Monday, November 08, 2021

Silver on the double for U15 lads as Clara turns in best ever finish

 

Just catching up with the results today but some fabulous performances from our cross-country athletes in Loughrea on Sunday with the U15 Boys team and Clara Doherty really turning it on.


Clara was our highest individual finisher on the day, taking 5th in the U15 girls race for her highest ever individual finish, a great performance from a hard working athlete.

Our U15 Boys just missed out on a gold medal by two points when GCH pipped them in the team race 52 points to 54 points. Led home by Declan Kennedy in sixth with Patrick Kennedy ninth, Riaghan Guckian 17th and Kyle Lannon 22nd, this was an excellent team display.


The lads then teamed up with Ballinamore's Niall Ahern and North Leitrim's Luke Fitzmaurice to finish second in the inter-county race. Well done lads.

The Guckian sisters completed our Juvenile line up with Carragh finishing 51st in the U13 age group while Ornaith, still actually an U10, finished 21st in the U11 race. Well done girls.

In the Adult men’s league, Carrick AC duo Ken Kennedy and Michael Keane finished 25th and 30th overall in Loughrea with Ballinamore’s David Ahern 34th. That left David sixth overall in the Novice Men’s category while Adrian Gurn, who did not run in Loughrea, finished 10th overall, just one ahead of Ken in 11th with Michael 16th overall.




Tuesday, November 02, 2021

Five named on Connacht Squads

 

Congratulations to Clara Doherty, Sophie McCabe, Declan Kennedy, Cathal Enright and Toyosi Fagbo who have been named on the Connacht Academy Performance Squad for the coming season.

All give made the squad after finishing in the top three event in their events in Provincial championships and the first day the squad meets is Sunday November 14, at Dangan track in Galway

The squad dates and times are as follows:
  • Sunday November 14: Galway (Dangan) - Development squad: 11 am - 12:30pm; Academy Squad: 1 pm - 3pm

  • Sunday December 5: Galway (Dangan) - Development squad: 11 am - 12:30pm; Academy Squad: 1 pm - 3pm

  • Dates in January & February to be confirmed

  • Academy Squad: For athletes who achieved Top 3 in Provincial Championships.              

  • Development Squad: For athletes U12 to U15  


The links are now available for athletes to register for both the Performance Squad and the Development Squad.


The Performance Squad is for the list of selected athletes from U16 to U19 (2022 age groups) and is based on results achieved at the 2021 Connacht Provincial Championships and 2021 All Ireland Championships.


The Development Squad is for Connacht athletes from u12 to u15 (2022 age groups).


The full squad lists are available HERE for squad list.

Well done to the gang from everyone in Carrick AC!

Sunday, October 31, 2021

CARRICK AC 2021 AGM CHAIRPERSON'S ADDRESS

Next Wednesday, November 3, Carrick-on-Shannon AC holds its annual general meeting in The Bush Hotel at 8pm. To facilitate the smooth running of the meeting, we are publishing the report of our Chairperson Mary O'Donnell in advance.

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

Chairperson’s Address

I want to welcome you all to our Annual General Meeting covering the years 2020 and 2021. Little did we think that when we were honouring our five international athletes in September 2019 that we would be stopped in our tracks in March 2020 with Covid.

The time since has been challenging to everyone but particularly for sporting organisations but I have to say our coaches are to be congratulated with the way they have managed our new way of coaching – pods of 15, masks, hand sanitizer is our new language and I am glad to say that they embraced the new regulations and restrictions with enthusiasm.

We made a call for more help and thankfully we got it. Our new, and old, coaches helped in every way and it was a fantastic effort by so many to run our club in line with Government restrictions. I don’t want to single out any one person as everybody worked so hard in new tasks.

I want to offer my condolences to anyone who suffered a bereavement since our last AGM, especially the Doran, Mostyn and O’Brien families. Mary Mostyn gave years of service to Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club and to local Community Games and was a great friend to us all and to our athletes.

What can I say about Michael O’Brien - little did I know when I went down to the Sports Complex with my daughter Claire in October 1988, 33 years ago, that I would still be here in 2021.

The first person to meet me at the door was this man called Michael O’Brien – I didn’t know anyone in the club, I didn’t know anything about athletics and this man said that my child was too young. But, he added, give an hour on a Tuesday evening and Claire could stay. That hour became weeks which became months and then years and I am still here!

