Fintan Walsh's weekly blog

All Ireland and Munster Fixtures this week end.

Three important fixtures are on this week end in Athlone and Nenagh.
On Saturday in Athlone the All Ireland Masters Indoor Championships
will be staged and on Sunday the All Ireland Under 23 and Junior
Indoors go ahead. Saturdays programme begins at 11.30 am and Sunday's
11 am. Full timetable on Athletic Ireland Website. On Saturday and
Sunday next in Nenagh the Munster Indoor Championships for under 9 to
11 boys, first event both days on the track is at 12 noon ,while the
field events begin at 10 am both days, full timetable on Munster
Athletics Website. Waterford athletes will compete at all fixtures.

Munster Schools Cross Country at WIT

This Thursday February 7 th the Munster Secondary Schools Cross
Country Championships are at WIT Campus Carriganore on the outskirts
of Waterford City and several athletes from Waterford Schools will be
competing and a number expected to be in the shake up for honours,
first event at 12.30 pm. There are four grades for minor, ,junior,
intermediate and senior and it should be well worth a visit. Please
note the venue as it is being moved to Waterford from CIT the original
venue..

Anne Valley 5 miles on Saturday.

Dunhill is the venue on Saturday next for the 7 th Annual Anne Valley
5 miles run which shortly after at 12 noon, entries taken from 10. 00
am in Harney's, Dunhill. There will also be a walk at 10 am, entries
for this from 9 am and a juvenile u 14 r run begins at 12 noon
.Proceeds to Waterford Hospice and Jack and Jill Foundation

Quinlan wins 5 Miles

Almost three hundred competed in the second annual 5 miles road race
in the city on Sunday last in aid of St Paul's Parish Centre. Frank
Quinlan Waterford AC was the convincing winner in a time of 26 minutes
and 34 seconds, Brian Murphy Carrick on Suir was second in 26.45 and
Noel Murphy was third in 28.07. Sylvia Malone Waterford AC was first
lady home in 31.11, Siobhan Kennedy Waterford Triathlon Club was
second in 32.22 and Claudia Lane Mary was third in 33.59. The
committee led by Ger Hearne, The Park Inn got great support from Naomh
Pol GAA , St Paul's Scouts,  management and staff at The Park Inn and
the Order of Malta. The sponsors were Alfie Hale Sports, Focus on
Fitness and Jim O'Brien Spar. The parish priest from St Paul's Rev Fr
Pat Fitzgerald was official starter and he welcomed all at the finish
later.

Other Results

At a collegiate meeting in Kingston Rhode Island in the USA last week
end Kalyn Sheehan won a 200 metres race in 25.40  seconds and she was
second in a 60 metres hurdles in 8.83, Niamh ryan was 6 th in the 1000
metres in 3.03.83. In Nenagh on Saturday last Joe Gough West Waterford
AC competing in the Leinster Masters Indoor Championships won the over
60 400 metres in 59.08 seconds a National record in this age group

Road Races coming up

 Saturday next Feb 9 th Anne Valley 5 Miles Dunhill 12 noon, Sunday
Feb 10 th Enniscorthy 10 Km 12 noon contact
087 6799490, Saturday 16 th Feb Mount Juliet 10 Km, Half Marathon and
3 km 11 am.see website for details of entry etc

 Further February Fixtures

 Sat 9 th AAI All Ireland Masters Indoor Championships AIT Arena,
Athlone, Sun 10 th AAI  All Ireland Junior & U/23 Indoor Championships
AIT Arena, Athlone. Sat 16 th and Sun 17 th All Ireland Senior Indoors
AIT Athlone Saturday 23 rd and Sunday 24 th February Munster Juvenile
U/14 to U/19 Indoor Championships, in Nenagh Indoor Stadium

County Board meeting

Next County Board meeting will be in De La Salle College Waterford on
Monday February 18 th at 8 pm and not Feb 11 th as originally planned.

New Sponsor

 At a reception in Dublin on Tuesday January 29 th Global athletics
brand New Balance was named as the new sponsor for Athletics Ireland
in a multi-year deal.The new partnership sees New Balance supply the
Irish track and field team with a full selection of team wear,
including performance apparel for use in competition in all Irish
events, World Championships and European Championships. Tom Carleo,
New Balance Vice President of Footwear Running/Outdoor said, “When the
opportunity to create a partnership between New Balance and Athletics
Ireland arose, we jumped at the chance to work with them.  John Foley,
Athletics Ireland Chief Executive Officer said “New Balance is
genuinely passionate about growing athletics in Ireland and supporting
the current and future crop of athletes who are part of the Irish
team.Among those "modelling" the new gear at the reception  were
Fionnula Britton double European Cross Country Champion and
Waterford's two 400 metres hurdles stars Jessie Barr and her brother
Thomas Ferrybank AC.

National Team Managers.

Athletics Ireland High Performance Department is calling for
applications for: National Team Manager (Youth - Junior - U 23 -
Senior — seeking four positions) Reports to: High Performance
Director. Salary Range: An honorarium will be paid to the holder of
the position. Tenure of Post: The successful applicant will take on
the role for a two-year-cycle and may be reappointed for an additional
two-year-cycle dependent on their performance. See Athletics Ireland
high performance website for full details.

Ben Kiely wins Credit Union award


In the Tower Hotel on Saturday last at a function the Combined Credit
Union Supreme Young Athlete of the Year Award for 2012 was announced.
Present at the event was the Mayor of Waterford Cllr Jim D'Arcy, Guest
of Honour International Race Walker and four times Olympian and World
silver medallist Olive Loughnane, committee members from the Combined
Credit Unions the twelve monthly winners from 2012, their parent
,coaches and athletic supporters. The Mayor welcomed all especially
Olive Loughnane and the young athletes. He congratulatedall the
monthly winners who he said had performed magnificently in their
respective events at National and several at International levelalso
.He complimented the Combined Credit Unions for their sponsorshipof
the event for the past eleven years and indeed for their involvement
with the Community over the decades. County Board Athletic Chairperson
Noel Power thanked the Credit Unions also and said that the Monthly
Awards were eagerly looked forward to by athletes from all clubs and
his hope was that some of the Monthly winners for 2012 would go
forward to represent Ireland at an Olympics. Catherine Power Chair of
the adjudicators said that once again the standard in 2012 was very
high and that as always the final decision was reached after much
deliberation. Linda O'Kane Chairperson of the combined Credit Unions
said that they were proud to be associated with this prestigious event
for the past eleven years and would continue in 2013. She too welcomed
Olive Loughnane and spoke of her great career in the sport and thanked
all  the clubs for their co operation and the three adjudicators.Olive
Loughnane spoke of her late entry into competitive athletics and
offered the young athletes lots of advice on setting goals and
achieving them despite encountering difficulties along the way which
all will do from time to time and to get the "bounce back
attitude"which is so essential in progressing  She then opened the
envelope and revealed the Supreme Young Athlete of the Year as Ben
Kiely Ferrybank AC a native of Dunhill who had a great year including
reaching the semi final of the World Junior championships in the 400
Metres Hurdles his speciality event and setting a personal best in the
first round, asilver medal at the AAA Championships u 20  in the same event, a
victory in Belgium, he also had some good results in 400 Metres flat
races indoors and outdoors, Ben of course won the European Youth
Olympics 400 Metres Hurdle title in 2011