42 year cross country gap finally bridged On Saturday at the Upper Malone Playing fields in Belfast (Start 1pm), spectators will be privileged to witness the first All Ireland Cross Country Championships to take place in the Province for 42 years, hosted by Queen’s University, Belfast. The reason for the astonishing time gap since the last event in 1966 at what is now an industrial estate in Dundonald, is linked to jurisdiction differences between the various athletics bodies which governed the sport at that time. Such problems have long since been resolved and now ensure that Saturday’s meeting is not only historic but also has the added attraction of offering the leading finishers in the various races up to 10 automatic places in Irish teams which will compete in the World Championships in Edinburgh at the end of March. Cathy Gallagher, Queens Development Manager for Student Sport commented, ‘Queen’s are delighted to welcome the Woodie's DIY / AAI Inter Club Cross Championships of Ireland to the University and it is another great opportunity for our student club officers to contribute significantly to the planning and delivery of a major sporting event. Queen’s Playing Fields has hosted similar such events at both national and international level so the scene is set for a very successful meet.’ One spectator on Saturday is likely to be Derek Graham of 9th Old Boys who took the title in that 1966 race from Donore’s Jim McNamara. He will be carefully watching another Olympian in the form of Clonliffe’s Alistair Cragg who is firm favourite to take the 12K Senior title especially after a useful time of 13.32 over 5000m in the US two weeks ago. This is clearly part of Cragg’s build up for Beijing- he already has a number of Olympic qualification standards. 
Queens Athletic Club member Paul Pollock and John Saulters (Organising Committee) are getting ready to host the All-Ireland Cross-Country Championships this Saturday. However there are other key names in this Woodie’s DIY sponsored race who will be vying for selection for Edinburgh. They include Inter counties winner Gary Murray (St. Malachy’s) who was first Irish finisher at Stormont in January. Raheny’s Vinny Mulvey should also be in the mix- he was 4th in the Inter Counties behind Gareth Turnbull and Mark Christie who are currently warm weather training in Florida. Other contenders in a high quality field include Gary Thornton, Joe McAllister, Brian Maher and Michael Clohisey not to mention newly crowned NI winner Brian Campbell and Kevin Seaward who had such a tight dual at Antrim 2 weeks ago. In the team battle, Raheny will attempt to break Clonliffe’s stranglehold of 5 consecutive wins. The 8K Women’s event is equally impressive with Beijing bound Fionnuala Britton (Sli Culann) the firm favourite following her 7th place in the European Cross Country plus a bronze medal in Luxembourg two weeks ago. Her main opposition will include all the top Inter County finishers such as Deidre and Linda Byrne, Vets champion Pauline Curley and 5000m champion Maria McCambridge who won last weekend. In the Junior Women’s race all eyes will be on City of Lisburn sensation Ciara Mageean who took the Irish Senior Indoor 1500m title recently in a new Junior record. While the Portaferry girl does not turn 16 until next week, she is virtually certain to book her place for Edinburgh. Other contenders in the race include the fFrench O’Carroll twins and Ballymena’s Eimear Black. The World Cross Country may be a daunting prospect for some but young Ciara is well used to mixing it with (and defeating) much older opposition. An undoubted rising star for the future. Little separates Michael Mulhare from North Laois, Niall Tuohy from Ferrybank, Craig Murphy from Togher and David Flynn from Clonliffe Harriers in what promises to be a cracker of a junior men's race. Mulhare was second in the inter counties but will have to be wary of Tuohy who spent the Christmas warm weather training in Australia. Both were members of the Irish team at the European cross country championships. Further information on the event can be found at www.niathletics.org where there is a link to a mini website with course map, location and timetable. Further information from PRO Clare McCoy: 02890 602707 or Brian Hill: 078 1506 9697
Queens Athletic Club member Paul Pollock and John Saulters (Organising Committee) are getting ready to host the All-Ireland Cross-Country Championships this Saturday. However there are other key names in this Woodie’s DIY sponsored race who will be vying for selection for Edinburgh. They include Inter counties winner Gary Murray (St. Malachy’s) who was first Irish finisher at Stormont in January. Raheny’s Vinny Mulvey should also be in the mix- he was 4th in the Inter Counties behind Gareth Turnbull and Mark Christie who are currently warm weather training in Florida. Other contenders in a high quality field include Gary Thornton, Joe McAllister, Brian Maher and Michael Clohisey not to mention newly crowned NI winner Brian Campbell and Kevin Seaward who had such a tight dual at Antrim 2 weeks ago. In the team battle, Raheny will attempt to break Clonliffe’s stranglehold of 5 consecutive wins. The 8K Women’s event is equally impressive with Beijing bound Fionnuala Britton (Sli Culann) the firm favourite following her 7th place in the European Cross Country plus a bronze medal in Luxembourg two weeks ago. Her main opposition will include all the top Inter County finishers such as Deidre and Linda Byrne, Vets champion Pauline Curley and 5000m champion Maria McCambridge who won last weekend. In the Junior Women’s race all eyes will be on City of Lisburn sensation Ciara Mageean who took the Irish Senior Indoor 1500m title recently in a new Junior record. While the Portaferry girl does not turn 16 until next week, she is virtually certain to book her place for Edinburgh. Other contenders in the race include the fFrench O’Carroll twins and Ballymena’s Eimear Black. The World Cross Country may be a daunting prospect for some but young Ciara is well used to mixing it with (and defeating) much older opposition. An undoubted rising star for the future. Little separates Michael Mulhare from North Laois, Niall Tuohy from Ferrybank, Craig Murphy from Togher and David Flynn from Clonliffe Harriers in what promises to be a cracker of a junior men's race. Mulhare was second in the inter counties but will have to be wary of Tuohy who spent the Christmas warm weather training in Australia. Both were members of the Irish team at the European cross country championships. Further information on the event can be found at www.niathletics.org where there is a link to a mini website with course map, location and timetable. Further information from PRO Clare McCoy: 02890 602707 or Brian Hill: 078 1506 9697 