Michael taught me everything that I know - from encouraging me to go to meetings, getting me to go on courses – he must have seen something in me. Over the years, Michael got me to take an officials’ course in starting, I became an assistant starter for many a year under the two Michaels, Michael O’Brien & Michael O’Hart, before progressing to become a starter for Connacht and National.

But Michael was more than a coach and an official - he became a great friend of our family and a great friend of my late husband Peter. One year, Michael was sick and unable to attend the National Community Games Finals in his customary role as starter. But Michael, as you all know, couldn’t see the job not being done and asked one of us to do the starts in his place and Peter said he would. That’s how much Michael meant to us.

Michael coached my three sons Aidan, Brian & Gerard in High Jump and each, under his tutelage, went on to win medals at national level. Claire went on to run for her county, at Connacht and in National Community Games and, as the years went on, myself and my family became more and more involved in athletics.

He was more than a coach - he was not only a family friend to everyone in my house but also to everyone who passed through his care. My experiences with Michael are not unique and Michael meant so much to so many people.

To the many people he touched through our sport, he wasn’t Michael, he was Mr O’Brien and with Mr O’Brien came a level of authority but also a fairness and a passion for what he did. And I really do believe I wouldn’t be as good as I am today without all the nurturing Michael gave me. I would like to offer Rose and all the O’Brien family our heartfelt sympathy on their great loss, we will never forget Michael.

In terms of our athletes’ performances over the past two years, I will leave all that to John’s Secretary’s report, which I am sure you have all read and which details the many fantastic performances of our athletes over the last two years. I do want to thank the athletes, who make our club what it is, for all their efforts at whatever age and discipline they compete in and I hope that we can continue to support them in 2022.

I’d like to thank my fellow officers and committee members for all their hard work, especially during Covid. The new coaches who have come on board over the last two years has left me very positive for the future of the club. We are always looking for new blood to come in and drive the club forward and it is great to see some former athletes taking on roles – these people are the future of our club.

One of those is Siobhan Murtagh, a former juvenile & schools international and multiple national medal winner, who is giving back to the club and has helped modernise the way we communicate with our members and their parents through WhatsApp. I want to thank Siobhan for all her hard work and she has been a blessing for this club, bringing new life to the club.

One man I need to talk about is John Connolly. He looks after all our administration in the club and gives so much of his time to the athletes, especially in the post primary groups. People just don’t have the time to give nowadays but John has given his so freely, for so many years.

A special word of thanks to our Treasurer Jenny McCabe for keeping our club in a good financial state of affairs over the years. Jenny is stepping down tonight and I want to wish her all the best as she gets a deserved break from this job.

I also want to thank Siobhan Whelan for all her work with the club down through the years. She hung up her javelin in 2019 but I cannot let this meeting go without thanking her for all that she did for the club down through the years.

I want to thank Adrian Jackson and Carrick-on-Shannon Community School for the use of the top field and Catriona Ni Conmara for the use of the ground at Gaelscoil Liatroma.

I would also like to congratulate Professor Ciaran O’Cathain on the new era in Athlone under the auspices of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands. One of our small community of starters, Ciaran has done immense work for the sport of athletics be it through his role as the former President of Athletics Ireland or developing fantastic new facilities such as the indoor and outdoor tracks in Athlone. He has always been a great friend of Carrick-on-Shannon AC and I want to wish him well for the future.

In conclusion, 2020 will be remembered as our Covid 19 year. I am very proud of the Carrick AC family who faced all the challenges of reopening post-lockdown and I want to thank everyone for their efforts.

As you all know I am stepping down from this role but I am not leaving this club – I love it too much. While I leave the role of chairperson, I am not going away - it is hard to put an old dog down. I am always going to be there for help and encouragement and offer whatever knowledge I have to our coaches and athletes.

Mary O’Donnell

Chairperson

 

Connacht Athletics Even Ages & Adult League Cross-country

Well done to the small crew of Carrick-on-Shannon AC athletes who made the long journey to Ballina for the Connacht Even Ages and Adult League Cross-country at the superb Belleek Park.

Top finisher on the day was Declan Kennedy who finished just outside the medals in fourth in the U16 Boys race with his brother Patrick 15th, both competing a year out of their age group.



In the U16 Girls race, Clara Doherty also qualified for the All-Irelands with a fine 10th place, a good result as she is also a year out of her age group.

In the U12 Girls race, Carragh Guckian was 37th while Lana Corcoran, in her first outing for the club, finished 60th.


