortable win in the girls race, where Alexandra College were the team winners. Lucas Ryan from CBC Monkstown came home first of the boys. St Michael’s took the team title.
A day later, the Phoenix Park was again the venue for the West Leinsters, and in bitterly cold conditions, Irish junior international Cillian Gleeson of Coláiste Chiaráin was a confident winner of the senior boy’s race. Gleeson, a member of Celbridge AC, had won the West Leinster inter title in 2023 and was runner-up in the senior race last year. Ryan O’Neill, from Terenure College and Rathfarnham WSAF AC, was second, and last year’s inter champion Liam Mac Muiris of Coláiste Chilliain Clondalkin third. Castleknock Community College packed well to take the team prize ahead of Belvedere College and Terenuere College.
Charlie O’Neill, last year’s junior All Ireland and Leinster champion, won the inter boys’ race and led Belvedere to team victory with three finishers in the top nine. O’Neill is a member of Donore Harriers.
Students from Lucan Community Community College took three of the top four places in the girl’s senior race, with Saoirse Fitzgerald the winner, Isabel Cuffe third and Maggie Jez fourth ensuring team victory for their school. All three are members of Lucan Harriers. Finishing a fighting second was Cara Mohan of Castleknock Community College and Metro St Brigid’s AC.
Alannah Ní Chatháin from Luttrellstown Community College led home the finishers in the girls’ inter race, where St Joseph’s Lucan were the team winners.
In the North Leinsters, held six days later, again in the the Phoenix Park, Eimear Cooney (Sacred Heart Drogheda) had a solid victory in the girls’ senior race, with Grace Byrne of Loreto Mullingar second and Dearbhla Allen of St Mary’s Dundalk third. Loreto Mullingar was first team.
Jamie Wallace of Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar won the boys senior title. His team mate Conor Sherwin just edged out Shea O’Donnell of St Mary’s Drogheda for the runners-up spot and Colaiste Mhuire were the team winners.
Taking a clear victory in the boys’ inter race was Conrad Lathan of St Paul’s Raheny, with St Paul’s also proving best of the teams. Tara Rose Smith of Sutton Park made it. a Dublin individual double by winning the girls’ inter race, with Ratoath College, led by Liliy Flood in second place, taking the team title ahead of St Dominic’s Cabra.
Just three points separated the top three teams in the boys’ junior race where St Paul’s Raheny were the winners ahead of St Aidan’s CBS Whitehall and Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar. Individual winner was Daire Beaucroft of St Ciaran’s Kells.
Winning the junior girls’ race - and leading Santa Sabina Sutton to team victory - was Beth Reamsbottom.
* Full results from all these races at www.popupraces.ie. The Leinster Championship take place on Wednesday February 12 in the Phoenix Park, the Munster Championships in Tramore Valley Park, Cork on Friday February 14, and the All Ireland Schools Championships at the Ballybrit racecourse in Galway on Saturday March 8.
EAST LEINSTERS, Phoenix Park, Wednesday January 23. Total finishers 843
Girls -
Senior (31) - 1 Lorraine O’Connor (Inst of Ed) 7.08; 2 Emily Bolton (Inst of Ed) 7.08; 3 Naomi Wall (Greystones CC) 7.20. Teams (5) - 1 Institute of Education 7; 2 Mount Anville 45; 3 Muckross Park 49.
Inter (83) - 1 Megan Brunt (Loreto Dalkey) 9.23; 2 Isabel O’Reilly (St Andrew’s) 9.30; 3 Lara Buck (Col Raithín) 9.42. Teams (10) - 1 St Andrew’s 28; 2 Loreto Dalkey 30; 3 GC na Mara 44.
