There are good days and then there are brilliant days. Today’s Brother schools cross country falls well and truly into that latter category. The best part of 2000 young athletes descended in their droves to the immaculate Trinity sports grounds on Santry Avenue. It was a beautiful autumnal day, the incessant rain of yesterday was quickly forgotten as the event proceeded in fresh sunshine with little or no wind with all thoroughly enjoying the event.
Today was the 17th year of the Brother schools cross country and the event grows and grows each and every year. There were huge numbers taking part in the primary schools section with races for 4th, 5th and 6th classes, both boys and girls. The excitement in the air was palatable from the time the 4th class girls were called up for their race. All the primary school races were held over a 1000m loop. The numbers in each race were impressive the say the least, particularly the 6th class boys race which had a field of some 250 youngsters. Extraordinary stuff.
The officials ran the event like clockwork, every race started right on time, the hard-working officials ensured that all safety completed the course with the famed Brother schools cross country T-shirt well and truly earned by all these young athletes.
There were notable performances in the primary boys section from St Brigid’s BNS. St Brigids of course have Clonliffe running through their veins with the late and great Jerry Kiernan having been a teacher in that school for a long number of years. The boys from St Brigid’s took team wins in the 4th class race and then took silver’s in both the 5th and 6th class races. In the primary schools girls races it was St Fiachras down the road in Beaumont who were the standouts winning both the 5th and 6th class team races.
Primary school results – girls.
4th class: 1st Ana Evers (Bayside SNS), 2nd Yana Moran (Castleknock Ed Together), 3rd Ellie Brierty (St Vincent DePaul).
Team: 1st St Vincent DePaul, 2nd Castleknock Ed Together, 3rd Mary Help of Christians.
5th class: 1st Aimee Mooney (San Carlo), 2nd Alice Hassett (St Fiachras), 3rd Freya Hobbs (St Vincent DePaul).
Team: 1st St Fiachras, 2nd St Vincent DePaul, 3rd San Carlo.
6th class girls: 1st Eva Brennan (St Vincent DePaul), 2nd Ciara Garvan (St Fiachras), 3rd Indie Moloney (Holy Child).
Teams: 1st St Fiachras, 2nd St Gerard’s Junior, 3rd Mary Help of Christians.
Best girls primary school overall: St Fiachras.
Primary school results – boys.
4th class: 1st Eli Larkin (St Brigids), 2nd Max Dervan (St Brigids), 3rd Shane O’Doherty (St John Bosco).
Teams: 1st St Brigid’s, 2nd St Fiachras, 3rd St Josephs Terenure.
5th class boys: 1st Conor Woods (Belgrove), 2nd Alex O’Mahoney (Sutton Park), 3rd Jason Salmon (Scoil Muuire, Shankill).
Teams: 1st St Josephs Terenure, 2nd St Brigid’s, 3rd St Patrick’s NS.
6th class boys: 1st Isaac Davis (Bayside), 2nd Tom Travers (Star of the Sea), 3rd Daniel Corrigan (St Patrick’s NS).
Teams: 1st St Colman’s College Newry, 2nd St Brigid’s NS, 3rd Belgrove.
Best overall boys primary school: St Brigid’s BNS.
The secondary school programme featured races for all age groups from minor to senior, with a card of 8 races. There were huge numbers particularly in the minor and junior races and was the numbers thinned out a little in the intermediate and senior races it must be said that they provided superb entertainment, the intermediate boys and senior races in particular were notable. On the team front the boys secondary school races were dominated by St Malachy’s Belfast winning 3 of the races. Whilst in the girls races it was a much closer affair as Santa Sabina, Holy Faith and St Dominic’s had the lions share of the team podium positions. Santa Sabina had a win in the intermediate girls, 2nd place in the senior girls and third place in the junior girls,Holy Faith had 2 wins, but no other podiums and in the end it was St Dominic’s who took the best overall girls secondary school courtesy of a team win in the junior girls, team silver in the minor girls and then bronze in both the intermediate and seniors, four out of four podiums.
Secondary school results – girls.
Minor girls: 1st Ailbhe Byrne (Newbridge college), 2nd Louise Caughey (St Dominic’s), 3rd Emy Rose Tomkin Beatty (Loreto Abbey Dalkey).
Teams: 1st Holy Faith, 2nd St Dominic’s, 3rd Newbridge college.
Junior girls: 1st Chloe O’Neill (Newbridge), 2nd Aliyah Riyad ( Fingal CC), 3rd Roisin Macken (St Dominic’s).
Teams: 1st St Dominic’s, 2nd Col. Iosagain, 3rd Santa Sabina.
Intermediate girls: 1st Iris McCarten (Newbridge college), 2nd Beth Reamsbottom (Santa Sabina), 3rd Matilda Ayton (Newbridge college).
Teams 1st Santa Sabina, 2nd Newbridge College, 3rd St Dominic’s.
Senior girls: 1st Tara Rose Smith (Sutton Park), 2nd Freyja Carroll (Holy Faith), 3rd Rachel Keaney (Newbridge college).
Teams: 1st Holy Faith Clontarf, 2nd Santa Sabina, 3rd St Dominic’s Cabra.
Best overall girls secondary: St Dominic’s Cabra.
Secondary school boys results:
Minor boys: 1st Charlie McCabe (Newbridge college), 2nd Sion McAlister (St Malachy’s), 3rd Colm McClaverty (BlackRock College).
Teams: 1st St Malachy’s, 2nd St Aidan’s, 3rd Willow Park First.
Junior boys: 1st Cormac Carabine (St Malachy’s), 2nd Seamus Phelan (Scoil Chiarain), 3rd Sam Steenson (CUS).
Teams 1st St Malachy’s, 2nd St Aidan’s, 3rd St Colman’s.
Intermediate boys: 1st Ruarc Sheridan (St Malachy’s), 2nd Thomas Coy (St Malachy’s), 3rd Luke Tracey (St Aidan’s).
Teams: 1st St Malachy’s, 2nd St Pauls, 3rd Belvedere.
Senior boys: 1st Conrad Latham (St Pauls), 2nd Ewan Kennedy (the High School), 3rd Cameron Fallon (Blackrock).
Teams: 1st St Pauls, 2nd St Colman’s, 3rd Blackrock College.
Best overall boys secondary: St Malachy’s.
Clonliffe Harriers would like to thank our wonderful sponsor Brother, the Gardai for their assistance, St John’s ambulance, Trinity College Dublin, our club volunteers for officiating and the schools, teachers and pupils for making today such a special occasion. Indeed it was so good that we are going to do it all again next year – Wednesday, October 6, 2027 – note the date!
Photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/146364500@N04/albums/72177720336035593/