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Three Dooneen athletes braved the wintry conditions in Kilbeggan at the National Cross Country finals in Kilbeggan on Sunday last, with several regulars falling victim to the foul weather. A very large crowd did turn up on the day and while it was cold and windy the rain held off for most of the events, although the underfoot conditions did deteriorate with each race.
The field breaks from the gun at the start of the junior race in Kilbeggan.
With team places at stake for the Irish team in the European Championships in Santry on the 14th December, there were high quality fields in the senior and junior grades, but the numbers competing in the younger age groups was also very high. Several top class athletes returned from the USA for this event including the winner of the men’s event ex Iona now based in Arizona, Andrew Ledwith (Fr. Murphy’s AC). Povidence based Mary Cullen (Nth SligoAC) won the women’s event comfortably with Rosemary Ryan in 8th position in this race. The junior women’s race was won comfortable by one of Ireland’s brightest prospects Ciara Magean from the Ards Peninsula in Co. Down.
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This weekend the national cross country senior, junior and even ages finals take place in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath. With double Munster champion Shannen Ryan in the USA, the Dooneen squad will be ligher than expected. There will be strong interest from all around the country however as the national top class athletes battle for places on the Irish tam for the European Cross Country finals in Santry next month.
Tracey Roche has confirmed that she will run in the senior women's race and she is in great form at the moment. Cathal O'Connor steps up to run at jumior level for the first time in his career and a good perormance could yield a rich reward for him. Shane Lynch will remain focused on the u18 race, with Jessica Coyne a reasonable each way bet for the girls u16 race.
Rising star Brigitta Murphy the club's new surprise packet of the season, will run in the girls u14 event and she has been improving with every outing this year so far. The ground will be very soft given the rain we around the country this week so conditions will be tough especially coming into the later races.
Best of luck to all the squad and don't forget the towels and the hot bovril. |
 Dooneen’s Orla Drumm, having completed her medical studies and qualified as a doctor now plans to take a career break to become a full time athlete, to fulfil her undoubted athletic potential. A native of Ballyclough, like many of the club’s members, Orla graduated from Crescent College and went on to study medicine in UCC, where she has recently been followed by a number of other club athletes such as Cathal C O’Connor, Margaret Gleeson both medicine and Nathan Jege, Computer Science. In Crescent she was a star hockey player, but her running talent was spotted in Vartry field in Raheen one evening and the rest is history.
Orla’s specialist event is the classic 1500m where she has an impressive PB of 4.16 set in Heusden, Belgium - well known to our junior men’s team in 2009, but she also competes in the 800m. For the last year she has been overcoming an injury to the sole of her foot ‘planter fasciitis’, which curtailed training and competition, but she did act as the medical doctor to the Irish team at the World University Games in Belgrade earlier this year.
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