Early Bird entries for the Cork City 10 miler ends 31st July

Just a reminder that the cheapest entries for the Cork City 10 miler close on Sunday the 31st of July.

After this, the fee goes up from €20 to €25.

More info in this previous post.

3000m win for Mark Hanrahan at Le Cheile International Meet in Kildare

Cork athlete Mark Hanrahan of Leevale AC was in action at the Le Cheile International Meet in Kildare over the weekend and finished 1st in the 3000m.

Results of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 30th July 2016

The numbers for the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park are holding up well with 194 turning out for the 7th edition on Saturday the 30th of July 2016. 

1 Conor DOLAN 17:58 SM30-34  M 1 St Finbarrs AC
2 Unknown         
3 Michal SLOMSKI 18:26 SM30-34  M 3 Cork Triathlon Club
17 Emily WOLFE 20:45 JW11-14  F 1 Leevale AC
18 Mary SWEENEY 20:54 VW55-59  F 2 St Finbarrs AC
26 Caitlin BERNARD 21:49 JW11-14  F 3 Lambay Sports & Athletics 

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Pauline Hennessey has a gallery HERE

In other parkrun news, there was an article in the Evening Echo during the week about a local councillor calling for the Tramore Valley Park to open to the public. Again, funding seems to be the issue and almost certainly nothing is going to happen in 2016.

Elsewhere, there is talk of a new parkrun in Listowel in Co.Kerry.

Results of the Kinsale Regatta 5 mile road race...Fri 29th July 2016

In contrast to the Conna 5k, there was a 38% drop in numbers for the Kinsale Regatta 5 mile race on Friday the 29th of July. A total of 126 finished the race in what were pretty ideal conditions for running.

1     Cillian     O'Leary     M     Raheny Shamrocks     0:25:31
2     Ben     McCormack     M40     Chorelton Runners     0:27:15
3     Joe     Cunningham     M45     St.Finbarr     0:27:32
12     Lorna     Davy Fitzgerald     F     Mallow AC     0:31:08
15     Una     Plant Murphy     F45     Kinsale Tri Club     0:31:35
16     Aoife     Carroll     F     Mallow AC     0:31:50

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Conna 5km road race...Fri 29th July 2016

243 runners turned out for this years Conna 5k road race on Friday the 29th of July 2016, the exact same number as last year. With so many races on the calendar, keeping the numbers steady at 200+ is pretty good for this 5k race organised by St.Catherines AC.

1 0:17:41    FINN, Jonathan    East Cork AC    M    05:41.4
2 0:17:44    COSTELLO, Colm    Brothers Pearse AC    M40    05:42.4
3 0:17:54    MCLOUGHLIN, John    unatt/Kanturk    M    05:45.6
5 0:18:04    KIELY, Martina    St. Finbarrs AC    F    05:48.8
14 0:19:10    FINN, Carol    Leevale AC    F    06:10.0
25 0:19:37    CASHMAN, Evelyn    Youghal AC    F45    06:18.7

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...(Updated 2nd Aug)
1) Mike Byrne of St.Catherine's AC has a small gallery of finish line photos HERE
2) Ger Broderick has a nice gallery of photos HERE

Members of St.Nicholas AC out in force to support their neighbours. Photo credit : Harriett Cotter

Stephen O'Mahony of Skibbereen AC...RIP

I was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Stephen O'Mahony of Skibbereen AC. Stephen was regular on the race circuit throughout the county and often featured in the category prizes.

Stephen was in the same age category as myself and we often competed against each other in various road championships and races over the last decade. He was always a good marker for me and I knew that if I was able to stay up with him then I was doing well.

Stephen had a long involvement in athletics and used to organise a race in his native Rosscarbery back in the 1980's.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam


Notice on rip.ie

Results & photos of the Churchtown South 5 mile road race...Thurs 28th July 2016

The annual Churchtown South 5 mile road race was held on Thursday the 28th of July in almost ideal conditions for running. A total of 532 runners took part in what was the third race of four in the Ballycotton Summer Series.

