Fintan Walsh's blog

Ferrybank ladies contest League Final

The last big event of the track and field season in Ireland the
National League Finals will be in Tullamore on Sunday next and
Ferrybank AC will have a very strong team in the Women's Premier Final
aiming to make a bold bid  for honours. With athletes like Kelly
Proper, Niamh Whelan, Cara Kennedy, Neasa and Sorcha Murphy and Niamh
Ryan they have a very strong hand, the will however be without Jessie
Barr and Niamh Mc Nicol, both are unavailable.

All Ireland Masters

Saturday next in Tullamore is a very big day for the Master's athletes
in Ireland men and women in many age groups as their All Ireland Track
and Field Championships will be decided. There will be many from the
Waterford area competing and the programme begins at 11 am and the
full timetable is available on Athletics Ireland Website

Community Games Finals

On Saturday and Sunday next  the National Community Games Athletic
finals will be in Athlone and Waterford will have a big representation
and we we wish all every success.

Kelly wins another Irish title

Competing in the All Ireland Pentathlon Championships in Tullamore on
Saturday and Sunday last Kelly Proper had another win with a total of
5418 points some 24 points short of her Irish record , she ran a
personal best of 14.31 seconds in the 100 metres hurdles and had a
long jump of 6.28 metres..Over the two days she completely
p-outclassed the opposition to win her fifth Irish Gold medal in two
weeks. Last week also at a meeting in Morton Stadium in Dublin she ran
her fastest 200 metres ever clocking 23.45 seconds and she also won
the long jump with 6.18 metres.Also in Tullamore  last week end
Paschal Halley Waterford AC had a great result as he finished third in
the  All Ireland over 35 Pentathlon, his late father Martin was a top
sprinter and all rounder in the nineteen fifties. In the National
Juvenile development Games West Waterford AC had two wins under 12
Cormac Mahony and Lucy Holmes while Emily O'Mahony was second in the
600 metres u 13.

Harty sets record in Ardmore

!60 competed in the 18 th Annual An Tobar 5 miles road race in Ardmore
on Friday last the final race in the Ger Wyley Sports Skins Series. A
course record of 24 minutes and 30 seconds was set by Philip Harty in
winning the event, Ravis Zakis was second in 25.16 and James Ledingham
third in 25.34 all three from West Waterford AC, Brian Murphy Carrick
on Suir was fourth in 25.36. Nollaig O'Neill Leevale was first lady
home in 30.40, Corina Walsh West Waterford was second in 31.27 and
Joan Mahony Waterford was third in 32.16 with Liz Nolan do fourth in
34.56.The junior winners were Alan Slattery Waterford and Sarah Wyley
West Waterford The overall winners of the series were Ravis Kakis and
Nollaig O'Neill.

Island 5 km win for Cork athlete

Alan O'Shea from Bantry won the Island 5 km on Sunday last , Paul
Stephenson was second  and Eoin Lyons third. First lady home was Orna
Murray Ferrybank ahead of Sylvia Malone Waterford and Eileen
Griffin,over 300 competed..

Hayley's World Javelin Medal was gold.

Last week we stated that 18 years old Hayley Fitzsimmons from Portlaw
had won a silver medal in the World Dwarf Games in the javelin in
Michigan on August 3 rd  and this was taken from the official results
on the website of the games on the day after.  People close to Hayley
here at home however insisted that she in fact won the event and this
was confirmed on Thursday last when an amendment was posted on  the
website with her in first position in Upper Class 2,.the athlete
listed as winning Hayley's event on the official result on the day did
in fact win in Upper Class 1  in the same event so obviously human
error prevailed as it can and will no doubt do in the future on rare
occasions for those of us in the real world. So congratulations to
Hayley on her victory and her bronze medal in the discus also.

Ballyduff Road Race

On  Friday  next August 16 th Second Annual Lis Hayes ( Eiblis ni
hAodha) Memorial  5 miles  is in
Ballyduff Lower  at 7 pm, preceded by a walk  at 6.30 pm.

Road Races to come

 Friday August 23 rd Annual Alan Everett 5 miles in Woodstown at 7.00
pm, Friday August 30 th
Gensyme 5 miles Road Race 7 pm at Gensyme Factory Old Kilmeaden Road
Waterford, Sunday September 1 st The Altitude Hurthill 5 mile
challenge in Faithlegg and Cheekpoint area. Registration from 12 noon
outside Faithlegg House Hotel. Run begins at 1 pm and walkers will
leave at 12.45 pm.