County Athletic News by Niall O Sullivan County Senior PRO.

The County Tipperary Cross Country Championships gets underway in Galbally next Sunday. October 5^th, where the County novice titles will be decided. Athletes, please note the early start of 10am for the Ladies 4k which will be followed immediately by the Men’s 6k race. This is on a trial basis so we are asking for everyone’s cooperation.

The County Board are very grateful to Mooreabbey Milers AC for promoting this event. Indeed, we are lucky to have Clubs that can provide the County Board with venues for the very busy Cross Country season and we are indebted to them and their landowners. Parking is available at this location, Eircode E34XN57. Strictly no parking in the village or in the church carpark.

Eligibility for these Championships are that athletes must be nineteen years of age as of the 31^{st of} December 2025. All Athletes except previous individual winners of this or any higher championship IN ANY COUNTY and the first three individual medalists at senior level, are eligible. Also, any athlete from outside the Country of Ireland, who has not competed at senior level in Ireland, for at least one year is ineligible. In the team events it is three to score on the women’s team while it is four to score on the men’s team

Last year both races were well supported by all the Clubs and hopefully that trend will follow on the 5^{th of} October. As this is the opening event of the Cross-Country season, it is hard to predict who should run well and who can convert their road running fitness to the Cross-country terrain. Still a few names come to mind, like Aoife Delargy of Nenagh Olympic who was 2^nd last year over this route, Orla Healy and Edel Delaney of Moyne AC Ruby Carroll of Clonmel AC who ran very well, when finishing 3^rd, at the well-attended Moyne AC open Cross country fixture recently. Then you have athletes like Mary Louise Ryan of Mooreabbey Milers, Karen Molloy and Tanya O Brien of Fethard, Mary Keane and Emily Leahy of Dundrum AC, Denice Touhy of Thurles Crokes and the Clonmel duo of Sareen Walsh and Sarah Whelan. As in previous years we could also have athletes progressing up from the Juvenile ranks to Senior and this is an ideal opportunity for them to compete at adult level. In the team event it should also be close, like last year when Clonmel pipped Fethard AC for the title on countback. Other Clubs vying for a top three placings are Moyne, Thurles Crokes, Dundrum and the host club, Mooreabbey Milers AC.

The Men’s race over 6k should also be a competitive race. Athletes that could have a say in the destination of medals includes Jamie Moloney of Nenagh Olympic, Shane Moloney of Thurles Crokes, Christopher Aylward of Clonmel AC, Eugene O Keeffe of Carrick on Suir, James Maher of Fethard AC and Dylan McLoughlin of Moyne AC. In the team event, the defending Champions are Nenagh Olympic and they have a number of athletes like Jamie Moloney and Mark Corcoran that could have a say in the podium placings as well as having a major say in the destination of the team title. Other clubs vying for a top three placings include Thurles Crokes, Moycarkey Coolcroo, Clonmel. Mooreabbey Milers, Dundrum and Fethard