Cross-country season kicks off in Kildare
Newbridge AC girls u16.
The Kildare Cross-country championships took place at Hodgestown last Sunday, kick-starting the Championship season. Tir Mona AC ensured that once again the course was impeccable with the Kildare officials spear heading another successful championship event. There were plenty of inspiring performances from both young and old, including large fields in any of the races.
The invincible Michelle Cox won the Masters race, with Newbridge taking the team title. The ladies novice title went to St Coca’s Aoife McNerney, with Celbridge taking the team title. The men’s masters title was won by Brian Conroy with his Clane teammates clinching the gold team award. Rob McCabe (Newbridge) took the men’s novice title with Naas AC coming out as the top team.
Juveniles that impressed were: Laoise Byrne (Suncroft) in the girls u12 along with James Dooley (Newbridge) in the boys. Iris McCartan (Clane AC) in the girls u14, Matthew Ennis (St Coca’s) in the boys u14. There was a clean sweep for Newbridge AC in the girls and boys u16 as Hannah Cash and Alexander Guther led their teammates to a convincing win. Eabha Brennan put another gold on the Newbridge scoreboard with a win in the girls u18. Jonathan Kenny kept the Kildare AC flag flying with a gold in the boys u18.
Elsewhere has the countdown to the Dublin Marathon begins, athletes were getting the final prep-races under their belt. Thomas Kelly (Newbridge) finished fifth overall in the Irish ¾ marathon in Longwood. A race that saw over 1200 participants cross the finish line. While the ever youthful Alexander Wallace was stomping his winning ways in the Great North Run Glasgow half marathon.
There was more cross-country running mid-week with Newbridge College girls dripping in gold as they won the overall best girls school award.
Day 1 of the county cross-country championships (even ages, novice and masters) took place on Tir Mona’s home ground of Hodgestown last Sunday. Marking the first championship race of the season, the event was well supported by all the clubs across the county. Looking around at other counties, it seems the numbers taking part in Kildare are one of the highest outside of Dublin, which is good news for the season ahead.
The foundations of many an athletes career and season is anchored with the initial county championship run. The girls u10 was the first championship race of the day with Amelia Brogan (St Coca’s) running a superb race from start to finish to take the title. Forty-nine young girls aged 8 and 9 glided through the grassy terrain with a competitive spirit so fierce that the finish was packed with fast finishing athletes, just fractions apart from each other.
Brogan held off the opposition in the form of Edel Nugent (Newbridge) who took silver and Aoife O’Brien (Naas) taking the bronze. Piper Grainger and Grace O’Donnell (both Suncroft) in 4th and 5th were backed up by Pippa Fox in 9th. For a time it looked like it was going to be a Suncroft gold in the team. However, the close finishing of the Naas AC team athletes (Aoife O’Brien, Sarah Gordon, Meabh Dunlea and Caoilinn Noonan) resulted in a Naas team victory with just three points to spare over Newbridge. St Coca’s took the bronze. That is cross-country - where every position counts.
The boys u10 was equally competitive as a large field of 71 athletes all lined up, all hopeful of a chance of those medals. From the start it was Conor Farrell (Newbridge), Tom Holland (Naas), James Valentine (Naas) and Ferdia Ferris (Le Cheile) that set the pace. These young athletes worked hard over the 800m distance to stake the claim on the gold medal. It was Conor Farrell (Newbridge) who ultimately crossed the line in first place. He lead his Newbridge teammates to a team win, ahead of Naas and Crookstown-Millview.
Starting at u12s those contesting the u12, 14, 16 and u18 races use the county championships as a pre-Leinster run. A test of their current form and what tweaks need to be made over the coming weeks for Leinster readiness. Once again high numbers contested both the girls and boys u12; 48 girls and 44 boys in total. With lots of squashing and jostling on the start line, the girls 1500m race got off to a bustling start.
The field remained bunched for the first half of the race, when at the midway point some clear leaders were beginning to emerge. Amongst that top group were three Suncroft athletes; Laoise Byrne, Sarah Cousins and Adele Geoghegan, setting them up nicely for a team spot. Ailbhe Kennedy (Naas) along with her team mate Eibhlinn Valentine were intent on bringing Naas into the medals.
Sienna Cooke and Ava Jones had similar ideas for their own club Crookstown-Millview. Clodagh Nugent was flying the leading flag for Newbridge AC. Around the final bend on the run to the finishing chute, it was Laoise Byrne (Suncroft) who was leading. Behind her there was a battle for silver and bronze between Ailbhe Kennedy (Naas) and Sienna Cooke (Crookstown-Millview), with Kennedy winning that particular battle.