The numbers for 2016 were down just three on the 535 in 2016. I guess we all get a bit complacent about the numbers but getting 500+ runners for a 5 mile race in a small village in East Cork in the middle of the week is pretty special. I'm not sure if people realise just how big the race numbers are in Cork in comparison to other parts of the country. I put up a lot of results for other races on the Running in Munster site and there are races in or near Limerick City and Waterford City that get just over 100 runners.


The chart above shows a breakdown of the various paces and what is remarkable this year is that only 22 runners broke 30 minutes i.e. ran faster than 6 minute per mile pace. Since the race started in 1980, that is the lowest number ever.

1    0:26:36    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:19.1
2    0:26:54    O'CONNELL, John    Leevale AC    M    05:22.7   
3    0:26:59    CORBETT, Michael    St. Finbarrs AC    M40    05:23.7
10    0:28:35    COOKE, Aoife    Youghal AC    F    05:42.9
38    0:30:58    MOORE, Niamh    Cork Varsity AC    F    06:11.5
39    0:31:00    SANTRY, Fiona    East Cork AC    F    06:11.9

Results...The full results can be seen HERE

Close contest for 2nd and 3rd in the women's race with just two seconds separating Niamh Moore and Fiona Santry in the end. Photo: Gearóid Ó Laoi

Photos...
1) Some of the prizewinners can be seen in an album on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) Gearóid Ó Laoi has a small gallery HERE

* * *

Overall Series...

The positions in the Ballycotton Summer Series after the Churchtown South race can be seen HERE

These were compiled by John Robinson of Mallow AC.

Sean McGrath of East Cork AC...winner of the 2016 Churchtown South 5 mile road race

Aoife Cooke of Youghal AC...first woman home

Niamh Moore was the second woman home with just two seconds separating her from Fiona Santry in 3rd place. Niamh won the Cloyne Summer 4k just a few days earlier.

Less than 200 places left for the East Cork Harbour Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k

The inaugural East Cork Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k is coming up on Saturday the 20th of August 2016. If you haven't signed up yet then note that there are less than 200 places left.

More info in this original post... http://corkrunning.blogspot.com/2016/04/noticeeast-cork-harbour-marathon-half.html

Parking at Ballincollig Regional Park...

The Regional Park in Ballincollig is one of the best parks near Cork City and is very popular with runners and walkers alike. Cork County Council have just released a notice about parking there.

Most people driving there are using the western car park and it's at full capacity....shown below on the left. The car park by the allotments is very much underused....shown below on the right. Just something to remember if you are driving there.

Will the Rio Olympics be as dirty as London?

In the run up to the 2012 Olympics in London, much of the publicity and hype was about how it was going to be the cleanest Olympic Games ever. As a constant stream of retests show, it was anything but.

Today, it was the turn of the weightlifters when it was revealed that a huge number of them had been doping in London. In the womens 75kg category, everyone on the podium has failed and it looks as if the person that came 4th may end up getting Gold. In the mens 94kg, a Korean who finished 8th looks like he might get a Bronze medal.

It all points to Rio being no better as various sporting federations fail to tackle doping due to a fear of court cases and compensation.

Gerard Hartmann who is one of Ireland's top physical therapists said the following in the Irish Times this morning...“I know I can look at the Irish team in Rio and genuinely believe every single one of them are clean, that there’s no questions to be asked about any of them, with regard to performance enhancing drugs. But unfortunately for them, many of them will end competing against athletes we know have taken drugs in the past, and quite possibly still are.”

It all points to an uncertain future for the Olympic movement as they lose credibility. It was revealed today in an article in the Guardian that more and more cities are refusing to bid for the Games.

