Dundrum double of County Senior Cross Country titles

Cashel was the venue last Sunday for the County Senior Cross Country Championships which were hosted by Dundrum AC. Dry and mild conditions greeted the athletes as they descended on the venue.

The women’s race over 6k consisted of three laps over a testing but a very good cross country course, where the underfoot was mainly firm.

Right from the start, the defending champion, Dymphna Ryan of Dundrum AC made her intentions known. Going into the lead inside the first 200m, she put on a powerful display of front running to make every step a winning one. They say class is permanent and Dymphna showed that with a flawless performance, when winning in 25 mins 17secs.

This was Dymphna’s fifth Senior Cross Country title as well as finishing second twice, brilliant consistency. Then we had her clubmate and a native of Cashel, Linda Grogan, also running a brilliant race when winning the silver medal. This was a brilliant performance by Linda who has just returned after a lengthy layoff due to injury.

She was made to battle all the way by another athlete making a welcome return to competition, Madeline Loughnane, who was second for most of the race. Still, this was a very good performance by Madeline when winning the bronze medal.

Looking back over the County Senior Cross Country records, these three talented athletes have amassed fourteen Senior titles between them, definitely a talented trio. For the record Eileen Ely of Thurles Crokes was 4th, Aoife Courtney (Mooreabbey Milers) 5th and Mary Louise Ryan (Mooreabbey Milers) 6th.

In the team event with three to score, we had three clubs with two athletes in the top six, so all eyes were on the rest of the athletes as they came into view, with Karen Coughlan of Dundrum AC running on very familiar ground finishing seventh and thus ensuring that the Sureprint Cup resided in Dundrum for another year, indeed they were achieving a four in a row, brilliant performances all round.

The silver medals were won by the Thurles Crokes team that also included Martina Ryan 18th. The bronze medals saw Clonmel pip Mooreabbey Milers by just one point. Their team of Elaine Horgan 8th, Sarah Whelan 9th and Anne Marie Halpin 10th.

There was a ‘B’ section in this event for Club who fielded a team in the ‘A’ section. Here the host club again were the Golden Girls with their team of Mary Keane, Mairead Julian and Emily Leahy who was winning her first County Senior medal. The silver medals were won by the Clonmel team of Michelle Doherty, Jennifer and Marina Quinlan.

Men’s Race

The Men’s Race also attracted a very good entry for the five lap race.

Here Kevin Moore of Dundrum AC made his intentions known early on as he went to the front and soon the battle was between him, the 2019 champion and the defending champion, Stuart Moloney of Mooreabbey Milers as they stretch the field inside the first lap.

As the race unfolded, Kevin was always in control and he maintained a strong pace all the way to come home a very worthy and convincing champion in 37 mins 2 secs.

This was a brilliant performance by Kevin who was winning his fourth County Senior Cross Country title to add to his four County Senior road titles, Mr Consistency.

Stuart Moloney also put in a great performance and lost nothing in defeat, when winning the silver medal.

The battle for the bronze medal was a ding-dong affair for the first four laps between Mossy Bracken of Moycarkey/Coolcroo and Dermot Gorman of Carrick-on-Suir. Then on the final lap, Gorman moved clear and maintained the effort all the way to the line, to win the bronze medal with Mossy fourth.

For the record Barry Hartnett (Mooreabbey Milers) was 5th and Paddy Cummins (Moycarkey/Coolcroo) 6th.

The team title was very competitive with Moycarkey/Coolcroo and Mooreabbey Milers on the same points at the end of laps 2 and 3. Then over the final 3k the strength and depth of Mooreabbey Milers, the defending champions, came to the fore and in the end of an absorbing battle they edged it by four points at the finish line. Their successful team was Stuart, Barry, Tom Blackburn 7th & Ger Hanley 13th.

Moycarkey/Coolcroo won the silver medals with their team of Mossy, Paddy, Shane Mullaney 10th and Conor Keating 11th. Congrats to Moycarkey/Coolcroo on winning the silver medals at this level for the first time since Athletics Ireland was formed. It is great to see this great Club prospering well again on the athletic fields.

The bronze medals were won by the host club with their team of Kevin, Eamon Morrissey 8th, Martin Keane 9th and debutant Gerry O’Neill 25th. Gerry was winning his first medal for Dundrum. For the record, Templemore were fourth and Clonmel were fifth.

There was a ‘B’ section and here Mooreabbey Milers continued their golden streak when their team of Kevin Lenihan, Michael Bailey and Willie O’Donoghue doing the business.

The Dundrum trio of Michael Ryan (Club Chairman), Jim Halley and Michael Moore won the silver medals. Congrats to Michael Moore on running his 30th County Senior Cross Country race, a wonderful achievement.

Mooreabbey Milers also provided the bronze melas winners with their team of Michael Fitzgerald, Liam Lewis and Damien Holian.

2023 Fixtures

The County Senior and Masters Indoor Championships takes place in Nenagh on Sunday 15th January

The County under 23 and Masters Cross Country Championships takes place in Thurles Crokes on Sunday 22nd January