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A simply magnificent day for Clonliffe Harriers at the National Cross Country Championships in Abbottstown yesterday.  The Holy Grail has been recovered and after its three year residency in Raheny safely rests now in Santry.  The Clonliffe Men’s team put in heroic performances running themselves into the muddy ground and in the process pulverising the opposition:  Clonliffe Harriers 1^st – 52 points, DSD 2^nd – 88 points, Raheny 3^rd – 125 points.

There were magnificent performances from all of the men led home in 9^th place by Efrem Gidey.  Efrem of course is in his final stages of his junior career before turning senior on January 1^st and the decision he and the club captain made to forego the junior and race in the senior paid off in dividend.  Efrem got himself into the lead pack from the off and although tiring over the latter stages he held on grimly to come home in the top ten.  Jayme Rossiter ran possibly his best ever cross country race, certainly his best ever National, to power home in 11^th place skipping over the mud.  Next in was Cathal Doyle in 14^th place after another very strong run and the ever reliable Colm Rooney with yet another magnificent National to be 4^th scorer in 18^th place.

Huge credit goes to the rest of the team, and a team it truly is.  In 23^rd place, a man who has delivered time and time again for Clonliffe Sergiu Ciobanu, with Mark Kenneally in 26^th.   Extraordinarily enough the statisticians say that this was Mark’s first National since he won the title in 2010.  His calming professional influence over the whole team cannot be overemphasised.  In 43^rd place after a very solid run was Eoin Taggart with the man who is obviously drinking from the fountain of youth Killian Lonergan in 51^st place.  In 55^th place Ian Guiden who showed such determination to get to the start-line carrying an injury and then showing even more steely grim determination to drag his body to the finish line.  67^th place was Sean Doran, Liam Roarty, ever dependable to turn up for Nationals, was 96^th and young Jarlaith Jordan again showing grim determination to finish the 10,000, an awful long distance for an 800 track man, 148^th.

Huge praise must also go to the club captain Joe Cooper who has really galvanised the squad this year.  The winning of the Nationals yesterday caps an extraordinary year for the men’s team.  This calendar year the men have become national indoor league champions, national outdoor track and field league champions, national half marathon champions, national marathon champions, national junior cross country champions (more about that in the following paragraphs) and national senior cross country champions.  Unprecedented.

The athletes racing yesterday served up a classic. After a fairly easy opening Kevin Maunsell (Clonmel) was the first to test the pack, putting in a burst and opening an early lead, however, that was quickly closed and then at half was Tullamore’s Liam Brady using his strength over the sapping conditions opened a big lead that looked like a winning move. With one final circuit to go Brady’s lead was back to only 15m as Brian Fay (Raheny) and Sean Tobin (Clonmel) had eaten into his lead and coming off the hill Fay was almost in touching distance until Brady drove on again, his bravery being rewarded with a first national senior title.

The Clonliffe Junior Men’s team defied all the odds to retain the National Junior title.  Despite ‘losing’ Efrem to the seniors the lads raised their game even more.  The scoring four were Aaron Cullen in 12^th, Ben Guiden 15^th, Stephen Cashin 21^st, Calum Simpson 42^nd and these four were ably supported by Alex Murray 59^th, Ian McElweney 67^th and Daniel Lacy 89^th.  An interesting aside is that Ben Guiden was the only one at the scoring four today, to have been in the scoring four in 2018 – a true sign of strength and depth when basically a whole new team can retain the junior title, furthermore this was the 4th junior title in 5 years.

Thus it was a magnificent double and fittingly of course the junior team bringing the Lar Byrne Cup back to Santry.

The green shoots with the women’s team continue to grow with a full Senior Women’s team competing, something which hasn’t occurred for a few years.  The six ladies all battled gamely over the 8000m course with Ailish Malone running herself into the ground in 46^th place.  Laura Tuite had a very good run in 67^th.  Likewise Alannah Cooley 69^th and Emma Cooper a strong 70^th with Clodhagh Galvin 75th and Maura Matthews battling all the way to the line to finish in 77^th position.  When the numbers were totted up the team had placed 7^th.

There was a full compliment of Clonliffe vests on show in the Junior Women’s race.  Good battling performances from all eight of the team, Sarah Bateson led the team home with Katie Halpin only one place behind her, a fine run also by Aoife Hession and by 4^th scorer Abbie Sheehy (there seems to be a bit of a glitch in the official results on the placings but it would seem that Sarah was 52^nd, Katie 53^rd, Aoife 57^th and Abbie 59^th.  Fine runs also from Hannah Browne, racing for the final time as a junior, Alana Fitzsimons, Ella Brown and Tess Loftus.  The junior women are on the resukts as 10th, but those results are questionable.