Reminder...Entry fee for Clonmel Half goes up on 1st Aug

Just a reminder that the €25 early bird entry for the Clonmel Half-Marathon closes on the 31st of July. After that, it goes up to €35. The entry fee also includes a dry fit top.

More info here... http://munsterrunning.blogspot.ie/2016/06/notice-clonmel-half-marathon-tipperary.html

Question mark over age of Ethiopian athlete

Ethiopian Adanech Anbesa won the womens 1500m title at the recent IAAF World U20 Championships in Bydgozcz, Poland. Her athlete profile gives her date of birth as being the 23rd of Jan 1998 which makes her 18 years old.

Someone questioned if this was her real age?

The42 Sports website previews Michelle Finn & Lizzie Lee

As part of the run in to the upcoming Olympic games in Rio, The42 Sports website had short pieces on two of the Cork athletes heading to Brazil.

Michelle Finn... http://www.the42.ie/ireland-olympic-team-michelle-finn-steeplechase-2894923-Jul2016/

Lizzie Lee... http://www.the42.ie/lizzie-lee-team-ireland-2016-rio-olympics-2895951-Jul2016/

Fire at St.Patrick's in Iten, Kenya

Many of you will be aware of Brother Colm O'Connell from Mallow and how he coached the top 800m world record holder David Rudisha. The school where he teaches suffered a major fire today.

Although it may not be related, Kenya is suffering a spate of arson attacks at schools at present.

"St. Patrick's fire, unconfirmed report - No casualties. One dormitory burned down."

St: Patrick's High School Iten dormitory on fire!!! Whats wrong with our schools? Something need to be done. pic.twitter.com/tXtpuskYoF

— David Rudisha MBS (@rudishadavid) July 26, 2016

Record numbers at the Run Killarney Half-Marathon & 10k...Sat 23rd July 2016

One of the big races last weekend was of course the Run Killarney Half-Marathon & 10k in Co.Kerry. Judging from all the singlets, there was a big contingent of runners from Cork for this one as well as from further afield.

This year, there were a record 1673 finishers which is certainly a change from a lot of other races which are shedding numbers at the moment.

There are links to the results and loads of photos over on the Running in Munster site.

Notice...Churchtown South 5 mile road race - Thurs 28th July 2016

The 3rd race of 4 in the Ballycotton Summer Series is coming up on Thursday evening the 28th of July 2016 with the Churchtown South 5 mile road race at 8pm. As always for these races, a large crowd is expected so try to arrive early if you are going....say between 7 and 7:20pm.

Some info from the organisers.......People who have ran the first two races in the Summer Series (Ballyandreen and Shanagarry) are automatically entered for tonight’s race. The numbers are in alphabetical order and can be seen on the wall in the community centre - It would help if people could find their number in advance and ask for it at one of the entry desks. 

The list is also available online HERE

Again, it would be appreciated if people had the correct fee of €5 ready to speed up the process. Entries will open from 6pm onwards with the race starting at 8pm. For new people on the night (who haven’t run the two races), there will be a separate entry desk as normal – entry fee again €5.

With the huge increase in participants, the start of races now poses its own problems. For safety reasons, we urge people to line up in accordance with their ability. Unless you are running under 30 minutes you have no business at the front – the race is over five miles and there will be plenty of opportunity to move up after the initial rush, so pace yourself accordingly. It goes without saying that headphones should not be worn at any stage.....Ballycotton Running Promotions

Overall Series...The overall positions in the Ballycotton Summer Series after 2 races can be seen HERE  (courtesy of John Robinson). Remember, there are top 50 men and top 30 women t-shirts at the end of the series.

A preview of the course with maps, directions and photos can be seen HERE

Results of the IMRA Glenbower Woods Trail Race...Wed 20th July 2016

This trail race organised by the Munster Mountain Running Association was held in Glenbower Woods in Killeagh on Wednesday the 20th of July 2016.