In the U14 Boys race, Riaghan Guckian and another new member Owen Moffatt were members of the Leitrim team who finished third in the inter-county race to qualify for the Nationals. Riaghan finished 19th, third Leitrim finisher, while Owen finished 33rd.

In the adult cross-country league, Ken Kennedy led home a trio of Carrick AC athletes in 12th place overall, finishing seventh in the masters category, with Adrian Gurn 16th and Michael Keane 20th in a strong outing for the lads.

Well done to everyone on a fine performance and good luck to everyone in action next Sunday, November 7, in Loughrea at the Connacht Uneven Ages Cross-country.











Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Carrick AC 2021 AGM Secretary's Report


Next Wednesday, November 3, Carrick-on-Shannon AC holds its annual general meeting in The Bush Hotel at 8pm. To facilitate the smooth running of the meeting, we are publishing the report of our Secretary John Connolly in advance.

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

Secretary’s Report 2021

After a gap of almost two years, I am delighted to present my report to the 2021 Annual General Meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club. You will forgive me if the report is a bit longer than usual but the past two years have been a testing, joyous and sad time for Carrick-on-Shannon AC so it is only right that we take some time to review it.

COVID
The past two years have been among the most turbulent, trying and demanding for anyone involved with a sporting club and indeed the entire country. We’ve experienced joy and sorrow, tears and happiness in equal measure as our club, our families, our communities and our country have had to deal with the challenges of life in the time of Covid and many have suffered loss, to say nothing of the impact this deadly affliction has had on the mental and physical well-being of the country.

Those challenges are not over and certainly not gone away so it is incumbent on us to remain vigilant and ensure that we keep all our members and their families safe. The restrictions can be tedious and irksome but I rather suffer a little inconvenience than lose someone to Covid.

Yet this disease that so few of us had ever heard about at the start of 2020 may have just reminded us all why we love our sport so much and why we devote so much of our time and energy to Carrick-on-Shannon AC. It is easy to forget that simple joy when we’re under the pressure of everyday lives but when it was taken away from us, it left a huge void and I don’t think I’ve seen a happier bunch of people out killing themselves wearing the Royal Blue vest and meeting up with their friends once more when we got the go-ahead to back training in June 2020.

So even with the challenges that it brought, Covid at least reminded me why I love this sport so much – that at its heart, it is all about the human relationships we have with each other, our friends and members and I have to say I cannot be prouder of how our members, our coaches and officials and all our families rose to meet the challenge of Covid. They all deserved a massive pat on the back - a socially distanced one of course!


SYMPATHY
The past two years have seen some profound losses in our local community and to all our members who have lost loved ones since our last AGM, we offer our deepest condolences. The recent passing of Jim Doran, one of those who helped form the club back in 1973, and that of Mary Mostyn in February 2020 are enormous losses to their families, our club and the community.

Mary immersed herself in the club when she and Brian moved to Carrick, serving as coach, official and even athlete and generations of children passed through her care and she made an enormous contribution to this club. Linda, Denise and Colin all competed for the club with distinction, no doubt inspired by the example of their mother and father. My thanks to those members who participated in our Guard of Honour at Mary’s funeral, it was a fitting tribute to a woman who did so much for this club and our community.

MICHAEL O’BRIEN
There is no hierarchy when it comes to loss but we cannot let this occasion go without remembering our great friend, our inspiration and mentor – Michael O’Brien left us on April 14, this year and to say it has left a gaping hole in the club is a vast understatement. With health struggles over the last few years, we didn’t see Michael as much as we all would have wanted but the fact that he was still around to chat to was reassuring not only to his fellow club officials but to generations of children who passed through our club, right up until the present day.

Even now, writing these words is a tremendous struggle and I know many feel the same way. It seems impossible to put into words what Michael meant to so many of us but I’ve decided to borrow a few from the many, many tributes that appeared on our club Facebook page and social media in the days following the sad news that Michael has left us.

First up, PJ Coyle of GCH, a fellow official for many, many years, summed up what made Michael so loved by athletes: “He treated all the athletes he came across with great respect and kindness. He was very knowledgeable and very fair as a starter. He will be sorely missed” wrote PJ – truer words were never written!

Rachel O’Shea, one of the many athletes coached to great heights - literally - by Michael, wrote from the USA: “The club will never be the same! The amazing memories I have from having him as my coach and friend for many wonderful years I will treasure always! He was an incredible person whose memory will live on forever.”

But Aisling Dolan’s words summed up Michael’s impact on generations of children and even adults from all over the country as she wrote “Was always glad to see Michael's friendly face on the start line.”

