It was a typical Irish November day in Tramore Race Course, today with a little bit of everything sun, cloud, wind, rain and a generally cold bite to the day as forecast on this site last week. With Dylan Sheehan focusng on the uneven age finals in Cavan in two weeks, it was a small band of  4 Dooneen atheletes who braved the elements in Tramore. First into action for the Dooneen hardy bunch was the steadily improving Jessica Coyne supported all the way by her mother Philippa, who did well to finish a very creditable 29th in the girls u14. Next up was Shannen Ryan in the grils u16, but today was not her day in a race in which Emerald's Amy O'Donoghue was 4th. 

Then as the frost bite set in, it was the turn of  the two remaining standard bearers Cathal O'Connor and new man Shane Lynch in the boys u18 finals over 6,000m. Last time out Cathal struggled through the mud in Cooraclare to a disappointing 11th, but today the firmer grassy ground of Tramore race course was more to his liking, as he finished 6th in a strong field in a time of 17.42. In the run in he was pipped for fifth place, due to a lapse of concentration, which may have cost him a place in the forthcoming Celtic Games Cross Country.  He was the third scoring member of the Munster team that took gold in the interprovincial competition, while on the county front Clare came in fourth. Shane Lynch continued his steady progress and finished well up with the pack and was the fifth scoring county athlete.  Well done to all.