Membership Reminder & 2023 Athletics Calendar

MEMBERSHIP REMINDER

We’re back in training this week but we just want to send out a reminder that anyone who wishes to take part in club activities must be fully registered.

We've already sent out a link for all club members to renew their membership while new members can be registered through the link at membership.athleticsireland.ie .

If you have any queries, contact Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com

COMPETITION

We're drawing up plans for the Juvenile indoor track & field season and we need to know who is interested in competing, both at local and provincial level. Those wishing to compete at Connacht level, qualifying to compete at these events is based on an athlete's ability and attendance at training - all entries are processed through the club only.

A little bit of information to digest first on how athletes can compete at the various levels:

·         Competition is based on an athletes age on December 31st in the year of competition (for example, an U12 athlete in 2023 is born in 2012 and will celebrate their 11th birthday this year)

·         The Club is officially registered as a "Leitrim" club but that has no effect on our Roscommon members. Their club county championships are the Leitrim championship and not Roscommon - it is different at Community Games level.

·         Leitrim Athletics County Board runs indoor, outdoor and cross-country competitions and all you must be is a member of a club in the county to compete - no qualification is necessary.​​​​​​​

·         For "Open" events such as club sports, regional games that are not provincial championships, any athlete can compete if they wish at their own behest.

·         For Connacht level, individual competition starts at U12 in indoors and outdoors. There is no "pre-qualification" through county needed for the U12 to U19 age groups.

·         For athletes in the U9, U10 and U11 age groups, there is no indoors competition at Connacht level and in the outdoors, the format is a pairs competition where the combined scores of two athletes from the same club are combined - the idea is to take the pressure from young children.

·         Any Relay teams, at whatever age, are picked solely by club coaches but anyone wishing to do a relay event must also compete as an individual

·         After Connacht level, if an athlete finishes in the top three in the indoors (top four in older age groups outdoors), they qualify for the National Championships. In some older age groups (U17 & up), there is an open entry policy but the athlete must have competed at Regional level.

·         For Adults (including Juniors), there is a direct entry system to events through your own personal membership login details. No pre-qualification is needed.

 

Dates of the various competition are below but for the Juvenile Indoor season, we need to know who is interested in taking part as individuals at Connacht level so please email connollyjohnb@gmail.com as soon as possible.

 

WE'RE LOOKING FOR HELP

We have a great team of coaches here in the club but we're always looking out for more people, particularly former members who are living around the area and might be interested in becoming involved with the club again.

If there are any previous members of the club who would be interested in getting involved in the club once more in a coaching capacity, we'd be delighted to hear from you. Just contact John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com

 

COUCH TO 5K

Adult Group coordinator Graham Allen will shortly be starting a new Couch to 5Km programme for anyone interested. Full details when it is confirmed.

 

2023 ATHLETICS CALENDAR

(The schools referred to in the calendar at Post Primary competitions)

January 26: North Connacht Schools XC in Corran, Co Sligo at 11am

January 29: AAI Indoor Games Athlone

February 5: Nat Masters - TUS Indoor Athlone

February 12: National Master/Intermediate/Juv B XC

February 18/19: Nat Seniors Indoors - Dublin

February 22: Connacht Schools XC in Bushfield Loughrea 12 noon

February 25-26: Connacht Senior & Juvenile Indoor Championships Athlone

March 11: All Irelands Schools XC Waterford

March 25: Nat Juvenile Relays

April 1-2: National Indoors Juvenile Athlone

April 21/22 Irish Universities T+F

April 27: North Connacht Schools T&F Sligo

May 19: Connacht Schools T&F Finals Athlone

June 3: All Ireland Schools Tullamore

June 10: Connacht Championships day 1 (U9, 10 & 11 Pairs & U12)

June 17: Connacht Championships day 2 (U13 – Senior)

June 25: National Jnr/u23 Tullamore

July 1: National Children's games ((U9, 10 & 11 Pairs & some U12 events)

July 8: National Juvenile B T&F (U13 to U17) & Club & County relays

July 9: National Juvenile T&F day 1

July 15/16: AAI games (Adult)

July 22/23: National Juvenile day 2&3

July 29/30: National Seniors T&F

August 12: National Masters T&F

October 22: Connacht Even Ages XC

November 5: Connacht Uneven ages XC

2023 MEMBESHIP AND RETURN TO TRAINING

We hope all our members and their families had a wonderful Christmas season but now it is time to get back to training!