My own memories of Michael range from, as a newly displanted Dub in Carrick, being ever so slightly afraid of this man who commanded instant respect and exuded authority wherever he went; to getting to know him as someone I sought advice from, looked to for leadership and eventually realising that there was nothing Michael liked better than having a laugh, growing to become someone who was a fierce friend down through the years.

I can only imagine what those of you who literally grew up with Michael by their side, teaching you, inspiring you, comforting you when it didn’t go well- I’m not sure if Michael truly knew the depth of love and respect he was held in by the people of this community but the sight of so many club members, past and present, and members of other clubs turning out for the Guard of Honour that greeted him on his journey to his final resting place is a sight that will remain with forever.

The outpouring of grief that greeted the news that Michael has left us was matched, however, by the joy Michael brought so many, the reminiscing and memories that flowed in the days after reminding us just how many lives Michael impacted. Our loss, while great, pales into insignificance to loss Rose, herself an integral part of this club, and his family felt and still feel to this day.  To Rose, Mary, Fergus, Gerry and Paul and the extended O’Brien family, thank you so much for sharing him with us so generously over the years. We will not see his like again. May he Rest In Peace.

To everyone who supported us, who sent messages and condolences, you have no idea what your words and support meant to Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club. Thank you so much.

LOSS OF A DIFFERENT KIND
We say goodbye at our AGM to two women who have given immense service to Carrick-on-Shannon AC for as long as I can remember. Our Chairperson Mary O’Donnell and Treasurer Jenny McCabe step down for their roles and they deserved nothing but our thanks and the highest of praise for the countless hours they have dedicated to the club. To say we’re going to miss them is again an understatement but to be fair, nobody can accuse either Mary or Jenny of not putting in the time – they did that and more.

MARY O’DONNELL
I think it is only right that I say something more about Mary and the impact she has had on this club. Any success we have had over the years wouldn’t happen without someone like Mary at the heart of the club - offering words of wisdom, guiding us and putting us on the right path – and that is just the club coaches and officials!

I reckon we could drop Mary into the wilderness and she would be able to organise a training session before you know it and there is nobody better to talk to a nervous athlete on a start-line and fill them with confidence or calm them down. She has done this for countless Carrick AC athletes down through the years but also for athletes from many different clubs – I know this because I get told by other club officials how good Mary was to their athletes!

Mary’s greatest gift has always been her ability to relate to people of all ages – you have only to stand at the same table as Mary at the club’s church gate collection to see the reverence she is held in in this community, young and old. It is the same for the club officials – I think if any of us have a problem, Mary is who we chat to, Mary is who puts us straight and Mary is who leads the way.

Thankfully, Mary is not going away – she will still be coaching our athletes so we won’t be losing that priceless knowledge, thank God. Again, thank you Mary for everything you have done for all of us.


PERFORMANCES
When it comes to performances, we move from one O’Donnell to another – Gerard O’Donnell has again represented Carrick AC with incredible dedication and great distinction over the past two years. A National Indoor 60m Hurdles title back in February 2020, just before the curtains came down with Covid, and two National 110m Hurdles titles, to make it five in a row, scarcely do justice to the level of achievement Gerard has produced.

He has done all this while working a full-time job and coaching himself, following in his mother’s footsteps of giving something back to the Sport. With the Carrick AC enclave in the Dublin Sprint Club based in Santry, Gerard has helped coach two members of the Irish team who reached the Mixed 4 x 400m relay final at the Tokyo Olympics while he himself brought great honour to the club and county when he was appointed a Team Ireland Media official for the Games.

It seems that year after year, we congratulate Gerard on superb performances and in the most difficult circumstances over the past two seasons, he has delivered time and time again and always with the Carrick AC vest proudly worn. Unfortunately, he can’t go on forever, although he actually seems to be getting better with age, so I would urge everyone to appreciate and revel in Gerard’s accomplishments in the here and now – they are truly remarkable.

Eanna Madden and Alannah McGuinness are two more of the Carrick AC enclave in Dublin and both Mohill flyers have had their injury troubles over the past two years. But Eanna has shown this year what you can do with perseverance, talent and sheer stubbornness. His revival this year and switch to the 400m will, I believe, see Eanna reach new heights. Alannah joined the Dublin Sprint crew last year but suffered an unfortunate injury just when she was about to take off – keep an eye on her for the future and congratulations on her silver medal in 2020 Athletics Ireland Junior 100m and bronze over 60m.

