The Raheny Shamrock master women’s team were the stars for the host club as the National road relays visited Raheny for the 21st time.<\/p>\n
A record field and a huge number of supporters thronged Wades Avenue in beautiful conditions on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The championship started with the combined masters women’s race included both the over-35 race and the over-50 race.<\/p>\n
The Masters 50 team of Adrienne Atkins, Annette Kealy and Orla Gormley produced a convincing gold medal winning performance in 24:36 some 55 seconds clear of Brothers Pearse with Lucan Harriers taking bronze in 26:19.<\/p>\n
The Raheny B team of Nora Byrne, Trish Fitzgerald and Patricia O’Cleirigh just missed out on bronze by 53 seconds.<\/p>\n
The masters women’s 35’s produced an excellent performance to take bronze in a very competitive ran the team of Sarah Quigley, Kate Purcell and Zoe Quinn posted 22:44, four second ahead of Brothers Pearse.<\/p>\n
A Sportsworld team of Maria Jones, Noreen Brouder and Aoife O’Leary took gold in 21:55 with Finn Valley second in 22:00.<\/p>\n
The masters men’s 35 and 50’s was next on the start line with a massive entry of 35 teams.<\/p>\n
The A team of Ciaran McCarthy, David Kirwan and Rory O’Sullivan finished in seventh place in 20:26. Gold went to East Cork in 19:28, silver to Brothers Pearse in 19:42 and bronze to Clonliffe in 19:47. Not even 60 seconds separating first and seventh!<\/p>\n
The Raheny B team of Eric Champ, Ger Redmond and Andy Kelly finished 12th followed by the Raheny E team in of Eoin Connolly, Bernard Roe and Mick King in 18th place. The C team of Peter Rogan, Conor Aherne and Walter McConnell were 19th and the D team of John Clohisey, Ruairi McArdle and Brian Cotter were 20th.<\/p>\n
In the masters 50’s the men came home in fifth place in 23:16. The team was Gary Aylward, Mark McLoughlin and Eamonn Traynor. Gold in this race went to Inishowen in 21:20, silver to Donore Harriers in 22:05 and bronze to Metro St Brigids in 22:40.<\/p>\n
The B team of Paul Cotayne, David O’Hara and Keith Fleming were eighth, the C team of Dave Feeney, Keith Comiskey and Mick Gygax were 12th and the D team of Niall Buckley, Robert Walsh and Ciaran O’Coghligh finished 15th.<\/p>\n
The senior women’s race was dominated by a crack UCD team winning out in 20:40. Rathfarnham were second some 39 seconds back with the UCD B taking bronze in 21:23. Fiona McKenna’s flying last lap of 4:56 the fastest of the day taking the team from fifth to third, making up some 24 seconds.<\/p>\n
The Raheny team of Shannon Kelly, Niamh Kearney and Lucy Barrett took fifth place. The B team of Triona McDhomhnaill, Orla Manley and Sarah Dangher were 19th.<\/p>\n
Finally the senior men’s race was the most competitive of the day, alas it did not go the Shamrock’s way. A fantastic opening two lap leg by Cillian Kirwan was followed by an excellent one lap by Juan Ignacio Pena handing over a narrow lead to Kieran Kelly.<\/p>\n
Kelly however face two European individual medalist’s and a two time European indoor 3000m finalist on his leg.<\/p>\n
By the time of the second lap UCD’s Darragh McElhinney and Clonliffe’s Efrem Gidney had taken control of the race. In fact it was Clonliffe who came home in a big finish to take gold with UCD second and Ennis Track third.<\/p>\n
Mick Clohissey battled in the final leg but couldnt make up the ground as the Shamrock’s finished sixth.<\/p>\n
The B team of Shane Spring, Andrew Condon, Andrew Hyland and Dylan O’Brien were 12th, the C team of Dara Mac Riocaird, Gavin Eccles, Robert Frewen and Christopher Hamill were 18th.<\/p>\n
UCD lifted the Paddy Boland cup with six points, two ahead of the Shamrock’s on the day.<\/p>\n
Many thanks to all club members who assisted and supported their club mates and helped us host the national road relays and bring Irish athletics to Raheny once more.<\/p>\n
Photo’s available on our facebook page.<\/p>\n