Golden Day For The BARRS At The Cork Novice XC 2019

Cork Athletics Novice Cross-Country Championships 2019, Knockardbane, Licarroll

This year’s Cork County Novice, U23, Junior & Juvenile Even-Age Cross-Country Championships took place on Sunday 06th of October last. Hosted by Liscarroll AC & Churchtown Road Runners AC, this was the opening event of the 2019 Cross Country season. On a near perfect day for racing, hoards of feisty adults, teenagers and juveniles descended on the lands of the O’Brien family, at Knockardbane, Licarroll. Watched over by somewhat puzzled and bemused residents of the local Donkey Sanctuary, athletes young and old competed vigorously in their respective age categories. The course was compact, relatively flat and the going firm. And with several mid-course U-turns, athletes often found themselves running towards each.

Orla Byrne - Cork Athletics Novice Cross-Country Champion 2019

In the Novice Ladies race, Orla Byrne from the BARRS notched up a commanding victory. Running Cross Country for the first time, Orla lead from the start and maintained her lead all the way to the finish. The Novice Ladies team with Orla Byrne, Marie Kelly, Rebecca McEvoy, Fiona Verling and Sinead Noonan finished in fourth spot with a 1, 22, 24, 26 team score. In the Novice Men’s race, the BARRS Men took on a very competitive field and finished in third spot with a 13, 20, 23, 36 team score.

The BARRS' bronze medal Men's team at the Cork Novice XC Champs 2019

Cork Juvenile Multi-Events & Masters T&F Champs 2019

Some of the BARRS athletes at the start line for the 800m heats

Like the first swallows, the County Track & Field Championships is a harbinger for the arrival of summer. No more need for layered clothing. Time to soak up some sunshine and let the kids run amok. This year’s Juvenile and Masters events were held in tandem offering a contrasting blend of wily experience and exuberant youth.

Coach Fergus O'Donovan with his young protégé Flor O'Leary

Pride of place must go to BARRS veteran Flor O’Leary who ran 1:37.7 for the 400m knocking almost 25s off the M85 record previously held by Gerry Ward. Unphased by events of the track, the unflappable Flor stalked the grass like a leopard on the prowl. When the 400m gun went, Flor quickly found his groove and it was soon clear to all and sundry that the record was in mortal danger. As he hit the home straight, Flor’s coach Fergus O’Donovan became ever more animated beating his fists in the air. The pair had clearly done their homework well! Flor’s new 400m record performance ranks as the second fastest M85 run for the year to date.

Flor O'Leary with some BARRS colleagues after his record-breaking run

Other notable performances on the day; in the Field events Dan Kennedy was 1st O/65 in the LONG JUMP while Sandra Hickson scored a 1st O/35 in both the SHOT PUT and WEIGHT for DISTANCE throws.

In the Track events, the BARRS quartet of Dermot Woods, Enda Kiernan, Stephen Geoghegan and Paul Duggan combined fleet of foot with deft baton work to win the 4X100m RELAY in a time of 56.2s.

BARRS Relay Team - Stephen Geoghegan, Paul Duggan, Enda Kiernan & Dermot Woods

Anita Murphy was 1st O/35 in the women’s 200m and 2nd O/35 in the 100m. In the Men’s 400m, Dermot Woods was 1st O/40, Paul Duggan 1st O/50 and Flor O’Leary 1st O/85.

In the Men’s 800m, Dermot Woods was 1st O/40, Stephen Geoghegan 3rd O/45, Paul Duggan 1st O/50 and Michael Murphy 1st O/60. In the women’s 800m, Margaret Lillis was 1st O/35, Anita Murphy 2nd O/35 and Marion Lyons 1st O/60.

In a very competitive 1500m race, Dermot Woods was 1st O/40, Enda Kiernan 2nd O/45, Paul Duggan 1st O/50 and Michael Murphy 1st O/60. Margaret Lillis was the 1st woman O/35.

In the 3000m, Pat Murphy was 1st O/55, Eamonn McEvoy 1st O/60 and Dan Kennedy 1st O/65. Marion Lyons was the 1st woman O/65.

A great day for the BARRS at the Munster 4 Mile Roads

A chill wind awaits the large field of men assembled for the start

This year’s Masters 4 Mile Road Championships were held in the Tipperary village of Dundrum just a few miles down the R505 from Cashel. A diary entry for Sunday the 3rd of March 2019 might have gone something along the lines of “Day started off well and progressed steadily from bad to poo!”. Indeed, as folks headed north towards Tipperary, the weather went south and the needle began to dip from the mid teens towards single digits. By the time the women hit the start line, the wind, rain, sleet and snow were battling for supremacy on one of the harshest days in recent race day memory.

Joe Cunningham among the leaders in a very competitive men's race

In the Novice Men’s race, the BARRS team finished 2nd behind Leevale A.C. John Meade (10), Michael Corbett (16), Rory O’Sullivan (18) and Michael Morgan (20) were the top four BARRS followed by Joe Cunningham, Padraig Sheehan, David O’Connor, Enda Kiernan and Donal Murray. John Meade was the fourth place finisher for Cork County team which took the Gold medal.

