John Cussen of Old Abbey AC...RIP

A bit of sad news. I heard today that John Cussen of Old Abbey AC has passed away. He was 89 years old.

L-R...John Hayes, Jimmy Murray, John Cussen & John O'Driscoll

He is pictured here back in 2014 at the Old Abbey 5k road race. He was a founding member of Old Abbey Athletic Club.


Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Notice

Laura Cussen of Old Abbey AC in Cork sets new U17 pole vault record

Laura Cussen from Old Abbey AC in Cork set a new national record of 2.86 metres in the Girls under-17 Pole Vault at the Juvenile Track and Field Championships in Tullamore, Co. Offaly on Sunday. Picture credit: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE

Results of the Old Abbey AC 5k road race...Thurs 30th May 2014

A total of 72 runners turned out for this 5k road race in Goggins Hill near Ballinhassig on Thursday the 20th of May 2014. 

1    STEPHEN MAKIN    SeniorM    WIGAN PHEONIX    16.55
2    MICHAEL DULLEA    SeniorM    SKIBEREEN    17.15
3    MICHAEL HARRINGTON    o40M    BANTRY    17.40
12    DEIRDRE HARRINGTON    o40W    BANTRY    21.09
32    FIDELMA KIRWIN    o40W    EAGLE    24.15
33    SIOBHAN HOLLAND    SeniorW    NONE    24.19

From the organisers Old Abbey AC...Lovely fine evening again. We were delighted to have John Hayes, John O'Driscoll, Jimmy Murray running last night, who ran the same course 31 years ago, an event held under NACI rules. The race was started by the Club's President & one of the clubs founding members, John Cussen. 

L-R...John Hayes, Jimmy Murray, John Cussen & John O'Driscoll

The results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Kieran Minihane has a gallery of photos HERE

Notice...Old Abbey 5k road race, Goggin Hill - Thurs 29th May 2014

This 5k road race takes place to the south-west of Cork City on Thursday, the 29th of May at 7:30pm.

Please note the course is completely different from last year. In 2013, it was the 60th anniversary of the first race which was back in 1953 when Abbey AC were formed. The 2013 race which was point to point followed the original course from Waterfall to Goggins Hill.

This year, Abbey AC are holding the race over a new 5k course which is to the south of the local school.

 The easiest way to get to Goggins Hill from the city is via Waterfall....

About 2.5 miles beyond Waterfall, you take a left at a crossroads. Gogginshill National School is just a short distance down this road on the right.

Preview......Full directions, maps and preview of the course can be seen HERE

David Cussen of Old Abbey AC sets new PB in the high jump

Just catching up on a piece of news from last week. On Sunday the 18th of August, the Athletics Ireland Track & Field League final was held in Tullamore, Co.Offaly. David Cussen who was competing as a guest for Bandon AC won the mens competition with a jump of 2.13 metres.

High Jump - Men Division One
Place Name Club Hgt(m)
1 David Cussen Bandon A.C. 2.13
2 Mark Rogers Louth Athletics 1.75
3 Ian Crowley Riocht A.C. 1.70

This was a new record height for the Cork athlete, beating his previous best of 2.10 metres  which he set at the Cork City Sports in June. This now moves him from joint 15th to joint 11th on the Irish mens all time list and he is still only 17 years old.

Photo...Athletics Ireland

Young Cork athletes win titles at the 2013 Celtic Games in Wales...

At the 2013 Celtic Games in Wales on Saturday the 3rd of August 2013, a number of athletes from Cork won their respective competitions. They were part of a large Irish team that took part in the event.

High Jump...U18...David Cussen from Old Abbey AC in Cork was the clear winner with a jump of 2.10 metres matching his personal best.

Long Jump...U18...Sam Healy of Leevale AC finished first with a jump of 6.81 metres.

800m...U18...Louise Shanahan of Leevale AC finished first in 2m 13.34s.

100m hurdles...U16...Jack Murphy of Leevale AC finished second in a time of 13.77 seconds.

Team events...U18 Women 4x100m Relay...The Irish team finished first in a time of 47.99 seconds...Sarah-Kate LACEY Shannen DAWKINS Annie STAFFORD Niamh MCNICHOLL

The full results can be seen HERE

David Cussen of Old Abbey AC finishes 9th in the High Jump at the World Youth Championships

The IAAF World Youth Championships are currently taking place in Donetsk, Ukraine with the events spread out over five days. The high jump final concluded on Saturday the 13th of July and David Cussen from Old Abbey AC in Cork finished a very credible 9th out of 12 competitors.

David who is just 17 years old cleared 2.07 metres, just 3 cms short of his personal best of 2:10 which he set at the recent Cork City Sports. David's previous PB had been 2.06.

Results of the Old Abbey 5 km road race...Sun 30th June 2013

Sixty years ago back in 1953, Old Abbey Athletic Club was formed and in it's first year, it held a road race between Waterfall and Goggins Hill. To commemorate it's 60th anniversary of it's founding, the club held a 5 km road race this year over much the same route.

Starting just to the north of Waterfall, a total of 84 runners ran the 5 km route to Goggins Hill on what could easily be described as a challenging course with plenty of drags. The first man home was Michael Harty of East Cork AC in a time of 16:44. The womens race was won by Rebecca McEvoy of St.Finbarr's AC for her first ever win on the road.

 First three ladies in the Old Abbey AC Waterfall to Goggins Hill 5km pictured with Ted Geary, the winner of a similar race over the same course 60 years ago. (From left) Rebecca McEvoy (St Finbarr's), first - Rebecca attended Goggins Hill NS where the race finished; Mary O'Keeffe (Midleton), second - Mary is a niece of Ted Geary; Margaret Shaughnessy (Duhallow), third....Photo courtesy of John Walshe

1    16:44    HARTY, Michael    East Cork AC    M   5:23.0
2    19:50    HOGAN, Aidan    Rising Sun AC    M35  6:22.9 
3    20:13    MCEVOY, Eamonn    St. Finbarrs AC    M55  6:30.3
27    24:17    MCEVOY, Rebecca    St. Finbarrs AC    F   7:48.8
30    24:25    O'KEEFFE, Mary    Midleton AC    F45  7:51.4
36    25:11    O'SHAUGHNESSY, Margaret    Duhallow AC    F35  8:06.2

The full results can be seen HERE

Photos...
1) Doug Minihane has a small gallery of photos HERE

Runners pass under Abbey Bridge, part of the old Cork to Bandon railway line which closed in 1961...some eight years after the original race....Photo courtesy of Doug Minihane

Upcoming race...Old Abbey 5k road race - Sun 30th June 2013

In 2013, Old Abbey AC are celebrating their 60th anniversary having being founded back in 1953. In that first year, a road race was held which went from O'Shea's pub in Waterfall to Goggins Hill, a distance of just under 3 miles. On the day, the race was won by a Ted Geary, a native of Cobh and then running under Ballymore Cobh AC colours. Ted who is in his 80's now resides in Carrigtwohill in East Cork.

To commemorate the original event, Old Abbey will be holding a 5 km road race on Sunday, the 30th of June between Waterfall and Goggins Hill.

Registration is at Goggins Hill National School and a bus will take the runners to the start line on the Cork City side of Waterfall. Considering it's only 3 miles, I'm sure some will opt to use this as a warm up for the race itself.

More details on the Running in Munster website.