Rachel O’Shea makes home advantage count in Eyeries

BY JOHN WALSHE

A LOCAL win in the women’s event and a nail-biting finale to the men’s overall standings brought the four-race Beara Autumn 5-Mile Series to an exciting conclusion at Eyeries.

In her first appearance in the race for five years, Eyeries native Rachael O’Shea, representing Cork Track Club, came home a clear winner in a time of 32:56 over the undulating five-mile circuit. Unattached runner Michelagh Murphy was second in 34:50 with Sorcha Kearney (St Finbarr’s) taking third spot in 34:52.

Carol Hurley and Natalie Treacher of Beara AC.

‘The first 5km of the race is fine, between kilometre six and seven it is very tough,’ admitted the winner. ‘This is my fastest time this year for five miles and also my fastest over this course, so I’m delighted. I was away in Canada for two years and the last couple of years the race clashed with the Munster intermediate cross-country, which I had been concentrating on.’

Better known for her track performances, O’Shea – who is based in Cork where she is coached by Ian O’Sullivan and Ray Shanahan – will now aim for the 1500m indoors in February, an event in which she recorded 4:39.02 outdoors this past summer.

Victory in the men’s race went to Barry Twohig from St Finbarr’s in a time of 27:17, second was Tommy Arthur (Kenmare), 27:43, with John Longan (St Finbarr’s) third in 28:20.

‘I found it very hard to get away from Tommy on the downhills but my strength is on the hills,’ said Blarney-man Twohig, a former top-class cyclist. ‘Two miles out, I threw in a hard dig and then got away. It was a really hard race, but I enjoyed it and I might give all the races a go next year’.

But the real drama came in deciding the overall winner of the series. With Donal Coakley – who had won the first three events - out injured, going into the Eyeries race Patrick McCarthy from Baltimore had 19 seconds to spare over Bobby Tangney from Kenmare.

However, Tangney’s fifth position on the day in a time of 30:29, one place ahead of McCarthy in 30:49, decided the outcome. Siobhan Holland from Eagle had an easier overall victory, her fifth position on the day added to her third in Glengarriff, first in Allihies and second in Bere Island was enough to take the title.

With a huge prize list, including category and team awards, the race was another outstanding success. The main organiser of this unique series, Mark Gallagher of the promoting Beara club, was understandably delighted with the turnout.

‘We were very pleased with how it all worked out, we seem to be attracting a good standard of club runners now and of course there was a very exciting close overall finish,’ he said.

‘A lot of sponsorship goes into the whole series, our main sponsor since we started has been Murphy’s SuperValu, Castletownbere, so we are extremely grateful to them all. It has been a good series and a great day here in Eyeries,’ concluded Mark.