Munster success as Tipperary stars shine in Bishopstown

Tipperary athletes produced a solid series of performances at the Munster Track and Field Championships

Tipperary athletes produced a solid series of performances at the Munster Track and Field Championships over the weekend, securing provincial titles, medals and personal bests across a wide range of events as the county's clubs once again demonstrated their strength and depth.

Clonmel AC athlete Ciara O'Neill was one of the county's gold medal winners, producing an excellent run to capture the Senior Women's 5,000m title in a winning time of 18:04. Cara Ryan took gold in the u20 high jump with 1.60m, Liam Geoghegan secured a silver medal in the M45 100m, crossing the line in 12.90 seconds

Nenagh Olympic's Paul White struck gold in the Senior Men's 400m, dipping under the 50-second barrier with a time of 49.95. Clubmate Josh Egan also secured a Munster title, winning the Senior Men's Long Jump with a best leap of 6.44m. Nenagh Olympic completed a successful day in the event when Jack Hickey claimed bronze with a jump of 5.88m.

The club also celebrated a podium finish from Tony Fitzgerald in the M45 800m. Fitzgerald produced a determined run to finish third in 2:22, while veteran athlete Niall Kelly continued to excel in masters competition, winning the M65 200m title in 30.43 seconds.

Newport AC's Sophie Walker collected two medals in the sprint events. Walker finished second in the 200m in a fast 25.39 seconds before adding bronze in the 400m, clocking 58.77 seconds against strong opposition.

Templemore AC athletes also featured prominently in the hammer competitions. Francis Gleeson claimed victory with a throw of 41.35m, while Jeffrey Myles recorded an excellent 50.95m to take top honours in the U20 Hammer. Amy Dwyer added another provincial title to the club's tally, winning the W45 Hammer with a throw of 27.66m. John Dwyer threw 49.43m to take the senior title.

Moyne AC also enjoyed considerable success. Ber Spillane produced a superb performance to win the W45 200m title in 28.42 seconds, while the club's U20 Women's Relay team of Emma Delaney, Dearbhla Gleeson, Orla Pamplin and Kate Delaney combined impressively to secure gold and add another Munster title to the club's growing collection.

Borrisokane AC's Emily Stapleton, secured the U20 Women's Hammer title with a winning throw of 41.20m. Noel Monteith enjoyed a double success in the M80 category. Monteith captured the discus title with a throw of 24.10m before adding the javelin with 22.70m.

Coolquill AC's Ross Alexander, who claimed gold in the 5,000m walk with a commanding victory in 25:07.68. Fellow Tipperary walker John Laste Fethard A.C. also delivered a strong performance recording 28:57.64 over the same distance, his clubmate Michael McCormack added to the county's medal haul by winning the M75 Shot Put with a throw of 6.46m.

The performances across all age groups highlighted the continued strength of athletics within Tipperary.

With the provincial championships now completed, many of these athletes will turn their attention to the national stage, where they will hope to build on their Munster success and continue an excellent season for Tipperary athletics.