There is some who think that athletics is just for the very young but some of our athletes have proven that very wrong over the last two seasons!

Ann Wynne is an athlete who is running better than ever, winning gold medals in 2020 (Over 50 800m & 1,500m indoors) and 800m outdoors in 2020 & 2021 while Michelle Lannon won a bronze in the indoor 3,000m in 2020. Not to forget Deirdre Martin, who excelled as a sprinter while a juvenile but who won a national medal over 100Km during the Summer – illustrating once again that athletics is a sport for all ages and that there is a wide world of possibilities out there for everyone.

A word too for Ellis Conway who finished fifth in the National U23 800m in 2021 after battling back from a period of injuries. Injury is unfortunately a part and parcel of sport but we only have to look at Ellis, at Gerard and Eanna and Alannah to know that the greatest victories come after the tough times and not all victories are measured in just medal counts.

Congratulations too to Clive Glancy who has been selected to compete in the European Police Cross-country championships again next year – literally the flying policeman! A special word to for Cathal McElgunn who set a new personal best over 400m after quite a long gap – the definition of perseverance and dedication!

We had some superb performances at Juvenile level over the past two years, too numerous to mention but I can’t let the performance of U10 500m Team of Eleanor Reilly and Ornaith Guckian and Poppy Doherty in qualifying for this year’s National Finals go by without some comment. In a tough year, all three were incredibly dedicated and it was a joy to see them compete on a national stage – hopefully, we will have more joining them in the coming years.

We’ve had disappointments, of course we have, nobody taking part in any sport doesn’t experience the proverbial bad day at some point but all I can say is that I’ve been proud of each and every athlete wearing our colours over the last two seasons and the efforts they have put in – thank you all so much.
 

COACHES
We wouldn’t be anywhere at all without the coaches and officials who give of their time freely and generously, who bleed royal blue when our athletes are competing. Special thanks to our team of coaches, and I have to say, it is a team, who work so hard for everybody. From Graham Allen with the Adult training group, through Mary O’Donnell, Siobhan Murtagh, Michelle Lever, Aisling O’Hart, Donnacha Holmes, Andrew & Karen Brennan, John Keenehan, Deirdre Martin, Ann Wynne, Catriona O’Shea, Aoife McCormack, Diane Charles, Linda Mollohan, Aideen McGovern, Orla McGuinness. To use a theatrical metaphor, our athletes may be front of house but without those behind the scenes, the show can’t go on – thank you one and all.

Special thanks also to our Dublin Branch, Jeremy Lyons & Aideen Sinnott, for all they have done for Gerard, Eanna, Alannah and Canthal McElgunn, it is so appreciated by us all.
 
NEW REGISTRATION SYSTEM
If Covid did have one benefit, it was in our decision to move our membership and registration system online. The Athletics Ireland system has been a wonderful new departure for us, saving us the trouble of holding a registration night, cutting down on paperwork for officials and generally tidying up the whole process. It also gave us an unexpected bonus with the ability to contact our members directly through the Newsletter/Email system that comes with it. This has been a great addition to our ability to contact our members and get important information out to them. So kudos to the Athletics Ireland team who developed this system – a wonderful facility for clubs to use.
 
GAELSCOIL LIATROMA
I can’t go without thanking Gaelscoil Liatroma for the use of the facilities for our Juvenile training sessions. We had been based in the Sports Complex ever since it opened but with the Community School needing the complex for classrooms during the Covid crisis, we had to find a new base and thankfully, the Gaelscoil were more than accommodating – thank you so much.
 
NEW FACILITIES
There has always been a dream that someday we might be lucky enough to have a proper running track here in Carrick-on-Shannon. We always had the attitude to make the best of what we have and a willingness to make the journey to proper facilities so that our athletes could perform to their very best. The drive to provide new facilities, for athletics and many other local sporting groups crying out facilities, detailed in the proposed Regional Sports Complex is one that we must all get fully behind – the work that is being done on our behalf by this dedicated group of volunteers is truly inspiring and when the times comes for all of us in the local community to dig deep into our pockets, I hope that we are not found wanting. Thank so much to Brendan Lowe and his team for all their work to this point – it is truly a monumental effort and deserving of our total support.
 