The Juvenile groups are back in action from this Tuesday, January 10, in the Sports Complex at the usual times.

Anyone who attends Training MUST be a fully registered member of the club as we cannot allow anyone who is not fully paid up take part in organised club activities due to insurance considerations.

Any members from 2022 will have received an email containing a link on how to register for the coming year.

​​​​​​​Our registration system is through the Athletics Ireland Online Membership System which means that our members will be able to renew their memberships from the comfort of their own home. 

Our membership fees for the 2023 season are as follows: 

• Juvenile (U20 on December 31, 2004) - €28 

• Senior/Masters - €35 Juvenile 

• Family (3 or more) - €70 

There are several ways of renewing your membership or applying to join the club.

2022 MEMBERS

For existing members, the club will send out a membership link via email to any club members whose email address is inputted into the system. Simply follow the link attached and pay your membership depending on your age category. 

If you do not receive an email notification from the Athletics Ireland Membership system, contact Club Secretary John Connolly and provide your email address and a renewal notice will then be sent out. 

FORMER MEMBERS Depending on when you were last a member of the club, your details may still be stored in the system. 

NEW MEMBERS

For new members, the process is a bit simpler. Simply click onto the following link membership.athleticsireland.ie and follow the instructions, an application to join the club will be lodged and approved by the club. 

If the link is not showing up, the address is as follows: membership.athleticsireland.ie

If you have any queries, contact Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com​​​​​​​

2023 MEMBERSHIP SEASON OPEN

Carrick-on-Shannon Athletic Club is delighted to announce that we are starting the process of renewing existing club membership for the 2023 season. 

Our registration system is through the Athletics Ireland Online Membership System which means that our members will be able to renew their memberships from the comfort of their own home. 

This new system will allow members access their membership details, update those details if need be, have access to their membership number and enter national championships through the portal if they wish. 

Our membership fees for the 2023 season are as follows: 

• Juvenile (U20 on December 31, 2004) - €28 
• Senior/Masters - €35 Juvenile 
• Family (3 or more) - €70 

There are several ways of renewing your membership or applying to join the club.

2022 MEMBERS

For existing members, the club will send out a membership link via email to any club members whose email address is inputted into the system. Simply follow the link attached and pay your membership depending on your age category. 

If you do not receive an email notification from the Athletics Ireland Membership system, contact Club Secretary John Connolly and provide your email address and a renewal notice will then be sent out. 

FORMER MEMBERS Depending on when you were last a member of the club, your details may still be stored in the system. 

NEW MEMBERS

For new members, the process is a bit simpler. Simply click onto the following link membership.athleticsireland.ie and follow the instructions, an application to join the club will be lodged and approved by the club. 

One note, we are holding off taking new members aged 8 in 2023 until we have a clearer picture of numbers and the availability of training facilities. We do not take members younger than this age. 

If the link is not showing up, the address is as follows: membership.athleticsireland.ie

If you have any queries, contact Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com

Carrick AC Club Hoodies Order

Thanks to our partnership with BRADY INSURANCE CARRICK-ON-SHANNON, we’re glad to announce that we’re ordering new Club Hoodies and now is the time to place your orders.

The new hoodies, produced by Balon Sportswear, come with the option, at no extra cost, of initials on each top. Youth size hoodies will cost €25 each and adult hoodies €30 each

To make sure that we get the order done in time for Christmas, all completed orders must be in by 5 pm on Friday, October 28. This is a strict deadline - no orders after this date will be processed.

All you need to do is simply email Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com stating your name, size and initials to be used. Sizes are as follows: 

YOUTH - €25

Youth Small 7/8

Youth Medium 9/10

Youth Large 11/12

ADULT - €30

Youth XL 13/14

XS - SM - MED - LAR

XL - XXL - XXXL 

Payment can be made by putting the correct amount into an envelope marked with “Carrick AC Hoodies Order” with the athlete’s name also printed on it and giving it to a Club officer at any of our training sessions.

