All Ireland CBS Cross Country success for Clonliffe crew

Our man in the field Mick Fogarty reports: The schools cross country season continued this afternoon with the All Ireland CBS Cross Country Championships in Alsaa near Dublin Airport. As always the Alsaa surface had held the rain of the past week or so with a tremendous amount of surface water and fairly muddy underfoot conditions although not on a par with the heavy ground endured in Rathoath on Sunday. There was a very good turnout of athletes in all races with a number of Clonliffe athletes in action. There were two Clonliffe winners on the day Kevin McKenna in the junior boys race and Cathal Doyle in the inter boys.

The race of the day was in the junior boys race where Sean Carrig running in the red and white of St. Aidan’s ran a very brave race taking up the running from the off putting to one side the tiredness which he undoubtedly felt after Sundays National U/16. Sean managed to burn off most of the opposition, however, in the short finishing straight he was overhauled by the fresher legs of club-mate and schoolmate Kevin McKenna who just got his nose in front before the finish line. Kevin leading home a Clonliffe and St. Aidan’s one two three of Sean 2nd and Joseph Hession 3rd. A good run also in this race from Greg Hosseny showing a welcome return to form in 9th place with Shane Merrigan 13th.

There was a good run in the earlier minor boys race by young Fintan McManus who finished in 4th place and in the boy’s U/14 race by David Preston in 68th.

There was also a good Clonliffe presence in the inter boys race where Cathal Doyle was the class of the field taking a comfortable win and the All Ireland CBS Title showing no after effects from his excellent run in Sundays Nationals. Adam O’Brien also had a very good run, again an athlete who was in action only three days ago, finishing in 3rd place. Brian Flanagan was 15th, Niall Norman 19th, Anto McMahon 23rd (all St. Aidan’s) Sean Briody 27th and Thomas Ward 45th.

The final race of the day was the senior boys race where Liam Ashton was the top Clonliffe and St. Aidan’s performer in 4th place, 15th was Conor King and running his first Senior race Ross Kearney 16th.

The schools cross country season now takes a break until January when matters will resume with the DCU Invitational on the 16th of January followed by the Leinster regional qualifiers on the 23rd and 24th of January with the Leinsters then following on February 6th.