Skibbereen athletes shine on cross-country stage

SKIBBEREEN Athletic Club’s Caoimhe Flannery followed up her county U15 cross-country title by winning individual silver in both the U15 3500m and the U16 4000m at the recent Munster championships.

The championships were held over two days near Horse and Jockey, Co Tipperary, with up to 150 participants in some of the races. Caoimhe also won county gold with the Cork team and will now represent Munster in the All-Irelands in Dublin and Kilkenny in the coming weeks.

Ferdia, Emer and Ultan Dennis-McAleavey also ran very well and all finished in the top half of their fields. Ellen McCarthy had a superb outing on her return from injury, winning the U23 4000m title and a second place in the novice section.

In the recent Cork County Uneven Championships held at Carrig na bhFear Maya O'Flynn finished second in the girls’ U9 race. Her team-mates, Ciara O'Donovan and Anouk O’Brien, gained great experience in their first cross-country outing.

In the U11 race Izzy O'Flynn was in the top group from the gun to claim one of the six medals on offer, finishing in a fabulous fourth place. Izzy's team-mates, Clodagh Swanton, Laura Mae Coakley and Jennifer O’Donovan, all ran well, too. Charlie McCarthy finished a very creditable 24th place in the boys’ U11 race, in a field of 106 athletes.

In the girls’ U13 race Holly O'Flynn came in just outside the medals with a super seventh place finish. Lorraine Coakley, Doireann Flannery and Nicola Swanton all ran solidly and finished the sixth-best club team. Caoimhe Flannery won the county U15 title with Emer Dennis-McAleavey finishing in 21st place. Ultan Dennis-McAleavey finished 18th in the boys’ U15, a great performance by the U14 athlete, while his brother Ferdia ran his best cross-country race ever with a superb seventh place finish in the boys' U17 5000m race.