Athletics club runners were active over the festive season

Mooreabbey Milers AC

Clonmel AC MSD 4 Mile
The Clonmel AC MSD 4 Mile Road Race in Clonmel is a St Stephen’s Day staple after the Christmas dinner. This very popular race kicked off at 12 noon for its 33rd staging.

Over the years the race has grown in strength and popularity, with 583 participants this year. Knotting up the runner laces for this one for Mooreabbey Milers were Willie O'Donoghue, crossing the finish line in 24.33 and taking second in a category, followed by Tom Blackburn and Mary O'Connell.

Grange-Fermoy 10k
One of the final events of 2024 was hosted by Grange-Fermoy AC on New Year's Eve in Glanworth. A new 10k adventure greeted the six Mooreabbey Milers AC runners who competed in this well- organised event.

It was a  10k one lap loop of sorts, with a very wavy gradient, which started a few hundred metres from Glanworth GAA ground at 12 noon. Running home first for the club in 39.28 was Patrick Ahern, followed 19 seconds later by Willie O'Donoghue who took a category win.

In the middle we had Robert Cunningham in 41.08 and James Fletcher in 45.41. Rounding out the club's crew were Deirdre Bailey in 50.38 and Patricia Ryan in 51.11

Bweeng Trail 10k (IMRA Munster)
Laharn Crossroads was the start and finishing line for the Bweeng trail 10k on New Year's Day. Laharn is an active rural community situated on the foot of Baelic Mountain in the heart of North Cork.

Laharn Cross has a proud tradition of crossroads dancing, where traditional ceilí dances are performed to live music.

Evidence of this tradition taking place in this very location dates back as far back as the early 1900s. On the start line at the crossroads for the 12 noon start, along with 140 other athletes, were Tom Blackburn and Des Lane.

Mooreabbey Mile Challenge
The last Saturday of 2024 saw the club's annual mile challenge being held on a bright and dry morning. A total of 105 runners donned their race numbers and headed out to the new start line on the school boreen for the 11am start time. 

The overall event was won by Kevin Moore in 4.44. Second was Mark Carmody in 4.50 and third was Sean Quirke in 5.07.

The first lady home was Mary Keane in 6.03 followed by Danni Nevin in 6.35 and third lady was Deirdre Touhy in 7.12. The first junior male was Jack Browne in 5.21 and first junior female was Kitty O'Dwyer in 7.25.

The team event was won by the O'Keane family. Out running for the club was Patrick Ahern, finishing 10th overall; Liam Lewis, Dariusz Gazdowicz, Kitty O'Dwyer, Fionn Fitzgerald, Dara Ryan, Lucy Meade, Tessa O'Dwyer, Mary O'Connell, Mandy Parslow, Ray Murray, Anna May Chapman, Tomas Chapman, Liam O'Donnell, Inez O'Dwyer, Andie O'Brien, Noelle O'Brien, Sinead Meade, Eileen Doyle, Siun Commons, Liam Fitzgerald and Michael Fitzgerald. 

Volunteering and making sure the event ran smoothly were Marie O’Shea, Mary O'Connell, Mandy Parslow, Lynda Hynes, Willie O'Donoghue, John Hayes, Sean Landers, Mary Louise Ryan, Ruairi Ryan and Ewan Cunningham, Paddy and Caroline Bourke, Paddy O'Shea, Grainne, Tom and Shinead Blackburn, Peter Commons, Pauline and Clare Chapman , who were all overseen by race RD Patricia Blackburn.

Corrin Hill (IMRA Munster)
The wooded hill of Corrin rises from the surrounding plain to a height of 222 metres at the summit, from where there are spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. The mound at the summit forms Carn Thiernagh, which dates back over 3,000 years to the Bronze Age. 

On a bitterly cold day last Sunday, with many heavy falls of snow in the surrounding towns and villages of Cork and Limerick, Kevin Lenihan bombed around the 9.2k course, coming home in third to take the final podium position.

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