In the Senior Men’s race the BARRS team was 7th overall. Once again, Cork was the Gold medal winner with John Meade (16) contributing as a 5th place finisher.

In the Masters Men’s race, the notable performances in the individual categories were a 3rd place for Joe Cunningham at M45, 1st and 3rd places respectively for Eamonn McEvoy and Willie Hayes at M60 and 1st for Michael Dunne-Snr at M70. In the M40 category, Michael Corbett, Rory O’Sullivan and Michael Morgan finished 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.

In the M35 team category, the BARRS scored a fantastic 2nd behind An Riocht A.C. John Meade (7), Michael Corbett (12), Rory O’Sullivan (13) and Michael Morgan (15) were the top four BARRS. Once again the Cork team was the M35 Gold medal winner with John Meade, Michael Corbett and Rory O’Sullivan contributing as 3rd, 5th and 6th place finishers.

Sorcha Kearney on her way to a top four finish in the women's race

In the Novice Women’s race, the BARRS team finished 4th. The Cork Novice ladies took the Gold medal with Niamh Cronin contributing as a 3rd place finisher.

In the Senior Women’s race the BARRS team was 6th overall. Cork was again the Gold medal winner with Sorcha Kearney (4) contributing as a 2nd place finisher. Indeed, Sorcha had a fantastic run finishing 4th woman overall and showing her class across all levels.

In the Masters Women’s race, the notable performances in the individual categories were 1st and 2nd places respectively for Sorcha Kearney and Niamh Cronin at F40 and a 3rd place for Margo Dinan at F50.

In the F35 category, the BARRS team was 3rd while the Cork ladies took Gold with Sorcha Kearney and Niamh Cronin contributing to the team as 1st and 4th place finishers.

A wintery scene as snow swirls around the Rock Of Cashel

Despite all the hardships, the Munster Roads was a great day out for the club especially the F35 and M35 club teams. However, credit to ALL our club members who made the journey to Dundrum on a day that was destined to test the mettle of even the most hardly athlete. And last but not least, a big thanks to Dundrum A.C. for keeping us fed and sheltered from the elements.

Masters XC Gold And Team Silver For BARRS Ladies

Gold medal winner Martina Kiely leads the field at the National Masters XC

Club member Martina Kiely achieved a superb victory at the AAI National Masters Cross Country Championships on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon at the Dundalk Institute of Technology. In light rain over a fast course, the BARRS athlete ran a near perfect race leading out the field from start to finish.

The BARRS' silver medal winning ladies team at the National Masters XC

The arduous trip to Dundalk was made all the more worthwhile as the BARRS Ladies delivered a Silver medal winning performance just a point behind Raheny. Martina Kiely, Sorcha Kearney, Riina Kuuselo and Niamh Cronin were the top four BARRS ladies followed by Irene Eighan, Margaret Lillis and Ann-Marie Healy.

In the M50 team category, Eamonn McEvoy, Willie Hayes, Tony O’Brien and Eddie Barry combined well to achieve a respectable 12th place. Margo Dinan and Marion Lyons represented the club in the F50 category.

Karen Fenton Memorial 5K, Sun 15th Apr 2018, Ballinora

The inaugural 5K Karen Fenton Memorial road race is coming up on Sunday the 15th of April 2018, at 11.30 am in Ballinora, just to the south of Ballincollig.  This is organised by the ‘Karen Fenton Ovarian Cancer Fund’ in association with St. Finbarr’s AC. A scenic country run within easy reach of Cork City – a perfect warm up for all your summer runs – suitable for both runners and walkers – competitive or just for fun – it’s your choice!

This race is in memory of Karen Fenton, who passed away from Ovarian Cancer, on the 30th of April 2017 at the age of 43. Karen was one of Ballinora’s own and enjoyed participating in many athletic events. All those who pre-enter will be put in a draw for 2 nights B&B for 2 people in the lovely Celtic Ross Hotel in West Cork. This race will be chip timed but all are welcome to take part, walk, jog or run, in this community event. You can enter online HERE or on the day of the race. For race details and directions, click HERE.

ENTRY Adults – €12   :   Kids Timed €6   :   Kids Untimed – Free
PRIZES First 5 Men & Women Home – Cash Prize
Category Prizes for Top 3 Men & Women (Outside the top 5)
Post-Race Refreshments at Ballinora GAA Hall
Race Enquiries: info@karenfenton.ie

National Masters & Intermediate XC Champs, Kilcornan Estate, Clarinbridge, Co.Galway, Sun 11-Feb-2018, 13.30

The Irish Life Health National Masters & Intermediate XC Championships of 2018 take place at the Kilcornan Estate, Clarinbridge, Co.Galway on Sunday 11th of February. The day’s proceedings kick off with the Juvenile races at 11am with the first of the adult races commencing around 1.30pm. The closing date for entries is Friday 02nd of February. Competing athletes must be registered with Athletics Ireland for 2018.