Crookstown-Millview with the team of Sienna Cooke, Amy Sheridan, Ava Jones and Hannah Bewley won the team gold. The victory was made all the more special with a large number of the team members just u11. A team to watch for next weekends u11 race for sure. Naas AC took silver with just one point to spare over Newbridge, with Suncroft closely behind in 4th.
The boys u12 was pegged as a contest between Glen Galloway (Suncroft) and James Dooley (Newbridge). As expected both these athletes hit the front from early in the race. Forming part of the leading group were Kyle Brennan (Newbridge) and Garbhan Prendergast (St Coca’s). Tim Barron (Newbridge) and Paddy Mangan (Tir Mona) to the rear of the leading pack.
As with the girls, the boys had 1500m, with plenty time to start the race for the top three medals. Galloway kicked for home and was matched by the strong frame of Dooley. Dooley took the lead and coasted gold with Galloway taking silver and Kyle Brennan (Newbridge) just ousting Garbhan Prendergast (St Coca’s) for the bronze. The Newbridge team of James Dooley, Kyle Brennan, Tim Barron and Billy McCabe took gold with St Coca’s bunching well for sliver and Newbridge B taking the bronze.
Coming off a superb track season Iris McCartan (Clane AC) was the favourite to take the u14 title. Leaving no stone uncovered McCartan led the field of 29 athletes and coasted around the 2,500m distance to an easy victory, just a few days after she took bronze in the Brothers Cross-Country for Newbridge College. McCartan looked fit and composed and very much at ease as she navigated each point of the course.
Behind her it was clubmate Chloe O’Neill who took silver and Alibhe Byrne (Suncroft) just edging out Lucy Doolan (St Coca’s) for bronze. It was good to see seven different clubs feature in the top ten. The team results were greeted with much anticipation. It was Clane AC despite the absence of Isla and Aobh Corcoran that took the gold. The team consisted of Iris McCartan, Chloe O’Neill, Kate Kinsella and Gemma Ryan. St Coca’s were second with Suncroft in third.
Matthew Ennis (St Coca’s) stole the show in the boys u14 as like McCartan in the girls, he navigated the 2,500m distance with ease. A group of six athletes formed for the first 1,500m with no one prepared to make a move. Eventually it was the very comfortable Ennis that took the initiative and struck for home, winning with by a comfortable margin.
Behind him, Harry Kennedy (Naas) took silver with Charlie McCabe (Newbridge) taking bronze. Kennedy led his Naas team mates; Michael Brennan, Sean O Loughlin and Davin Byrne to gold. St Coca’s took silver with the bronze going to Newbridge.
As the age groups get older the distances get longer. The u16 boys and girls having to compelte 3.500m. Of course this requires a higher level of fitness with more training days than the younger age groups. Newbridge AC dominated both the boys and girls u16, taking a clean sweep in both. The Newbridge girls occupied the first four positions with the boys taking the top six in their respective race.
For the girls it was Hannah Cash who ultimately took the title, followed by Mia Lennon and Robyn Browne. The team for county championships is just three in the girls u16, with Cash, Lennon and Browne taking the gold for Newbridge. It was Robyn Rainbow who finished fourth just outside the medals for Newbridge. Aisling Loughlin (Le Cheile) ran a great race to finish 5th. Dearbhla Nolan in 7th led her St Coca’s team mates to a team silver. The much improved Alexander Guther took gold in the boys u16 after a ding dong battle with clubmate and the 2024 Leinster Champion Jack Brennan.
This particular Newbridge team has had a long history of success at Leinster and National level and looks like it has been further strengthened this year. Robert Gleeson finished third, making a fine comeback from an injury that sidelined him from the 2024 cross-country season. Gurther, Brennan and Gleeson took gold for Newbridge, with their second team of Harry Boland, Jayden Murphy and Odhran MacDonald taking silver. Naas AC took bronze.
The final juvenile age group was the girls and boys u18. Newbridge AC once again took gold in both the girls and boys races. Eabha Brennan led the team of Elsa Browne and Ciara Barrett to gold over Naas AC. Jonathan Kenny (Kildare AC) took the club’s only juvenile medal of the day as he secured a convincing win in the boys u18 race over Matthew Keane (Naas) and Matthew Grogan (Newbridge). Grogan led the Newbridge team of Cole Christie and Cian Roche to another gold.
