Laura Earley and Eamonn Morrissey win Intermediate road titles in Tipperary
Two very good events held in Littleton
Littleton was the venue for the County Tipperary Intermediate Road Championships. Conditions were very warm throughout both races.
The women’s 4k race was over a one lap course, with the finish on the track in Littleton. After the initial charge the pace was set by four athletes, the Clonmel duo of Ruby Carroll and Amanda Moroney, local athlete Nikki Kenneally and the eventual champion Laura Earley of Fethard AC.
As the athletes entered the final mile, Laura Earley increased the pace that soon saw her draw clear of the group. Then as the athletes came into view on entering the track for the final 300 metres, Laura had a commanding lead, which she held all the way to the finish line to come home a very worthy and convincing champion in 14 minutes 40 seconds.
This was a brilliant performance by Laura, who completed the full set of individual medals, winning the bronze medal in 2024 in Galbally, the silver medal at the same venue in 2025 and now the top of the podium position.
In the race for the silver medal, Nikki Kenneally used all her local knowledge over the closing stages to go clear of Ruby Carroll to finish second in 15 minutes, with Ruby winning the bronze medal in 15 minutes 9 seconds.
Amanda Moroney Clonmel AC was fourth (15.17), Carol Molloy Fethard AC was fifth in (16.04) and Emir Costello Moycarkey Coolcroo AC was sixth in 16.18.
In the team event,with three to score, Fethard AC retained the cup with their gold- medal winning team of Laura Earley, Carol Molloy and Paula Hendriksen (ninth) in 16.27.
The Clonmel AC team of Ruby Carroll, Amanda Moroney and Sareen Walsh (11th in 17.33) won the silver medals. The Dundrum AC team of Catherine Fogarty seventh (16.21), Emily Leahy tenth (17.19) and Mairead Julian 17th (18.43) won the bronze medals.
The men’s race was also competitive and it was great to see the top seven athletes representing seven different clubs. The men’s race was over two laps with the finish on the track. After the initial charge, the leading group entering the village at the end of the first lap included Pawel Hoc Clonmel AC and the eventual champion Eamon Morrissey, Dundrum AC, with the chasing pack back a bit.
Then midway through this lap Eamon increased the tempo and soon drew clear of Pawel and he increased that gap all the way to the finish line to come home a very worthy and convincing champion in 27 minutes 3 seconds. This was a brilliant run by Eamon, who has shown a welcome return to form with a great performance at the recent Coillte 10k in Dundrum.
Pawel Hoc won the silver medal in 27 minutes 33 seconds to add to his County Novice silver medal won earlier this year. Then we had Patrick Harris of Carrick-on- Suir emerging from the chasing pack to win the bronze medal in 28 minutes 30 seconds.
John Treacy Thurles Crokes was fourth in 28.42, Louis Rice Fethard AC was fifth in 29.06 and Donie Bergin Moycarkey Coolcroo, the County Novice B Champion, was sixth in 29.22.
In the team event it was four to score. Here the winners were Carrick-on-Suir with their gold winning team of Patrick Harris, Eugene O Keeffe ninth (29.34), Tim Treacy 11th (30.17) and Keith Fraher 17th (32.10).
There was a right tussle for the silver and bronze medals between Dundrum AC and Fethard AC, with both finishing on 48 points. Dundrum secured the silver medals on countback with their team of Eamon Morrissey, Wayne Bargary 14th (30.49), Richard Bresnan 16th (31.29) and Jim Hally 23rd (33.23). The Fethard team that won the bronze medals included Louis Rice, Padraic Ryan 12th (30.33), James Maher 13th (30.42) and Kevin Tobin 19th (32.33).
At the presentation of the awards, Owen Fanning, County Chairman, thanked Moycarkey Coolcroo AC for organising the events. He also thanked the clubs for their support in these championships, as they were two very good events.