Craughwell AC had one of its best team achievements on Saturday when the senior women’s team won bronze medal in the National League final in Dublin.
Pitted against the top 16 clubs in Ireland over over days, the women excelled to take the medal in an event which went right down to the wire. And in the last race of the day, the 4x200m, the Craughwell quartet blitzed the field to secure medal winning points.
Managed by Sarah Finnegan, the squad featured a mix of experience and youth, with impressive performances from Sinead Treacy and Sinead Gaffney on the track, Laura Cunningham and Lorraine Delaney in the field, in addition to quad Siofra Davis, Emily Miskella, Rachel Finnegan, Leonore Church, Jade Moorhead, Caoimhe Kilkenny, Aisling Keady, Eva Kilkenny, and Arlene Earls.
Cross Country championships
GCH and Galway men’s intermediate teams both claimed bronze medals at the National Cross-Country Championships held on a fast and solid course in Gowran Demesne Kilkenny on Sunday,
The intermediate men's race covered a distance of 8k, with Aaron Brennan leading home the GCH intermediate men's team which finished in eighth place with strong runs from Andrew O'Donnghaile in 10th place, John Moroney in 12th place, Conor Byrne in 35th place, and Gene Kelly in 58th position. The GCH team, along with Abacas Edris of Castlegar AC (22nd ) made up the Galway County Team which also claimed bronze.
GCH also enjoyed competitive races with its Master Women's Team (4k distance ) led home by Niamh Hennelly in 28th place, followed by Deirdre Moran Smyth, Olive Gleeson and Deirdre McCrae, ensurin the team finished in ninth place with Galway County Women's Team in eighth place.
The sole Galway representative in the intermediate Women's race was GCH's Honorine Rojo who finished in 40th position on her first cross country race on Irish soil.
Mark Davis of Craughwell was best of the Galway Men's Masters, fourth in his category, and leading the Galway County Men's V50 team that finished a creditable sixth.
Armagh International Road Races
The prestigious Armagh International Road Races were held on Thursday night on the fast 1km circuit around the city.
Galway athletes were well represented in the Elite Womens 3km with Fiona Everard of University of Galway finishing in a fast 9.24 clocking, while GCH's Ellen Moran crossed in 9.42 and Craughwell's Sinead Gaffney in 10.21.
The super quick men's 5km was won in 13.37 by British athlete Henry McLuckie. Craughwell field a strong quartet with William Fitzgerald leading the team home in the international 5km with a spectacular new club record of 14:29. Seán Cotter was next home in 14:35, followed by Oisin Davis in 14:41 with Patrick Noonan on his heels in 14:46. Eoin Molloy of Castlegar also broke the 15 minutes mark in what were very steong performances all round.
National Indoor Track and Field championships
The National Senior Track and Field Indoor Championships take place this weekend at the National Indoor Arena in Dublin, with high quality field assembled across the two-day programme. Galway athletes will travel with strong hopes with Finlay Daly from University of Galway, Jack Maher of GCH, Craughwell's Jack Miskella, and the sprinters hoping to medal.