1    Tom Blackburn    M50    0:22:52    Mooreabbey ...    Limerick
2    Brian Flannelly    M    0:23:53    Dooneen AC    Tipperary
3    Ger O'Sullivan    M40    0:24:01    Cork
15    Debbie McCarthy    F40    0:28:39    Riverstick ...    Cork
18    Joan Ryan    F40    0:29:44    Mallow AC    Cork
19    Maria O Sullivan    F40    Cork

The full results can be seen HERE

Results of the Banteer Show 5k...Sun 17th July 2016

The Banteer Show 5k organised by Duhallow AC was held on Sunday the 17th of July and had a small field of 53 runners

1 Maurice Feehan Gneeveguilla AC 16:53
2 John Barrett Gneeveguilla AC 17:17
3 John McLoughlin 17:40
6 Martina Kieley St.Finbarr's AC 18:05 1st lady
12 Niamh Harte 21:08 2nd lady
20 Joan Buckley Duhallow AC 22:30. 3rd lady

The results can be seen HERE

Results of the Cloyne Summer 4k...Sun 24th July 2016

Over the Winter and Spring months, a 4km race series is held in the village of Cloyne. As a fundraising effort for a local scout group, a Summer 4k was held on Sunday the 24th of July 2016 and 115 runners took part.

1    0:11:52    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M    04:46.4
2    0:13:16    MCGRATH, Sean    East Cork AC    M    05:20.1
3    0:13:32    CANAVAN, Darragh    Leevale AC    M    05:26.6
9    0:14:48    MOORE, Niamh    Cork Varisty AC    F    05:57.2
12    0:15:13    CASHMAN, Evelyn    Youghal AC    F45    06:07.2
23    0:17:02    LEAHY, Eileen    Midleton AC    F    06:51.1

The full results can be seen HERE

The main 5km race in Cloyne is coming up on Tuesday the 2nd of August. Details here... http://corkrunning.blogspot.ie/2016/07/noticecloyne-5km-road-race-tues-2nd-aug.html

Results & photos of the Ballincollig 5k parkrun...Sat 23rd July 2016

The numbers at the 5k parkrun in Ballincollig Regional Park continue to hold up with 199 part on Saturday the 23rd of July. That's just 13 down on the 212 of last week.

1 Conor DOLAN 17:58 SM30-34 M 1
2 Gerard MCGRATH 18:08 VM50-54 M 2 Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club
3 Michael COLOHAN 18:54 SM30-34 M 3
11 Emily WOLFE 20:28 JW11-14 F 1 Leevale AC
26 Maria COFFEY 22:33 SW30-34 F 2 Ballymore Cobh AC
33 Adelle O'CONNOR 23:06 VW45-49 F 3 Eagle A.C.

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Pauline Hennessey has a gallery HERE
2) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has a gallery HERE

Photo Credit : Pauline Hennessey 

Results & photos of the Donoughmore 7 mile road race...Fri 22nd July 2016

A total of 247 runners turned out for this years Donoughmore 7 mile road race on Friday the 22nd of July 2016. That represents a welcome increase of 16% in numbers compared to 2015 and is the highest figure since 2012.

The men's race was  won by Michael Corbett of St.Finbarr's AC in a time of 38:53. The first woman home was Clare McCarthy in a new course record of 39:18. Claire represented Ireland recently in the half-marathon at the European Athletic Championships in Amsterdam.

1    MICHAEL    CORBETT    M40    ST FINBARRS    0:38:53
3    Cathal    O'Connell    M50    St Finbarrs    0:39:23
4    EOIN    SUGRUE    M40    UNATT    0:40:12
2    CLAIRE    GIBBONS-MCCARTHY    F40    LEEVALE AC    0:39:18
24    JOYCE    WOLFE    F35    LEEVALE AC    0:45:07
27    MARGARET    MURPHY    F35    BANDON AC    0:45:22


The full results can be seen HERE

Claire McCarthy of Leevale AC wins the 2016 Donoughmore 7 mile road race. Photo: Joe Murphy

Photos...  (Updated Tues 26th July)
1) Joe Murphy of Eagle AC has 93 photos HERE
2) Donoughmore AC have some finish line photos HERE

Video from the two mile mark...
 

