Irish Life Health Indoor Combined Events & Munster Juvenile Inter-Club Relays, Pole Vault & Some U/17 to U/19 Field Events

Report by Sean Finn

​It was another busy weekend for the club with All Ireland combined events in Athlone on Saturday and the Munster juvenile relays in Nenagh on Sunday.

Irish Life Health Indoor Combined Events
We had only three athletes in Athlone and Ellen O'Dwyer had another great competition to finish 6th in the U16 age group. Our other two athletes Joe McEvoy and Darragh Miniter had a battle royal in the U20 competition and in the end after five events just seventy points separated them with Joe the national combined events champion and teammate Darragh in second with another Irish international Nelvin Appiah in the bronze position. We'll done everyone.

Juvenile Inter-Club Relays, Pole Vault & Some U/17 to U/19 Field Events
Munster relay day is always exciting with the cosy dimensions bringing the crowd close to the action and the resulting atmosphere is very special. We had 16 teams competing which consisted of 6 girls teams and 10 boys teams.

We had many wonderful performances. Many ups and downs. Tears of joy and disappointment but that's enough about the parents.

On the day we had five teams medal and and our U9 boys of Shaun Hanrahan, Daniel Cleary, Charlie Horan and Mark Minogue got their first medals ever in their first race ever for the club when taking the bronze medals after a fab performance.

Our U16 boys squad consisted of 5 lads who have all won all Ireland cross country medals and today they showed they have a bit of speed when taking home the bronze medals. The squad consisted of Mícheál Moylan, Tom Walshe, Cian Hodgins and special mention to Ben Walshe who despite being a year out of age and the smallest in the field dug in at the business end of the race to hold on for third.

The U17's of James Sage, Tom McCutcheon, Seán Hayes and Ben Connolly were our only gold medalists on the day. In second after three legs Ben Connolly was outstanding when pipping the Leevale athlete on the line for the win.

Our U18's of Lewis Doyle, Pádraig Hassett, Tom McCutcheon and James Sage were just one second behind Leevale when taking the silver medals. Earlier in the Day Pádraig had won the U18 high jump and if that was not enough he then joined up with Josh Egan, Ted Collins and Lewis Doyle to help the U19 squad take home the silver medals. Josh and Ted will be pleased after putting in exceptional performances.

We could easily have added 2 or 3 other sets of medals with a little bit of luck. Notably our U10 girls and U11 and 13 boys could easily have medalled with a bit more luck but that's sport so we take it on the chin and move on.

Our Pole vaulters were in good form also with Jodie McGrath and Ben Connolly both taking U17 silver medals and Ben's little sister

Sadbh Connolly getting a bronze medal in the U14 competition for her first individual Munster medal.

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Next weekend we have another busy weekend with the national junior / U23 comp in Athlone on Saturday and the second round of the National Senior league also in Athlone on Sunday.

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