O’Flynn and Lawton win silver medals in Munster Schools

BY JOHN WALSHE

HAVING had to be postponed two weeks before due to Storm Eunice, conditions were ideal for the Irish Life Health Munster Schools’ Cross-Country Championships that took place at the Cork Athletics grounds at Slieveroe near Riverstick.

It wasn’t a great day for Cork as the county produced just one individual winner, Ben O’Reilly from Douglas Community School who added the minor boys’ title to the South Munster one he gained at the same venue last month.

Olive O’Flynn from Sacred Heart, Clonakilty, had a good second in the junior girls’ 2200m while Sean Lawton of Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí also picked up a silver medal in the intermediate boys’ race. Winner at the South Munsters, Lawton finished 12 seconds behind winner Peter Farrell from St Flannan’s, Ennis, this time over the longer distance of 5000m.

With the first 15 in each race, along with the first three teams, qualifying for the All-Ireland Schools in Belfast this Saturday, others from the region who made the standard include Daniel Dollard and Oisin McCarthy, both of Hamilton HS, Bandon, in the intermediate boys; Ella Collins from Coláiste na Toirbhirte, Bandon, intermediate girls; and Matthew Lee, winner of the South Munsters, who qualified along with his school Carrigaline CS in the senior boys’ 6000m.