Sergiu Ciobanu loses Olympic Marathon appeal

There has been some controversy over the last month or so about the Irish mens marathon team that was selected for the Olympics in Rio. The third member of the team Paul Pollock was selected by Athletics Ireland based on his half-marathon times rather than Sergiu Ciobanu who had a slightly faster marathon time.

Sergiu took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. In a finding today, they dismissed the appeal.

Although disappointed with the result, Sergiu said that he wished the Irish team all the best in Rio.

Ciobanu statement: "I fully respect the decision of CAS and wish each and every member of the Irish marathon team every success at Rio."

— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) July 22, 2016

Notice...Conna 5km road race - Fri 29th July 2016

Organised by St.Catherines Athletic Club, this 5 km road race is coming up in the village of Conna on Friday, the 29th of July 2016.

The Race HQ is the local community centre which is on the main road through the village. This is one of the few 5 km races in this part of NE Cork and should be of interest to a lot of runners. One thing to note is the number of prizes on offer with the top 5 men and women getting something as opposed to the more usual 3.   

Course Preview.....A full preview with maps, directions and photos can be seen HERE 

The club has its own website as well...http://stcatherinesac.org/

This year the event is kindly sponsored by Dermot O'Leary Agri Ltd.

Video from Electric Ireland on 80 year old marathon runners Joe & Kay O'Regan

In June of 2016, Joe and Kay O'Regan from Co.Wexford who are both 80 years old completed the Cork City Marathon. They finished the 26.2 mile event together just like they did when they ran their first marathon in London back in 1986...30 years earlier.

To mark their achievement, Electric Ireland have put together the following piece.....

Be Inspired to find The Power Within // Cork octogenarian couple use The Power Within to complete 142 marathons

Only 0.0001% of the world’s population get to call themselves an Olympian, a very small group of extraordinary people whose unwavering self belief propels them to do extraordinary things. As part of its sponsorship of Team Ireland for the Rio Olympic Games, Electric Ireland has been shining a light on our Olympians and how they use their own mental strength and The Power Within to achieve their dreams. Electric Ireland wants to inspire the Irish public with these athletes’ powerful stories and encourage people to look within themselves to realise that we can all unlock the Power Within.

Although they may not be Olympic athletes, Joe and Kay O’Regan from Wexford are proof that the power is within all of us to achieve great things. The eighty year old couple ran their first marathon when they were 50, when most people are giving up running. 30 years and 142 marathons later, they finished their last marathon in June, in Cork, hand in hand. Their determination and strength of spirit is inspiring in equal measure.

The O’Regan’s have teamed up with Electric Ireland to share their amazing story of mental resilience and fortitude.

Speaking about what they believe The Power Within means, Kay and Joe O’Regan said, “People thought we were mad, that you don’t start running at 50, but the longest journey starts with the first step and if we can do it anyone can. The Power Within is about looking inside yourself and having belief in the things you can achieve.”

Watch the O’Regan’s amazing journey...

Dick O'Brien of St.Nicholas AC calls it a day...

Among the many clubs in Co.Cork, there are a few characters that stand out. For St.Nicholas AC in Castlelyons near Rathcormac in Cork, it's Dick O'Brien. After a long running career starting with a race around the mart in Fermoy in 1960, he ran his last race last Wednesday when he completed the Carrigtwohill 5k as an M70. To mark the occasion, Carrigtwohill AC presented him with this plaque...

Over the many years, Dick has competed in many many races including 14 marathons with his best time being 2 hours 43 minutes and 23 seconds. In earlier times, he also ran under 9 minutes for 3,000metres.

