Grand Prix: Irwin Cup & Club XC Championships

At 12.00 noon this Saturday, the Irwin Cup takes place and this will include not only the final Grand Prix race but also the club senior championships (Men and Women) over 6,000m. The Club Cross Country champion will be presented with the Harry Cooney Cup.

The Irwin Cup itself is an historic Clonliffe club race. It`s origins date back to 1910, when the then quarter century old Clonliffe Harriers introduced a new race to the club calendar “the Grand National”, a 6 mile handicap cross country race, the winner that first year was C.G. Wisdom with the Scratch man T.J. Downing recording a time of 33 minutes and 5 seconds for the then six mile race. The race was held on an annual basis and in 1932 it became the Irwin Cup in memory of Carmichael Irwin a great Clonliffe athlete who a member of the RAF, was captain of the Airship R. 101, which tragically crashed on its maiden voyage at Beauvais, France on the 5th of October 1930 killing Carmichael Irwin and all the crew and occupants of the airship.

Carmichael Irwin was a Clonliffe Olympian representing Great Britain in the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games in the 5,000m. He finished second in his heat in a time of 15.17.8 qualifying for the Olympic final where he finished 12th. He was National Cross Country Champion in 1914, becoming  the second Clonliffe athlete to win the National as he lead Clonliffe to our 2nd team title. In 1921 he was Irish 1 Mile and 4 Mile champion with a mile PB of 4.33.6 and 3 mile PB of 15.15.6.

Saturday`s Irwin Cup brings the curtain down on a great 2015 Grand Prix Series. The Grand Prix Presentation night  will be held on Thursday December 3rd, which will include a 3,000m track race at 8.00pm, followed by food and a few drinks. The top ten in the Grand prix, adjusted for the best ten races so far is as follows

Niall Markey
Kevin Dowling
Emma Dunne
Brian McCann
Liam Hennessy
Sean Doran
Richie Barr
Terry  Mee
Deirdre Fitzsimons
Trevor Wisdom

All club members are encouraged to take part in Saturday`s championships either by running or officiating. It should be a great club day in Santry.

Posted by: Eoin Murray