By Dara Kennedy

The first weekend of the County Juvenile Cross Country Championships took place on Sunday October 5th in Galbally with the even age races. It was great to see a large turnout in all age groups in the first races of the season with a wide variety of clubs being represented. 

Our first individual winner of the day came from Moyne AC in the form of Ella O’Donovan. This same race saw Dundrum AC take the team title by a narrow margin of three points over Moyne AC. Daniel Maher of Templemore AC struck gold in the U10 Boys while it was Fethard AC who took the team title putting all 4 scoring athletes inside the top-12 finishing positions. Moyne AC dominated the Girls U12 race where they were led home by Poppy Shanahan who took the individual title. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishers were also from Moyne which saw them claim the team title with a score of 10 points. Darragh Joyce continued Moyne AC’s winning streak in the Boys U12 race while it was Thurles Crokes AC who were top of the pile in the team competition with their four athletes all inside the top 13. Orlaith Frisby of Carrick-on-Suir AC was on top of the podium in the Girls U14 race having claimed the U12 gold in the same venue last year. Dundrum AC were very impressive in winning the team title with all 4 athletes inside the top 8. Thurles Crokes claimed their first individual win of the day through Brendan Judge in the Boys U14 race and ensured that his team also retained the Boys U14 team title which they won last year. Neasa Moloney delighted the home crowd as she secured gold for Mooreabbey Milers AC in the Girls U16 race while Clonmel AC took the team title.The Boys U16 title went to Albert Maher of Dundrum AC, stepping up from his win in the U14 Boys race last year.The combined U18 Girls and Junior Women’s race saw two Irish internationals go head to head in the form of Jennifer O’Leary Nenagh Olympic AC and Emer Brennan Clonmel AC. O’Leary claimed the Junior Women’s title while Brennan claimed the U18 title and silver behind O’Leary in the Junior Women’s race. Clonmel AC convincingly secured the team title in both age groups. Newport AC took home their first individual title of the day through Conor Kiely in the Boys U18 race while Diarmuid Moloney of Nenagh Olympic AC claimed the Junior Men’s title while also leading his club to team success. 

Congratulations to all the competitors who took part on Sunday in Galbally. The County Board would like to thank the landowners for allowing this event to occur and thanks also to Mooreabbey Milers AC for hosting a well organised competition. A changed cross county fixtures list from previous years now sees attention turn to the Munster Even-Age Championships next weekend in the Turnpike, Twomileborris.