Here is section of a piece from St.Nicholas AC....... He set up St Nicholas Athletics Club in 1981 and was also central to re-launching the club earlier this decade. He also set up a very successful couch to 5k series in 2013 where he has trained over 80 people to complete a 5k. Dicko's enthusiasm & encouragement has seen the club prosper in recent times with the club growing from 10 senior athletes to 65 in just three years. Dicko is also heavily involved in training our underage section which now boasts over 100 juvenile members. St Nicholas Athletics Club is now a fitting testament to this great man!

As a tribute to Dick and his last race, members of St.Nicholas AC ran with him in the race last Wednesday...

A fitting tribute for someone who has done so much for this small club in North-East Cork.

Notice...John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler - Sat 10th Sept 2016

Here is another one for the diaries. The John Buckley Sports Cork City 10 Miler race is coming up on Saturday the 10th of September 2016 at 6pm. This is the third year of this particular event and this year, the race HQ has been changed to Shandon Boat Club.

Located in the heart of Cork City, this is going to be popular with a lot of runners. 10 miles is a favourite distance for a lot of people as can be seen by the huge numbers doing the various 10 milers like Dungarvan and Ballycotton in the Spring.

As 10 mile courses go, this is up there with the fastest of them and takes in the flat walkways around Mahon and Blackrock.

Preview.......A full preview of the course can be seen here.. http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork085.html

The early bird entry of €20 closes on the 31st of July and that includes a dry-fit top.

Here is how to enter.....

1) John Buckley Sports.......Just call into the shop and enter. It is just across the river from the Opera House in the heart of Cork City.

2) Online via EventMaster....Click HERE

More info on the race website... http://corkcity10miler.com/

The race is being organised by St,Finbarr's AC. Their website is http://www.stfinbarrsac.com/

Results of the Ballydesmond 1 mile road race...Wed 20th July 2016

This new one mile race was held in Ballydesmond in NW Cork on Wednesday the 20th of July and attracted a field of 62. This was the 4th race of 5 in the ongoing One Mile Series organised by Gneeveguilla AC.

1 608 John Barrett O/50M Gneeveguilla AC 4:39
2 605 Robert Purcell Snr O/45M Gneeveguilla AC 4:41
3 805 Mathew Collins SnrM Gneeveguilla AC 4:45
13 610 Siobhan Daly Snr/F Gneeveguilla AC 5:21
15 650 Caroline McCarthy O/45F Unattached 5:31
20 667 Caroline Murphy O/50F Gneeveguilla AC 5:42

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
https://www.facebook.com/gneeveguilla.ac/posts/1054716447898582

https://www.facebook.com/gneeveguilla.ac/posts/1054713321232228

https://www.facebook.com/gneeveguilla.ac/posts/1054712157899011

Results & Photos of the Carrigtwohill 5k road race...Wed 20th July 2016

A total of 512 runners turned out for this years Carrigtwohill 5k road race in East Cork.

1    Alan Oshea (478)    15:10    Senior  (1)    Male  (1)
2    James McCarthy (472)    15:22    Senior  (2)    Male  (2)
3    Sean McGrath (348)    15:31    Senior  (3)    Male  (3)
9    Aoife Cooke (163)    17:30    Senior  (1)    Female  (1)
12    Michelle Kenny (186)    18:10    Senior  (2)    Female  (2)
16     Niamh Moore (346)     18:20 Senior (3) Female (3)

The provisional results are up on the race website... https://carrigtwohill5k.wordpress.com/results/2016-results/

Both the winners of the mens and womens race set new course records. Alan broke his old record set in 2015 by 3 seconds while Aoife broke the old record by 13 seconds. You can see the the top 10 men and women over the years HERE

Photos...(Updated Fri 22nd July)
1) There are 374 photos on the Running in Cork Facebook page HERE
2) Padraig de Burca has a gallery HERE
3) Ger Broderick has a small few HERE 

At about 1.8 miles, the first 3 men were still together

 

Carrigtwohill AC's very own 'Spiderman' Ned Ramsell putting up the race banners

Note from Cork County Council on Race Flyers and Littering

Someone in Cork County Council sent on a notice to me recently about race flyers and littering. It's actually an offence to leave race flyers on the windscreens of cars as it counts as littering. The owner of the car didn't ask for the leaflet and they are given it without any say in the matter.