Remember the deadline is 5 pm on Friday October 28. No orders will be accepted after that date.

 

CARRICK AC JUVENILE TRAINING UPDATE

Just a final reminder that Carrick-on-Shannon AC Juvenile training resumes next Tuesday October 4, and we’re back at Carrick-on-Shannon Sports Complex this winter.

Training will be held on Tuesdays at the following times for the following groups:

Athletes born 2013:                           5 pm to 5.50 pm (Indoors)

Athletes born 2012 & 2011:                6pm to 6.50 pm (Indoors)

Athletes born 2010, 2009 & older:       6pm to 7pm (Outdoors – meet at Complex)

A few points to note

WEDNESDAY CIRCUIT TRAINING

There will also be an indoor circuit training session for athletes born in 2010, 2009 and older each Wednesday in Carrick Sports Complex from 6pm to 7pm. There is no extra charge for this session – it is covered by the weekly €3 fee.

FRIDAY SESSIONS

Details of the Friday afternoon training session for Post Primary and other eligible athletes will be given at training next week.

WEEKLY FEES

There is a €3 weekly fee for training – for our first term of four weeks up until the Halloween break, we are reverting to cash payments as we finalise our online payment structure. Please put your €12 in an envelope marked with the athlete’s name – if more than one family member in the club, please include all names on the envelope.

MEMBERSHIP

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THOSE WHO ATTEND TRAINING MUST BE FULLY REGISTERED MEMBERS OF CARRICK-ON-SHANNON AC - THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE

Our membership year runs from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 so if you are receiving this email, you are a fully registered member and need not do anything else.

If you are looking to register a new family member, please do so through the link at https://membership.athleticsireland.ie/ - however, please note that membership period elapses on December 31, and must be renewed in 2023.

Please note we are not accepting any new members born 2014 until January when a new group will be taken in. This group will join the 5pm session on Tuesday evenings in the New Year.

Also please note that we do not take any members born 2015 or later.

DROP-OFF AND COLLECTION TIMES

With parking space limited at the Sports Complex and the entire Aura Leitrim Leisure complex, we would ask all parents to respect our neighbours in Aura and the Community and ensure that they collect their children on time and that they depart the area in a timely manner to allow other parents to drop their children to training in a safe manner.

Please note that the 5 pm session ends at 5.50 so that the area can be cleared for the athletes arriving for both 6pm sessions. The 6pm session for those born in 2012 & 2011 will also end at 6.50 pm with the outdoor session ending at 7pm sharp.

COMPLEX

We have been asked to stress that no children are allowed upstairs in the complex unless accompanied by an adult.

THANKS

Finally, we wish to thank everyone at Gaelscoil Liatroma for the use of their facilities over the last two years. ​​​​​​​At a time when the entire country was locked down due to Covid and our usual indoor facilities were out of bounds to all sports clubs, the Gaelscoil Liatroma facilities were a lifesaver for our club and enabled us to stay operating at such a difficult time.

We really enjoyed our time out at the Gaelscoil but with all our equipment in the Complex and the challenges involved in using some of that equipment outdoors, we feel best that we head back indoors so that we can offer our members a greater range of activities.

We will be eternally grateful for the generosity of everyone associated with Gaelscoil Liatroma in allowing us to make our home there over the last two years - it is deeply appreciated by us all.

Also, we would once again like to thank our main sponsor Brady Insurance for their support.

ENQUIRIES

Any queries to Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com

CARRICK AC JUVENILE GROUPS RETURN TO TRAINING

Carrick-on-Shannon AC are pleased to announce that Juvenile training will resume on Tuesday October 4, and that we will be returning to Carrick-on-Shannon Sports Complex this winter.

Training will be held on Tuesdays at the following times for the following groups:

Athletes born 2013:                           5 pm to 5.50 pm (Indoors)

Athletes born 2012 & 2011:                6pm to 7 pm (Indoors)

Athletes born 2010, 2009 & older:       6pm to 7pm (Outdoors)

There will also be an indoor circuit training session for athletes born in 2010, 2009 and older each Wednesday in Carrick Sports Complex from 6pm to 7pm

There is a €3 weekly fee for training – for our first term of four weeks up until the Halloween break, we are reverting to cash payments as we finalise our online payment structure. Please put your €12 in an envelope marked with the athlete’s name – if more than one family member in the club, please include all names on the envelope.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THOSE WHO ATTEND TRAINING MUST BE FULLY REGISTERED MEMBERS OF CARRICK-ON-SHANNON AC

Our membership year runs from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 so if you are already a fully registered member and need not do anything else.