The Junior races also incorporated the National U/18 Championships.  The Clonliffe girls team placed 5^th, Sarah 38^th, Katie 39^th, Aoife 43^rd and Alana Fitzsimons 52^nd, Sarah picked up National Intercounty gold on the Dublin team.  The U/18 boys also placed 5^th:  Calum 22^{nd (inter county silver)}, Alex 36^th, Niall Carberry 65^th, John Laurence 78^th and Alex Nuroth 95^th.

The other star of the day of course was Sean Cronin who was simply superb in the boy’s U/14 race.  In the top two or three for the whole race coming up the hill for the final time it was neck and neck, however, Sean’s superior strength paid off in spades as he powered up the hill towards the finish to be crowned the National Champion to the cheers and delight of the Clonliffe supporters.   The rest of U/14 team performed magnificently with Lorcan Benjcar 53^rd, Devan Morrisssey 90^th, Mark Goss Keogh 110^th and Cian O’Hare 150^th.  The team finishing just out of the medals in 4^th position.

Likewise fine performances from the U/14 girls led home in 40^th place by Sorcha O’Connor, 114^th was Rebecca Walsh, 118^th Sarah McDonnell, 133^rd Hazel Kenny, 135^th Ali Connolly, 158^th Kate Faherty.

The U/16 boys also battled away gamely led home by Sean Boyne in 20^th place.  Sean also picked up precious intercounty gold for Dublin.  The rest of the team was Ronan Donohue 69^th, Eoin Housley 78^th, Jonathan Fitzsimons 83^rd, Sam Murray 89^th and Cillian Keegan 103^rd.

Huge congratulations to all of our athletes on their performances yesterday.  To the coaches, to all involved and in particular Joe Cooper, yesterday was his 12th national cross country win.  It was a special day for Clonliffe Harriers and a magnificent team effort.

Click here for photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJANFcP

This Sunday is the highlight of the cross country season – the Nationals at the National Cross Country course in Abbottstown. This was an event which up to recent years has been dominated by the Clonliffe Senior men, however, the past few years our north side neighbours Raheny Shamrocks have turned the tables last year taking three in a row with Clonliffe finishing runner up.

Sunday will see one of the strongest Clonliffe teams in many years take to the field of battle. The field includes two former National senior cross country champions: Mark Kenneally, London 2012 Olympian and Sergiu Ciobanu.  The Senior Men’s team also includes National marathon champion Stephen Scullion, Colm Rooney, Cathal Doyle, Ian Guiden and Jayme Rossiter.

The A team will receive great support from a strong B team of Killian Lonergan, Sean Doran, Eoin Taggart, James Kevan, Jarlaith Jordan, Liam Roarty, Tom Sherlock, Karl Nolan and Sean O’Leary

It is also very pleasing that for the third successive cross country championship race this season that a full Clonliffe Women’s team will compete in a senior race led by Ailish Malone. The full women’s senior team is Ailish, Laura Tuite, Alannah Cooley, Maura Matthews, Clodagh Galvin and Emma Cooper.

In the junior race the Men’s junior team go into this as defending champions. The Clonliffe junior men’s team is Daniel Lacey, Aaron Cullen, Efrem Gidey, Ben Guiden, Stephen Cashin, Ian McAlweney, Thomas Balthazar, Calum Simpson.

A full Clonliffe Women’s junior team will run in the Nationals for the first time, possibly ever. The Women’s team is:  Hannah Browne, Ella Brown, Tess Loftus, Sarah Bateson, Aoife Hession, Alana Fitzsimons, Abbie Sheehy and Katie Halpin.

In addition to the junior and senior Championships of course Sunday is the juvenile even ages with good Clonliffe teams entered. The boys and girls U/18 race is incorporated in the junior race and if an athlete is entered on both teams will score in both the U/18 and the junior championship.

The Clonliffe teams in the juvenile nationals are:

Girls U/18 – Sarah Bateson, Abbie Sheehy, Ella Brown, Aoife Hession, Alana Fitzsimons and Katie Halpin.

Boys U/18 – Calum Simpson, Niall Carbery, Alex Murray, John Laurence, Alex Neuroth, Dermot Buckley.

Boys U/16 – Sean Boyne, Ronan Donohue, Sam Murray, Cillian Keegan, Eoin Housley, Jonathan Fitzsimons.

Girls U/14 – Sorcha O’Connor, Hazel Kenny, Rebecca Walsh, Ali Connolly, Sarah McDonnell, Kate Faherty.

Boys U/14 – Cian O’Hare, Sean Cronin, Lorcan Benjacar, Devan Morrissey, Mark Goss Keogh, Christian Finn.

The very best of luck to all our teams on Sunday. Clonliffe club members are encouraged to attend Abbottstown on Sunday to support their club mates.  This is one of the biggest events of the year.  It is a very important event to the athletes and the club and I am sure all will be greatly encouraged and benefit from your support. Let’s get ready to rumble!

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