Junior (91) - 1 Aoife Murphy (Loreto Foxrock) 7:18; 2 Cate Beddy (Loreto Stephen’s Green) 7.32; 3 Olivia Butler (Alexandra College) 7.35. Teams (14) - 1 Alexandra College 20; 2 Loreto Stephen’s Green 35; 3 Mount Anville 49. Junior B (51) - 1 Ailbhe Ni Leathlobhair (Col Iosagáin) 6.33; 2 Zara Murphy (Mount Anville) 6.33; 3 Maia Sharma (Sandford Park) 6.34. Teams (8) - 1 Mount Anville 11; 2 Holy Child Killiney 28; 3 Col Iosagain 60.
Minor (126) - 1 Ailbhe Finucane (Loreto Stephen’s Green) 5.28; 2 Robyn Kennedy (Holy Child Killiney) 5.34; 3 Neasa Kenny (St Gerard’s Bray) 5.40. Teams (17) - 1 St Gerard’s Bray 30; 2 Mount Anville 34; 3 Loreto Foxrock 46. Minor B (45) - 1 Isla Conlon (Mount Anville) 3.59; 2 Connie Lewis (St David’s Greystones) 3.59; 3 Katie Halton (Loreto Foxrock) 4.00. Teams (6) - 1 Mount Anville 14; 2 Loreto Foxrock 18; 3 Holy Child Killiney 29.
Boys -
Senior (45) - 1 Noah Harris (ETSS Wicklow) 16:22; 2 Charlie White (Blackrock College) 16:46; 3 Ruairi O’Donoghoe (Ard Scoil Ris) 17.00. Teams (4) - 1 Ard Scoil Ris 46; 2 Institute of Education 73; 3 Colaiste Eoin 98 98.
Inter (118) - 1 Lucas Ryan (CBC Monkstown) 13:59; 2 Ely Nolan (St Michael’s) 14.14; 3 Daniel Shine (St Michael’s) 14.18. Teams (14)- 1 St Michael’s 54; 2 Oatlands 80; 3 CUS 123.
Junior (99) - 1 Ethan Bramhill (Greystones CC) 8.22; 2 Conn McCluskey (St Benildus) 8.47; 3 Leonard Deering (CUS) 8.49. Teams (134) - 1 Colaiste Eoin 45; 2 St Benildus 51; 3 Gonzaga 77. B (23) : 1 Iggy O’Sullivan (St Michael’s) 8.04; 2 Luke Flavin (John Scottus) 8.11; 3 Charlie Murphy (St Conleth’s) 8.13 Teams (2) 1 St Micheal’s 21; 2 St Conleth’s 38.
Minor (100) - 1 Oisin Healy (St Michael’s) 5.11; 2 Harry O’Meara (GC an Phiarsaigh) 5.14; 3 Eoghan Thompson (Ard Scoil Ris) 5.18. Teams (11) - 1 Willow Park 30; 2 Oatlands 118; 3 Rathdown 119. B (30) - 1 Harrison O’Reilly (Willow Park) 3:26; 2 Johnny Clarke (St Conleth’s) 3.36; 3 Zach Farrell (St Conleth’s) 3.36. Teams (3) - 1 St Conleth 25; 2 Willow Park 25; 3 St Joseph’s Fairview 66.
WEST LEINSTERS, Phoenix Park Thursday January 23. Total finishers 772. More pics at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindie/albums/72177720323354671
Girls -
Senior (33) - 1 Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan CC) 7.11; 2 Cara Mohan (Castleknock CC) 7.15; 3 Isabel Cuffe (Lucan CC) 7.31. Teams (7) - 1 Lucan CC 8; 2 Castleknock CC 23; 3 Loreto Beaufort 33.
Inter (65) - 1 Alannah Ni Chatháin (Luttrellstown CC 7.22; 2 Clodagh Reilly (St Peter’s Dunboyne) 7.26; 3 Ana Jones (St Joseph’s, Lucan) 7.26. Teams (9) - 1 St Joseph’s Lucan 23, Lucan CC 33; 3 Mount Sackville 35.