If you are looking to register a new family member, please do so through the link at https://membership.athleticsireland.ie/ - however, please note that membership period elapses on December 31, and must be renewed in 2023.

Please note we are not accepting any new members born 2014 until January when a new group will be taken in. This group will join the 5pm session on Tuesday evenings in the New Year.

Also please note that we do not take any members born 2015 or later.

One final request, as space is limited in the Sports Complex, could any members who are not intending to return to training this winter please let us know so that we can offer spaces to any potential new members who might not get the chance to join otherwise. 

We will be delighted to see everyone back at training but we understand that sometimes interests change or there are time constraints with other obligations, both sporting, work and school, so if any child is not returning, could they please contact our Secretary asap.

Any queries to Club Secretary John Connolly at connollyjohnb@gmail.com

GERARD & EANNA STAR IN SANTRY STORM

Congratulations to our speedy international duo Gerard O'Donnell and Eanna Madden who again underlined their status among this country's top athletes when they finished in the medals at the Irish Life Health Athletics Ireland Senior Track & Field Championships in Morton Stadium in Santry last weekend.

CARRICK-ON-SHANNON AC ARE SPONSORED BY BRADY INSURANCE CARRICK-ON-SHANNON

Gerard and Eanna, both members of the Dublin Sprint Club training group, are almost like a double act at this stage and it would be easy to take for granted the continuing high standards they set themselves and continually meet because winning a National Senior medal of any colour is not a common occurence! We really are very lucky to have them in the royal blue of Carrick AC.

To say conditions were tough last weekend is an understatement with athletes battling winds that reached speeds of minus 8.3 metres per second during Gerard's 110m Hurdles Final on Saturday, testing the resolve and technique of all athletes.

Gerard claimed a silver in Saturday's 110m Hurdles Final, losing out by just two hundredths of a second after a race marred by a clash of hands that robbed him of momentum midway through the race. Gerard finished like a train but was just unable to catch Crusaders' Matthew Behan, his lunge for the line leaving him second with a time of 15.63 to Behan's 15.61 seconds. 

It was disappointing for Gerard to lose his title after five consecutive wins, we're sure he will be back but we must also offer our congratulations to Matthew Behan on winning his first national senior title.

Eanna claimed a superb bronze in the 400m Final on Sunday evening, really showing strength and experience to come through despite running blind from lane eight. Eanna won his heat on Saturday in a time of 49.23 but as the slowest of the qualifiers, it left him out in lane eight for the final.

But Eanna made light of the lane draw, a blistering first 100m setting him up nicely. Contesting the lead with eventual winner Chris O'Donnell from North Sligo at the halfway point, Eanna was right in contention with Clonliffe's Marcus Lawler who started to edge ahead as both entered the final straight. Eanna surged again as the finish line approached but ran out of track as as O'Donnell won in a time of 46.82 with Lawler second in 47.94 and Eanna third in 48.11.

Alannah McGuinness was also in action over the weekend, running a time of 26.99 on Saturday in the 200m heats into a wind of minus 2.5 m/s and 13.27 in the 100m heats on Sunday into a wind of minus 2.8 m/s - Alannah is also training with the lads and the Dublin Sprint Club crew and is showing the benefits in her performances and improved technique of working with such a great group.

The last member of the Carrick AC Dublin Sprint Club contingent is Cathal McElgunn but unfortunately, a slight strain during training a couple of days before the Nationals ruled Cathal out of competing in the 400m but hopefully, he will get back in action quickly. 

Special thanks to Jeremy Lyons, Aideen Sinnott and, of course, our own Gerard O'Donnell who are coaches with Dublin Sprint Club. The work they do is evident in the quality of performances of our athletes and their entire group with Sophie Becker's win in the 400m after a truly epic battle with Phil Healy one of the highlights of an amazing national championships - we really appreciate everything they do for our gang.