THANKS
Finally, I’m going to finish up by thanking everyone who has supported and helped me over the past two years, particularly Mary O’Donnell, Siobhan Murtagh, Jenny Rayson, Donnacha Holmes & Gerard O’Donnell. There are challenges in every position in any organisation but I can honestly say I’ve never felt as if this job is a chore when you have the people I have supporting me. Thanks to everyone for their help, a special thanks to our athletes who represent us so well and wishing everyone a successful and athletic 2022!

John Connolly
Secretary

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Carrick AC 2021 AGM Reminder

 

A reminder that Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club will hold our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 3, at 8 pm in The Bush Hotel and all fully registered club members over 16 years of age and parents of athletes are entitled to attend.

Only fully vaccinated members of the public will be able to attend under Government Guidelines for Living with Covid. If an athlete or a member wishes to have a matter discussed or submit a motion, they must be sent to our Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com before 9pm on Wednesday, October 27.


If you would like to go forward for a position or nominate someone for a position, on our Club Executive, the same deadline applies but we would ask that if you are nominating someone for a position, you obtain their consent for their name to go forward before nominating them.


Nominations can still be made from the floor on the night if no nominations are received and items of interest can be discussed but we just want to give everyone a heads-up in advance.


See you all in The Bush Hotel on Wednesday November 3!


Tuesday, October 19, 2021

THE LATE JIM DORAN

 

Everyone associated with Carrick-on-Shannon AC would like to offer our deepest sympathy to the Doran family on the sad passing of their father Jim.

The Doran family have a long association with the club with all of the children competed in our colours down through the years while Jim himself was never found wanting when there was work to be done, from the old famed Carrick AC Sports to helping out at club events or training down through the years. His wife Bridie served as our club treasurer for many, many years and all the Dorans, through a couple of generations, wore the Carrick AC vest with pride.

Jim's great sporting passion was Gaelic games and St Mary's were his team but he took as much pride in the exploits of his children on the track as those on the football field.

Our picture below shows Jim, back row centre, some of our club's all time greatest servants but we're sure that Michael O'Brien, Tommy Smith and Mary Mostyn will have a club sports on the agenda up above when Jim goes to his eternal reward.

To Jim's wife Bridie, Bridie, children Ann Marie, James, Patrick, Colm, Dearbhla, Richard and Melissa and all his extended family including grandson Emmet who was a club member for a time, we offer our deepest sympathy on their great loss. May Jim Rest In Peace.

James’s Funeral cortege will leave his residence on Wednesday evening at 6.30 o’clock arriving St. Joseph’s Church, Leitrim Village at 7 o’clock. Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday at 12 o’clock with funeral afterwards to Kiltoghert Cemetery, via Kiltoghert school.

The Club will hold a Guard of Honour for Jim on Thursday after the funeral mass at St Joseph's Church in Leitrim – all current and former members, of whatever vintage, are more than welcome to join us as we say goodbye to Jim Doran. We would ask anyone intending to join us to wear some Carrick AC apparel if possible and to meet at 12.30 at the latest.

CONNACHT JUVENILE AND ADULT LEAGUE CROSS-COUNTRY

 

The Connacht Even Ages, Juniors and Senior League will be held on Sunday, October 31, in Belleek in Ballina, with the first races starting at 12 noon. 

The age groups involved at U12, U14, U16 & U18 for Juveniles which means that U12 athletes are athletes who are 11 before December 31, this year.

The Connacht Uneven Ages Cross-country and Adult League will be held on Sunday November 7, at a Galway venue for the U11, U13, U15, U17 & U19 age groups.

Entry fee is €5 per individual per race.

If an athlete wishes to compete in the Connacht Even Ages in Ballina on Sunday week, entries must be submitted by this Thursday, October 21, so any Juvenile athlete who wishes to compete must contact Secretary John Connolly ASAP at connollyjohnb@gmail.com so that their entries can be lodged.

Adults may enter the event directly by cheque to the Western Region Treasurer Ann McHugh or by bank transfer to: Account Name: Western Region; IBAN: IE93AIBK 9370 6145 1360 24 (BIC: AIBKIE2D).

Juvenile athletes can compete in their own age group and move up one age so an U14 athlete can run their U14 and U15 events.

