The leading young athletes from Ireland England Scotland and Wales are heading for DCU on Saturday After months of competition we now arrive at the pinnacle of this pathway where only the very best young cross country runners in each of the four home countries meet in the annual KitKat SIAB Cross Country International. This international fixture rotates around the four countries and this year it is Ireland’s turn to host the event. The ISAA will run this prestigious event on Saturday 31st March in St Clare’s, Dublin City University at 1pm. The KitKat Irish teams have been chosen following the KitKat All-Ireland Championships also in St Clare’s and are below. The teams are sprinkled with the future stars of Irish athletics. Many will be following the progress of Shane Quinn, DLS Waterford, who hopes to retain the title he won last year in such impressive style at Stowe School, Buckinghamshire. Shane, son the great Irish steeplechaser, Brendan, is an exceptional talent and has never been beaten in schools’ athletics. He leads a strong junior boys’ team which includes the Monaghan twins, Andrew and Patrick, and the very strong, Tommy Casey from Sligo Grammar School. Noel Collins, Drumragh Integrated School Omagh, is another highly talented young man who will battle to the end to win that title. Last year at the Schools’ International he ran well to finish second in the Steeplechase. He has progressed since then and won the schools’ title here at St Clare’s in early March. He will be backed up by a very strong squad, including Ciaran McKenna, Gormanston, Dan King, St Eunan’s Letterkenny and Tomas Cotter, St Mary’s Dundalk. The girls’ intermediate also looks strong. With very little to chose between Eimear Black, St Dominic’s Fortwilliam, Ciara Mageean, Assumption Ballynahinch, and Tara Jameson, St Dominic’s Wicklow. KitKat SIAB Schools’ Cross Country International 2007 Irish Schools’ Teams Junior Girls Mary Jones Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin Maire Aine Ni Shuilleabhain Gael Colaiste Ceatherlach Mary Fitzgerald Colaiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen, Co Kerry Niamh Kearney Loreto Dalkey, Dublin Mary Mulhaire Presentation, Portlaoise Claire Burke Bower Athlone Kayla Flynn Loreto St Stephen’s Green, Dublin Amy McDaid St Cecilia’s Derry Team Coach Teresa Devenny Junior Boys Shane Quinn De La Salle Waterford Andrew Monaghan St Colman’s Newry Tommy Casey Sligo Grammar School Patrick Monaghan St Colman’s Newry Christopher O’Brien Thurles CBS, Co Tipperary Simon Drumm St Peter’s Dunboyne, Co Meath Brendan Lundy St Malachy’s Belfast Stephen Attride Knockbeg College, Carlow Team Coach Alan O’Neill Intermediate Girls Eimear Black St Dominic’s Fortwiliam Ciara Mageean Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch Tara Jameson St Dominic’s Wicklow Rachel Gibson Wallace High School, Lisburn, Co Antrim Fionnuala Ross Integrated School, Dungannon Fiona McKenna Loreto Dalkey, Dublin Sinead Denny Our Lady’s Grove, Goatstown, Dublin Niamh Denny Our Lady’s Grove, Goatstown, Dublin Team Coach Breda O’Sullivan Intermediate Boys Noel Collins Drumragh Integrated, Omagh Ciaran McKenna Gormanston College, Co Meath Dan King St Eunan’s Letterkenny, Co Donegal Tomas Cotter St Mary’s Dundalk Mark McDonald St Aidan’s CBS, Whitehall, Dublin Ryan Creech Glanmire Community College, Cork Chris Jones St Fintan’s Sutton, Dublin Greg Gibson, Colaiste na Sceilge, Caherciveen, Co Kerry Team Coach ` Wilbert Hollinger Team Manager Michael Roche For further information: John Shields, Irish schools’ Athletic Association. 01 – 831 311 087 – 2633 376
