DCU win Individual and Team honours
Clubmates Linda Byrne and Brendan O’Neill were in tremendous form today at the All Ireland Schools and Irish Universities cross country championships at Cork Institute of Technology. Both compete with Dundrum South Dublin AC and both are students at DCU.
A huge investment has been made in sports facilities at CIT and today marked the staging of an All Ireland schools event in the southern capital for the first time ever.
Byrne took over the lead from early on in the women’s varsities race and cruised to a second national title in the space of six days, having won the Woodie’s DIY inter club title in Phoenix Park on Sunday last. Prior to that race she was in tremendous form in her races overseas. And to make it an even better week she also passed her driving test! Chasing her home were her DCU team mates Ciara Durkan in second and Michelle English in third. Louise Reilly from TCD was fourth, with DCU’s fourth scorer Karen Crossan sealing team honours for DCU with a fifth place finish.
Brendan O’Neill had company for the first 3k of the 8k race but was clearly itching to lead. When he did take over the lead he made the best of his way home and won comfortably. Afterwards he said he was a little sore after last week’s fourth place finish in the Woodie’s DIY senior inter clubs, his first ever venture over 12k. It has been an exciting few weeks for him as he won the Irish intermediate title in Lough Key. Jason Fahy from Waterford IT chased him home with Simon Ryan from IT Blanchardstown third, Liam Tremble from TCD fourth and James McIlroy from UU fifth. The dry flat course was tailor made for an 800m runner but the fast pace by O’Neill meant McIlroy was never near enough to use his finish speed.
An under strength DCU team won the team contest by just two points from UU.
John Travers was another in action last week when winning the junior title in Phoenix Park. The confidence gained from that win was evident today when he took over the lead in the senior boys race from early on and raced to a very easy win in the colours of Inchicore Vocational School. Emmet Jennings from Oatland’s College was second and Liam Brady from St. Brendan’s Birr was third.
This was Ciara Mageean’s first time racing in Cork, although it was not the Assumption Grammar Ballynahinch student’s first time competing in Cork. A few years ago she played camogie in the annual Feile competition when it was held in Cork.
She was never headed in the senior girls race as she made light of the course and won impressively. Maire Aine Ni Shuilleabhain from Gaelcholaiste Ceatharlach was second and Niamh Denny from Our Lady’s Grove Dublin was third.
The Monaghan twins from St. Colman’s Newry were amongst a group that broke away from the rest of the intermediate boys field before Andrew made his move that brought him clear for a good win. Sean Tobin from High School Clonmel was second with Stephen Attride from Knockbeg College Carlow third with Patrick Monaghan fourth
The intermediate girls race was the closest of the day. Here Emma Mitchell from Banbridge High School and Amy O’Donoghue from Villiers School Limerick were on their own for most of the last lap before Mitchell sprinted away to win with just 100m remaining. Ciara Hewson from Maynooth PPS was third.
Siofra Cleirigh Buttner from Colaiste Iosagain Ath Cliath was a runaway winner of the girls race and her winning time of 7:19 compares very favourably with Ciaran Mageean’s 7:11 senior time over the same distance. The junior boys race was won by Aaron Hanlon from St. Mary’s Drogheda.