For some race organisers, this is an ongoing problem. If a farmers field is used as a car park then the litter including discarded flyers must be picked up afterwards. In other cases, it leads to litter in residential areas which can lead to problems as some races are dependent on the goodwill of the local community.

From what I understand, there is nothing wrong with handing out flyers to someone in person say at the race HQ or finish line. They are accepting the flyer and it is up to them to dispose of it properly. It can however lead to some local littering so it's best to clear it with the race organiser to see how they feel about it.

The Council would just like to get the word out there and have event organisers comply rather than having to take action.

Here is their statement........Cork County Council would like to draw race organisers and club committees’ attention to the following:

The placing of leaflets on vehicles, such as under wipers, is prohibited under the Litter Pollution Act 1997. This can attract a spot fine of €150, or, potentially, prosecution in the courts.

Cork County Council does not wish to be in a position of issuing penalties to small athletic clubs, community organisations or local concerns. Therefore, we would appreciate it if you could draw relevant people’s attention to this.

If clubs or committees should have difficulty in getting third parties to comply with this, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Environment Directorate in Inniscarra and we will offer appropriate assistance.

Cork County Council,
Environment Directorate,
Inniscarra,
County Cork.
Ireland.
Tel: (021) 4532700

Notice...Cloyne 4k - Sun 24th July 2016

Cloyne Community Council are staging a 4K race to raise funds for the newly formed Cloyne Scouts. The race is fixed for Sunday July 24th at 9.30am. Entry fee is €5 and all funds raised will go directly to the scouts.

O'Callaghan Toyota Kanturk present Olympic athlete Michelle Finn with a new car

In a show of support for a local athlete, O'Callaghan Toyota of Kanturk presented Michelle Finn with a new car recently. Michelle will be representing Ireland in the 3000m Steeplechase in a few weeks time at the Olympics in Rio.

From O'Callaghan Toyota of Kanturk........"A very welcome visitor at our showroom today. Michelle Finn, Olympic Athlete & New O' Callaghan Toyota Brand Ambassador, collected her New 162 Toyota Aygo. Denis Roche, Sales Executive, presented Michelle with her New Car."

Cork Paralympic Athletes compete in Berlin Grand Prix last weekend

As part of their build up to the Paralympic Games in Rio in September, Cork athletes Orla Barry, Noelle Lenihan and Niamh McCarthy were part of an Irish squad that took part in a Grand Prix in Berlin last weekend.

From Paralympics Ireland........"All eyes turn to Rio as Para-Athletics squad finish off Grand Prix in Berlin. There were some good results from the Irish para-athletics squad this weekend as they competed in Berlin at the Para-Athletics Grand Prix.

Day One saw success for the Cork’s Noelle Lenihan took home a silver medal in the F38 Shot Put with a throw of 10.78m. Orla Barry continued her winning form as she took home another gold medal to add to her collection, winning first place in the F57 Discus final with a throw of 29.06m.

Day Two (Sunday, July 17th) saw more medals, with wins for Noelle Lenihan in the Discus final with a 31.04m throw, a win for Niamh McCarthy with a 22.79m throw in her Discus final.

"This competition was a valuable learning tool for our athletes," said Irish Para-Athletics team leader, James Nolan. "While there were no Personal Bests secured, many of the athletes achieved these when it mattered most - at Europeans last month. This competition was a good stepping stone to help them to focus their minds on the biggest competition of their lives in less than eight weeks' time in Rio."