Junior (94) - 1 Ruby Farrelly (Our Lady’s Templeogue) 5.33; 2 Aisling Power (Loreto Beaufort) 5.36; 3 Ella Feru (St Peter’s Dunboyne) 5.40.Teams (17) - 1 St Peter’s Dunboyne 18; 2 Mount Sackville 32; 3 King’s Hospital 66.
Minor (126)- 1 Allesandra Stanley (King’ Hospital) 5.51; 2 Anna Whelan (Mount Sackville) 6.10; 3 Leah O’Callaghan (Castleknock CC) 6.15. Teams (15) - 1 Loreto Beaufort 26; 2 Mount Sackville 27; 3 Castleknock CC 46.
Boys -
Senior (67) - 1 Cillian Gleeson (Coláiste Chiaráin) 12.24; 2 Ryan O’Neill (Terenure College) 13.28; 3 Liam Mac Muiris (Coláiste Chillian) 13.39. Teams (7) - 1 Castleknock CC 48; 2 Belvedere College 55; 3 Terenure College 62.
Inter (98) - 1 Charlie O’Neill (Belvedere) 9.48; 2 Jacob Ciomek (HFCC Rathcoole) 10.18; 3 Adam Noone (Templeogue College) 10.37. Teams (10) - 1 Belvedere College 27; 2 St Peter’s Dunboyne 101; 3 CBS Lucan 114.
Junior (130) - 1 Samuel Redmond (Templeogue College) 7.00; 2 Conal Fitzgerald (Lucan CC) 7.05; 3 Daniel O’Sullivan (St Colmcille’s) 7.10. Teams (18) - Castleknock College 35; 2 Lucan CC 458; 3 Belvedere College 58.
Minor (159) - 1 Fionan O’Keeffe (Terenure College) 5.25; 2 Harry O’Neill (Belvedere) 5.32; 3 Gerry Ward (Terenure College) 5.33. Teams (19) - 1 Belvedere College 22; 2 Terenure College 31; 3 Castleknock College 65.
SOUTH LEINSTERS, Carlow, Thursday January 23. Total finishers 938
Girls
Senior (31) - 1 Niamh Garvey (Killina SS) 11.05; 2 Rachel Ayres ( St Leo’s Carlow) 11.06; 3 Maria Coone (Loreto Wexford) 11.07. Teams (5) - 1 Killina SS 20; 2 Sacred Heart Tullamore 22; 3 Loreto Wexford 37.
Inter (90) - 1 Emma Hickey (St Mary’s New Ross) 10.41; 2 Rachel Keaney (Newbridge College) 10.53; 3 Sinead Cormack (Pres Kilkenny) 11.31. Teams (14) - 1 Pres Kilkenny 14; 2 Newbridge College 20; 3 Col Iosagain Portarlington 39.
Junior (120) - 1 Adelyn Walsh (Tullamore College) 5.13; 2 Laura Ayres (St Leo’s Carlow) 5.16; 3 Hanna Luttrel (Col Iosagain Portarlington) 5.32. Teams (20) - 1 St Leo’s Carlow 31; 2 Tullamore College 64; 3 Newbridge College 72.
Minor (143) - 1 Robyn Browne (St Mary’s Naas) 5.16; 2 Mia Wright (Loreto Wexford) 5.16; 3 Zoe Dunne (St Leo’s Carlow) 5.42. Teams (22) - 1 Loreto Wexford ; 2 Loreto Kilkenny 20; 3 St Mary’s Naas 29..
Boys
Senior (53) - 1 Ruairi McEvoy (St Kieran’s Kilkenny) 19:46; 2 Max Murphy (Good Council New Ross) 19:56; 3 Finn Craig (Newbridge College) 19:57. Teams (5) - 1 St Kieran’s Kilkenny 68; 2 Naas CBS 71; 3 St Brendan’s Birr 120.
Inter (174) - 1 David Wajrak (St Mary’s Portlaoise) 14:29; 2 Jack Mahon (Pres Carlow) 14:49; 3 Riley Connolly (St Paul’s Monasterevin) 14:41. Teams (18) - 1 Knockbeg College 63; 2 Patrician Newbridge 76; 3 St Kieran’s Kilkenny 76.
