Rising athletics star Caoimhe stands out in Cleary dynasty

TO stand out in the famous Cleary dynasty in Castlehaven, you need to do something different – and that’s exactly what Caoimhe Flannery is doing.

Her relations are a who’s who of West Cork and Cork GAA. Cork football boss John Cleary is her uncle. Nine-time All-Ireland winner Nollaig Cleary is her aunt. Caoimhe has six cousins on the Castlehaven team that won the county senior football title; some of those cousins play senior football and hurling for Cork, too. The sporting DNA is strong, so to stand out it takes something special.

Step forward, Caoimhe.

In June, the 16-year-old Skibbereen Community School student raced to her first All-Ireland title, winning gold in the intermediate (U17) girls’ 1500m steeplechase at the Irish Schools Track and Field Championships. She was just two seconds off the national record.

That opened the door to the SIAB Schools Track & Field International held in Scotland the following month. Again, Caoimhe impressed to win a brilliant bronze medal in the steeplechase, as she ran a personal best of 5.10.59. This was head-turning for many reasons because as well as becoming the first student from her school to win an international schools’ athletics medal, Caoimhe was also the first Munster girl to win a steeplechase at this event. Again, she stood out.

Caoimhe Flannery pictured with her deserved Paudie Palmer Youth quarterly award.

It was a summer to remember for the Skibbereen AC rising star, who added to her growing medal collection when she was presented with a West Cork Sports Star Paudie Palmer Youth quarterly award at the Celtic Ross Hotel. 

Amongst Caoimhe's many fans there was her beaming grandmother, Kathleen Cleary, who deserves an award for keeping up with the sporting exploits of her 28 grandchildren!

‘My biggest achievements this year were winning the All-Ireland schools’ steeplechase in June and then representing Ireland in the schools’ international in July and winning a bronze medal there. I was delighted with that,’ Caoimhe said.

‘This was my best year yet. All my work from the last few years came through this year. This is my second year focussing on the steeplechase and I feel that’s the event for me; it shows my strengths. I like cross-country, but I think I prefer the track. I like the challenge of the steeplechase, you need to have endurance and be tough.’

The Skibbereen Community School fourth-year student also won gold in the girls’ 1500m steeplechase at the Tailteann Games in the summer, as well as winning South Munster and Munster schools’ titles in the steeplechase, too. Getting the opportunity to represent Ireland again was also quite special.

‘I had represented Ireland in cross-country before but this was a bigger event; it was a great experience in Scotland,’ added Caoimhe, who is making the step up to senior level in schools’ athletics and will race at U18 level for her club next year. New challenges for this talented young athlete, but given the Cleary bloodline and her exploits to date, she can’t wait to test herself. It will be another chance to stand out.