There were notable performances by Craughwell AC athletes at the second day of the Galway cross country championships, which included the juvenile uneven age groups, at the Palace Grounds in Tuam.
Sean Connaughton took the Galway title in the u-13 2500m in his debut for the club in the event, while Caron Ryan, who is going from strength to strength, added the u-17 4000m title to the u-16 title she won last weekend.
It was a super day also for Oisin Lyons who strode to victory in the u-15 boys 3500m and for Evan Moran, who took the title in the u-9 boys 800m.
GCH athlete Emma Moore won the u-11 girls, while clubmate Kara McClean took the u-13 girls title. GCH took another win through Eadaoin Langan with the u-15 girls title, with clubmate Laoise Geraghty second.
Ballinasloe and District AC had winners in Brian Burke at u-9 level, Aoibheann Fitzpatrick in the u-9 girls, and Conor Harley at u-11 after a great sprint with his clubmate Shane Fitzpatrick
Craughwell teams took victory in the u-9 girls, gold in the u-11 girls, u-13 boys, u-15 boys and also in the u-17 girls, a total of five team wins on the day. Athenry AC took u-9 and u-11 boys’ titles, while GCH teams won u-13 and u-15 girls’ team titles.
Conamara 10km
Richard Farnan GCH and Marie Boyle took the honours at the Conamara 10km held in the Carna area on Saturday which attracted a field of more than 100 athletes.
Farnan, an up-and-coming GCH prospect, won well in 35.33, ahead of clubmate Damien Ridge in second in 37.50. Third home was Seamus Nee.
Local athlete Marie Boyle of GCH and Trisport was the race starter, and still managed to take the win in the women’s section in a time of 44 minutes.
Moylough 10km
Mick Fogarty of Athlone Tri Club took a second win in a row in Sunday’s Moylough 10km, with an excellent time of 33.45. Ray Somers of Athenry AC pipped Damien Larkin of Craughwell for second after a great battle.
First woman home was Sinead Brody of GCH in 41.17, with Tammy Corrigan and Bernie Mulryan filling the minor placings.
GCH man Matt Bidwell ran an excellent 31.59 to take a comfortable win at the Breaffy 10km in Castlebar at the weekend
Jason Broderick of Craughwell AC and the Army was fourth in the Defence Forces 10km championships in a good time of 33.04, behind winner Kenny Rogers.
Fixtures
The fifth running of the Martin Egan Memorial 1km takes place in Beagh next Sunday at 1.30pm. Martin Egan, who was born in 1920 outside the village of Shanaglish in County Galway. Martin won five All Ireland Championship medals over different distances and various venues around Ireland in 1944, and in 1948 he was selected to represent Ireland in the London Olympics.
Sunday’s race starts and finishes at the Beagh Community Centre, running through the hamlet of Shanaglish, passing Martin's life-long home in Cregboy. The race headquarters are the Beagh Community Centre. Registration will begin at 12 noon on the day.