Junior (166) - 1 Alexander Guther (Patrician Co Kildare) 10.24; 2 Gearoid Farrell (St Kiernan’s Kilkenny) 10.38; 3 Luke Duggan (Cistercian College Roscrea) 10.51. Teams (18) - 1 St Kieran’s Kilkenny 36; 2 Naas CBS 72; 3 Knockbeg College 128.
Minor (161) - 1 Jack Brennan (Patrician Newbridge) 5.01; 2 Harry Kennedy (Naas CBS) 5.16; 3 Jayden Murphy (Patrician Newbridge) 5.17. Teams (19) - 1 Naas CBS 38; 2 St Kieran’s Kilkenny 55; 3 Patrician Newbridge 97.
NORTH LEINSTERS, Phoenix Park, Wednesday January 29. Total finishers 832
Girls
Senior (48) - 1 Eimear Cooney (Sacred Heart Drogheda) 8:20; 2 Grace Byrne (Loreto College Mullingar) 8:25; 3 Dearbhla Allen (St Mary’s Dundalk) 8:29. Teams (6) - 1 Loreto College Mullingar 27; 2 Sacred Heart Drogheda 46; 3 Dominican Griffith Avenue 51.
Inter (90) - 1 Tara Rose Smith (Sutton Park) 8:45; 2 Lily Flood (Ratoath College) 8:49; 3 Chloe Cooney (Sacred Heart Drogheda) 8:56. Teams (14) - 1 Ratoath College 20; 2 St Dominic’s Cabra 23; 3 Holy Faith Clontarf 42.
Junior (121) - 1 Beth Reamsbottom (Santa Sabina Sutton) 7:22; 2 Lily Walsh (Loreto College Mullingar) 7:29; 3 Laoise Kirwan (Holy Faith Clontarf) 7:49. Teams (19) - 1 Santa Sabina Sutton 24; 2 Holy Faith Clontarf 29; 3 St Vincent’s Dundalk 38.
Minor (110) - 1 Tara Hunt (Eureka Kells) 4:40; 2 Lydia Jordan (Ratoath College) 4:40; 3 Roisin Pastourel (Dominican Griffith Ave) 5:09. Teams (13) - 1 St Vincent’s Dundalk 32; 2 Loreto Mullingar 55; 3 Holy Faith Clontarf 59.
Boys
Senior (70) - 1 Jamie Wallace (Col Mhuire Mullingar) 14:40; 2 Conor Sherwin (Col Mhuire Mullingar) 14:43; 3 Seha O’Donnell (St Mary’s Drogheda) 14:43. Teams (9) - 1 Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar 30; 2 St Mary’s Drogheda 41; 3 St Aidan’s Whitehall 75.
Inter (138) - 1 Conrad Latham (St Paul’s Raheny) 14:19; 2 Jack Garvey (St Mary’s Drogheda) 14:37; 3 Oisin Kehoe (St Finian’s Mullingar) 14:44. Teams (17) - 1 St Paul’s Raheny 40; 2 St Mary’s Drogheda 49; 3 St Finian’s Mullingar 89.
Junior (145) - 1 Daire Beaucroft (St Ciaran’s Kells) 7:41; 2 Max O’Sullivan (Ardee CS) 7:55; 3 Eoin McGuirk (Lusk CC) 7:57. Teams (16) - 1 St Paul’s Raheny 75; 2 St Aidan’s Whitehall 76; 3 Col Mhuire Mullingar 77.
Minor (110) - 1 Danny Davis (St Fintan’s Sutton) 5:42, 2 Antonio Bertolo (Col Mhuire Mullingar) 5:46; 3 Gareth Gleeson (St Finian’s Mullingar) 5:49. Teams (15) - 1 St Fintan’s Sutton 50; 2 St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge 73; 3 St Aidan’s Whitehall 76.