The following are the race distances involved:

  • Under 11 (Born 2011) 1500m
  • Under 12 (Born 2010) 2000m
  • Under 13 (Born 2009) 2500m
  • Under 14 (Born 2008) 3000m
  • Under 15 (Born 2007) 3500m
  • Under 16 (Born 2006) 4000m
  • Under 17 Girls (Born 2005) 4000m
  • Under 17 Boys (Born 2005) 5000m
  • Under 18 Girls (Born 2004) 4000m
  • Under 18 Boys (Born 2004) 6000m
  • Under 19 Girls (Born 2003) 4000m
  • Under 19 Boys (Born 2003) 6000m

 Anyone wishing to compete must contact John Connolly ASAP


Friday, October 15, 2021

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

 

Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club will hold our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 3, at 8 pm in The Bush Hotel and all fully registered club members over 16 years of age and parents of athletes are entitled to attend.


This will be our first AGM in quite a while due to Covid so there will be quite a bit of ground to cover but we will attempt to keep it as brief as possible.


First, only fully vaccinated members of the public will be able to attend under Government Guidelines for Living with Covid.


Second, if an athlete or a member wishes to have a matter discussed or submit a motion, they must be sent to our Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com before 9pm on Wednesday, October 27.


If you would like to go forward for a position or nominate someone for a position, on our Club Executive, the same deadline applies but we would ask that if you are nominating someone for a position, you obtain their consent for their name to go forward before nominating them.


One major item to note is that our Club Chairperson Mary O’Donnell and our Club Treasurer Jenny McCabe have both indicated that they will be stepping down from their positions at the AGM. Both ladies have been incredible servants of our club and they will be a huge loss but they leave with our thanks and gratitude for all that they have given generations of Carrick AC members over the years.


That means, of course, we are looking for replacements in the positions of Chairperson and Treasurer so get your thinking hats on!


Closer to the date, we will hope to distribute our Secretary’s report prior to the AGM but please remember, if you wish to submit nominations in advance or submitted motions/items for discussion, the deadline is Wednesday, October 27, at 9pm. 


Nominations can still be made from the floor on the night if no nominations are received and items of interest can be discussed but we just want to give everyone a heads-up in advance.


See you all in The Bush Hotel on Wednesday November 3!


Tuesday, September 21, 2021

WE'RE BACK - JUVENILE CLUB TRAINING TO RESUME ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 5

Delighted to report that Juvenile training will resume from Tuesday October 5, for all fully registered club members. 

We will still be based out of Gaelscoil Liatroma on the Castlecarra Road and thanks once again to the school for the use of their facilities.

The times and dates for the various weekly training groups are as follows:

TUESDAY

Athletes born in year 2011 – 5pm to 5.45 pm

Athletes born in year 2009 & 2010 – 6pm to 6.45 pm

Post Primary School athletes – 6pm to 7 pm

The final details of the group for Athletes born in 2012 will be finalised in the coming days.

There is a weekly €3 charge per member for training

There will also be training on Fridays for the Post Primary & Cross-country groups – details available from coaches at training

Due to restrictions on numbers, we will not be accepting any new members who were born in 2012 or 2013 until January 2022 but we are accepting new members who were born in the years 2011 or before. 

Please note that our membership year runs from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 so if you are currently a member, you do not need to register again.

You can join the club via the Athletics Ireland online portal at https://membership.athleticsireland.ie/clubpage/Carrick-on-Shannon%20AC

Full details available HERE

Please remember that due to current regulations and insurance, any athlete who is not fully registered will not be allowed take part in any club activities.

Looking forward to seeing everyone back in action on October 5!

Monday, September 13, 2021

CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING RESUMES

 


The evenings are getting darker and a little bit chillier, schools is back and we're already dreading the Christmas ads. So I guess you know what that means - YES, Cross-country season is here!

Training for all fully registered Juvenile members aged 10 in 2021 and up resumes on Tuesday, September 14, at 6pm. We meet at the top field of the Carrick Community School so anyone interested in trying their hand at his most unforgiving and tough discipline (I'm really selling it here!) we'll see you on Tuesday.

Further details of future training will be available in the coming weeks!

Also a few more cross-country images to inspire you!









Sunday, July 11, 2021

CONNACHT TEAM GAMES RESULTS

Congratulations to all our athletes who performed so well at the Connacht Team Games in Athlone IT on Saturday July 10. 

For many of them, it was a first experience competing at this level, daunting as that is but reports say that they enjoyed their day and are looking forward to many more days wearing the royal blue of Carrick AC and competing at Connacht.

A special congratulations to Ornaith Guckian and Eleanor Reilly who finished third in the U10 Girls 500m race behind Moy Valley and Castlebar AC - they have now qualified for their first All-Irelands which will be held in August so we wish them the best of luck as they prepare for the big event.