The Bus for Clarinbridge will depart the UCC Farm at 9am on Sunday morning with a pickup stop at the car park of Christy’s Hotel in Blarney around 9.30am. Best of wishes to all our competitors on the day.

Course Map

TIMETABLE
13.30 Master Women & Men O/65 (4000m)
14.00 Master Men O35-64 (7000m)
14.40 Intermediate Women (5000m)
15.10 Intermediate Men (8000m)

County Masters, Novice-B & Juvenile Relays XC Champs, Slieveroe, Riverstick, Co. Cork, Sun 05-Nov-2017, 1pm

The County Masters, Novice-B & Juvenile Relays XC Champs 2017 will be held at the Cork AAI’s own Slieveroe, Riverstick venue on Sunday 5th November 2017. The race order is Juvenile events at 11:30am followed by Masters at 1pm, then Novice- B events. Note that the Start times may move forward or back!

The venue, on the L2494 Riverstick to Carrigaline road.

From Cork City, go to the Airport roundabout and continue for Kinsale on the R600. Turn left at Riverstick for Carrigaline. From Ballinhassig, head for Fivemilebridge and turn right for Kinsale. The route is usually signposted from Riverstick onwards.  For those comming from the Carrigaline direction, take a right onto the L2494 for Riverstick shortly after leaving Carrigaline.

LAT/LON: 51.776612N, 8.440952W
(Paste LAT/LON coordinates into Google Maps search. You can also set them to your navigation device)

Masters Women 4k : Masters Men 7k

Novice-B Women 4k : Novice-B Men 6k

The County Masters & Novice-B is held under AAI rules; participating athletes must be registered club members and wear a club Singlet. Transport will be available leaving the UCC Farm, Curraheen at 11.30am. We wish the very best of luck to all our athletes and supporters.

Cork Athletics Intermediate & Juvenile B XC Champs, Ardnageehy West, Co. Cork, Sun 15-Oct-2017, 12pm

The County Intermediate & Juvenile B Cross Country Championships 2017 will be held at Ardnageehy West, Glenville, Co. Cork on Sunday 15th October. The meet begins, at 12pm with the Intermediate Women followed by the Intermediate Men. The Juvenile events commence immediately after the Intermediate Men’s finish.

WOMEN 5,000m : MEN 8,000m

LAT/LON: 52.030014N, 8.405232W
(Paste LAT/LON coordinates into Google Maps search. You can also set them to your navigation device)

Course Map

From the Dunkettle roundabout, take the M8 for Dublin and exit the Motorway at Exit 17. Drive into Watergrasshill village and turn right. Before you exit the village, turn left between The Fir Tree Bar and the Church. Continue on the Main Road (following signs) for 4.5km and take a left at the Junction and the course is less than half a mile on your left. There are two gates. The first is the EXIT gate. Enter at the second gate.

Cork Athletics Novice, U23 and Juvenile E.A. XC Champs, Slieveroe, Riverstick, Co. Cork, Sun 01-Oct-2017, 12pm

The County Novice & U23 Cross Country Championships 2017 will be held at the Cork AAI’s own Slieveroe, Riverstick venue on Sunday 1st October starting at 12pm. The race order is Novice Women at 12pm followed by the Novice Men and the Juvenile Events at 13:00. Note that the Start times may move forward or back!

The venue, on the L2494 Riverstick to Carrigaline road.

From Cork City, go to the Airport roundabout and continue for Kinsale on the R600. Turn left at Riverstick for Carrigaline. From Ballinhassig, head for Fivemilebridge and turn right for Kinsale. The route is usually signposted from Riverstick onwards.  For those comming from the Carrigaline direction, take a right onto the L2494 for Riverstick shortly after leaving Carrigaline.

LAT/LON: 51.776612N, 8.440952W
(Paste LAT/LON coordinates into Google Maps search. You can also set them to your navigation device)

Novice Women 4K : Novice Men 6K

The County Novice is held under AAI rules; participating athletes must be registered club members and wear a club Singlet. Transport will be available leaving the UCC Farm, Curraheen at 10.30am. We wish the very best of luck to all our athletes and supporters.

Great day out at the National Masters T&F Champs 2017

Denis Coughlan National T&F Silver medallist in the M/35 800m

The AAI National Masters T&F Championships 2017 took place on Sunday, July 7th last. A small group of seven BARRS athletes made the long trip to Tullamore and enjoyed a very successful day out. Michael Murphy was the star performer with a double Gold in the M/60 800m & 1500m. Martina Kiely was a Silver medallist in the F/35 800m and a Bronze in the 1500m. Denis Coughlan grabbed a Silver in the M/35 800m with a superb sub 2-minute run. Sandra Hickson was a surprise Bronze in the F/35 Shot Putt competing against a very strong field. Club chairman, Eamonn McEvoy completed the medals haul with a Bronze in the M/60 3000m. Donal  Murray put in some creditable performances in the M/40 Shot Putt, 200m & 400m and Enda Kiernan had to contend with a very strong field in the M/40 1500m. A big well done to all!