It was welcome return to competitive athletics for St Coca’s AC’s Aoife McNerney as she took gold in the Kildare Novice Championships. Returning from a year abroad, she re-connected with her old club and has been steadily building the miles. McNerney was a talented juvenile athlete finishing 9th u15 in the Leinster’s in Ferbane back in 2019. In doing so she led her St Coca’s team to gold in the club section. Six years later, it is refreshing to see that such early talent has not been lost as she relaunches her athletics career.
After loosing out on a momentous battle with McNerney, Gillian Clyne (Clane) settled for silver. Behind her taking bronze was another former juvenile prodigy; Sinead O’Connor. Now running with Celbridge, O’ Connor was a former juvenile race-walking champion, taking several national titles and representing Ireland on many occasions. Over a decade later O’Connor was back in the medals as she led her Celbridge team of; Linda Earley, Ellen Gannon and Abbie O'Leary to the club Novice title.
The St Coca’s team of Aoife McNerney, Niamh Cleary, Anita Rimmer and Emma Wallace took silver, just three points adrift of Celbridge.
The men’s race was won by Rob McCabe (Newbridge) striding home almost thirty seconds ahead of Newbridge’s Andrew O’Brien. The latter managing to shake free from Terry Shanley (Clane AC) in the closing stages. Over thirty athletes completed the 3000m course, some racing Novice for the first time. Naas AC with a team of Shane O Reilly , Josh Mooney, Sean Behan and Daniel Gahan won the team gold from Celbridge and St Coca’s.
The invincible Michelle Cox took another county title. Cox won the overall masters race by 12 seconds from Gillian Clyne (Clane AC) with Sinead O’Rielly (St Coca’s) finishing third. The Newbridge team of Cox, Emma Boland and Alison Duff took team gold from St Coca’s and Celbridge. Cox was also the over 40 winner with Boland winning the over 45 title and Sadie Wheatly (Newbridge) the over 50s.
The Clane AC team of Brian Conroy, Stephen Conroy and Terry Shanley just cannot help amassing gold. Taking several national road titles the gold just keeps coming. On Sunday led by a convincing victory by Brian Conroy in the overall masters race, the team once again took gold ahead of St Coca’s and Newbridge. Twenty-nine athletes contested the masters race with Brian Conroy winning the outright winner from his brother Stephen and Marc Augustin (St Coca’s) in third.
Stephen Conroy won the over 35s, Brian Conroy the over 40s and Tom O’Leary (Celbridge) the over 45s. Further masters category victories, were; Breen McManus (Naas) over 50s, Bernard Phelan (St Coca’s) over 55, Larry Kelly (St Coca’s) over 60 and Patrick Sweeney (Le Cheile) over 70.
It was back to the land of his birth for Alexander Wallace last weekend. The St Coca’s AC master supremo took victory in the over 45s and secured 9th overall in the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon in Glasgow. Clocking a time of 1:09:51, Wallace looks in great form ahead of the Dublin City Marathon in three weeks’ time.
The Irish three quarters marathon took place last Sunday in Longwood Co. Meath with over 1,200 participants in action. The overall winner was James Moran in a time of 1:53.33, almost three minutes ahead of Paul Duran (United Striders). Kildare athletes had a great representation with Thomas Kelly (Newbridge) finishing 5th overall. Kelly was also 2nd over 40, clocking a time of 1:57.21.
With three weeks to go to the Dublin City Marathon (and National Marathon), this is probably the last race that the majority of the participants will run. For many it is most likely their final very long run too. Behind Kelly, Eric Boland (Newbridge) was 31at recording a time of 2.10.02. Gwen Hughes (Naas) was the first Kildare lady across the line in a time of 2:46.47, 43rd female overall and 10th over 50.
The Brothers cross-country hosted by Clonliffe Harriers drew record numbers to Trinity sports grounds in Santry with over 1800 young athletes taking part. Newbridge College won two team events: minor and intermediate along with taking the best overall girls secondary school. A number of Kildare athletes were on these winning teams. In the intermediate race Mia Lennon finished 6th overall with Robyn Rainbow in 9th and Kate Hargaden in 10th.
In the Minor race it was second place for Chloe O’Neill (Clane AC) as she led her Newbridge College team to victory. Iris McCartan (Clane AC) representing Newbridge College took 3rd in the Junior girls race in what was a very competitive field.
