Galway athletes will be in action this weekend with many of Europe’s top athletes descending on Abbottstown in Dublin for the European Cross-Country Championships.
Thomas McStay of Galway City Harriers will earn his second Euro cross country cap when he toes the U23 men’s start line with his Irish team mates. They include NUIG team mate Donal Devane of Ennis Track, and two fellow Connacht athletes, Keelan Kilreehill (Moy Valley ) and Thomas Devaney (Castlebar ).
Athletics Ireland's national endurance co-ordinator, Matt Lockett, also of Galway City Harriers, is currently leading squad preparations.
The event will be held on the purpose-built course at the National Sports Campus on Sunday with seven races on the programme, at junior, U23 and senior level, and a mixed relay.
International stars such as Jakob Ingebritsen of Norway and Ireland’s Ciara Mageaan and Fionnuala McCormack are among the standout names who will compete for glory.
National Cross-Country season
National Novice, Junior, and Juvenile Uneven Age Cross Country Championships at Gowran Park in Kilkenny
Galway athletes enjoyed a successful final day of the National Cross-Country season on a true and testing cross country course in Gowran on Sunday.
At Juvenile level Luke Walsh of South Galway AC won an historic gold medal in the U13 All Ireland Cross Country, and in the process led his South Galway AC U13 squad to win a well-deserved team gold.
Walsh led the race from early on before breaking free from the pack on the hilly circuit in the second half of the race to take a superb victory. He was followed home by clubmates Liam Bailey, who finished 16th, Brendan McGuane in 45th, Ciaran Considine 63rd, and Brian King and Devlin Burke.
Stephen Joyce claimed a superb individual bronze in the same race for Craughwell AC to cap a great season for the up-and-coming star, and Galway U13s won team county silvers with Alan Corcoran of Castlegar AC and Eanna McGrath of Tuam AC also scoring.
Aaron Byrne of East Galway AC was another who had a great day out, placing a fine fourth overall in the U11 race.
Team silvers for seniors
At senior level the story of the day was undoubtedly the epic performances by Craughwell and Galway athletes in the National men’s novice race over 6km.
The double team silver medals won by Craughwell AC men’s novice club team and Galway men’s county team, and a superb individual second place by Jamie Fallon of Craughwell AC, were just reward for a tremendous display of brave cross country running.
The Craughwell AC squad, under coach Mark Davis, fielded an exceptionally strong eight-man team, with their talisman Jamie Fallon starting the race with clear intent, but closely tracked by clubmate William Fitzgerald.
Fallon was always up at the front of and executed a perfectly run race to win a superb silver medal, finishing just 10 seconds off winner Liam Harris of Togher AC, and well clear of Daniel Stone of Raheny in third.
William Fitzgerald ran a well-paced race –working his way from about 25th position midway through to a remarkable top-five finish.
Next home for Craughwell was Patrick Noonan in what many felt was the run of the day when he finished an exceptional 19th. Fourth home for Craughwell and final scorer was Jack Miskella in 27th. These four were ably backed up by Kevin Mooney, with a super comeback run to come 47th, closely followed by Kyle Moorhead in 57th place, Mark Davis (77th ) and Paul Joyce (87th ).
Four of the Craughwell team were also among the top six scorers on a silver medal winning Galway County team, along with Abaas Edris Adam of Castlegar, who had a great 17th place finish, and David Carter of GCH in 34th.
GCH placed 14th team overall despite some late withdrawals, led home by Carter, with Aaron Brennan in 36th place, and Conor Byrne and David Mannion high up the order also
Galway and GCH ladies also acquitted themselves very well, just outside team medals, with some great all-round performances from an up-and-coming squad. Ellen Moran of GCH finished a superb fourth in the women's race, cementing a stellar 2021 in real style. Moran ran aggressively from the gun and was always towards the front of affairs, and will no doubt feature on the podium in years ahead.
Barbara Dunne, Maebh Brannigan and Aine O'Farrell completed the team scorers in 26th, 53rd and 62nd respectively for a brilliant fifth club placing for GCH.
Galway Ladies’ squad was sixth county overall, with Aisling Moyles of Castlegar running a stormer to place as fourth scorer on the County team.
Junior strength
In a great show of the junior level strength, Craughwell ACs’ U19 men’s team won a bronze team medal with a superb two finishers in the top 10. Sean Cotter gave his all to challenge for individual medal and was right at the business end of the race all the way through, finishing sixth, with Oisín Davis next home in ninth spot.
Ross McGuinness ran a very smart race to come 35th overall, while Anthony Boyle finished 64th as fourth scorer, ably backed up by Luke Burke who was fifth home for the team.
At under 17 level, Isabella Burke of GCH produced a great 29th place, with Anna Cotter 57th for Craughwell, while Helena O Keeffe ran well in the U19 race in 28th spot for Loughrea.