A special thank you to all the parents who brought out athletes to Athlone - in these tough times of Covid, it was great that so many were willing to bring their children to compete.

A very special thanks to Siobhan Murtagh, Michelle Keenehan and Aisling O'Hart who helped look after our athletes in Athlone and represented the club as officials on the day. We'd be lost without you.

We must also thank Connacht Athletics for organising the event - not an easy thing to do with all the restrictions and limits on competitors and spectators but what a great day for the future generations of Connacht athletics stars - who knows, we might have seen a future Gerard O'Donnell, Eanna Madden, Cillian Greene or Robert McDonnell in action in Athlone today!

The following as the officials results: (Simply click on image to enlargen)

60M











Saturday, July 03, 2021

CONNACHT U9, 10 & 11 TEAM GAMES AND U12 to U14 QUALIFIERS

 


Well done to all our young athletes who took part in last Wednesday's Leitrim Athletics U9, 10 & 11 Team competition and U12 to U14 individual qualifying events.

First, however, we would like to apologise to all those who missed their events through no fault of their own when the schedule of events was altered at short notice. It was beyond the control of the club and we were sorry that so many missed out on their events.

Special thanks to the parents who made the journey to Manorhamilton for the event and all those who helped out on the night.

In the U10 Girls events, Ornaith Guckian and Eleanor Reilly recorded the two fastest times on the day with Ornaith clocking 10.12 and Eleanor 10.56 to win the event with clubmates Farrah O’Dowd (10.80) and Elise Cody (10.88) taking third to also qualify for Connacht.

Farrah & Elise qualified automatically in the Long Jump as did Ornaith & Eleanor in the 600m

In the U10 Boys events, Sean Leaver and Tom Wynne were our only qualifiers as they took third with times of 10.49 & 10.88 respesctively with Donnagh O’Sullivan (11.44) and Eoghan Murtagh (11.62) fifth overall.

Sean and Tom also finished second in the Long Jump with jumps of 3.35m and 2.53m respectively with Eoghan Murtagh (2.40) and Brendan Carey (2.25) fourth and Noah Bosquette (2.10) and Donnagh O’Sullivan (2.25) fifth

In the 500m, Noah Bosquette (1.59.58) and Brendan Carey (2.03.37) finished third to also qualify.

In the U11 Boys, we had a very close one-two in the 60m with Tom Winston (9.82) & Tadhg O’Hart (10.18) just getting the better of Tom Cullen (9.91) and Adam Meaghan (10.18) for first and second. Oisin Keenehan (10.55) and Zack Murtagh (10.82) were fourth with Conor Carey (10.82) and Fionn O’Sullivan (10.70) fifth

In the 600m, Noah Guckian (2.35.64) and Conor Carey (2.19.81) won the event while the Long Jump saw a clean sweep for the club with Adam Meaghan (2.55) and Fionn O’Sullivan (2.15) first ahead of Oisin Keenehan (2.10) and Tadhg O’Hart (2.42) in second and Tom Cullen (1.81) and Tom Winston (2.30) in third.

Our U11 Girls teams of Erin McGuinness & Nicole Atumonyogo did not have to compete in the U11 Team 60m & Long Jump but went straight through to Connacht.

In the individual events, we had a number of qualifiers, some of whom did not have to compete to qualify for Connachts. The list is below but there were some very good runs from Poppy Doherty and Anna Winston in the short sprint and Amy Murtagh in the U14 200m.

Details of the Connacht Championships in Athlone will be available later, we will get word out to our competing athletes.

Training will continue for all those who have qualified for the Connacht events and we wish those who missed out a happy and enjoyable Summer before we see them back at training later in the year.

The remainder of the Carrick AC qualifiers at U12 to U14 level are as follows:

U12 Girls 60m & Long Jump: Poppy Doherty & Anna Winston

U12 Girls 600m: Carragh Guckian

U12 Boys 60m & Long Jump: Shane Murtagh

U13 Girls 80m, 600m, Long Jump & Javelin: Mia Guckian

U13 Girls Long Jump: Katie McDwyer
 
U13 Boys 80m: Caoimhin O’Sullivan

U13 Boys 600m & Long Jump: Tadhg & Barra O’Shea

U14 Girls 80m, 200m & Long Jump: Amy Murtagh

U14 Girls 800m: Aoife McDwyer

U14 Boys 80m & Long Jump Brandon McKiernan

U14 Boys 800m: Richie Gavican & Kyle Lannon

U14 Boys 1,500m: Riaghan Guckian