Irish Schools' Athletics Association

Irish Schools’ Athletic Association

Kit Kat Schools’ Combined Events Championships 2008

Morton Stadium, Santry 27^th September 2008

The performance of the day at the KitKat All-Ireland Schools’ Combined Events Championships in Santry came in the Inter Girls’ event from Joanna Mills, Ballyclare High School, who won with an outstanding 3,266 points. Joanna has been in outstanding form all year both for her school and for the Irish Schools’, setting records and winning at the highest level.

Another outstanding display came from Megan Kiely, Ursuline Waterford, in the Junior Girls’ Event when scoring 2,918 points.  Eamonn Fahy, Kings’ Hospital, won the Intermediate Boys’ event with 3,535 points.

The most exciting competition of the day was in the Junior Boys’ event where Paul Byrne, Presentation Carlow, held off Conor Daly, Knockbeg College, by 18 points.

Junior Boys

1.         Paul Byrne                   Presentation Carlow                             3,087pts

2.         Conor Daly                  Knockbeg College                               3,069pts

3.         Callum Graham            Regent House                                      2,996pts

Intermediate Boys

1.         Eamonn Fahy              King’s Hospital                                    3,535pts

2.         Timmy Crowe              St Caimin’s Shannon                           3,294pts

3.         Stephen Kelly              Cistercian Roscrea                               3,246pts

Senior Boys

1.         Niall Stanley                Kinsale CS                                           2,905pts

2.         Alan Richie                  Southern Region College                     2,761pts

3.         Naoise Leonard            St Mary’s Galway                                2,336pts

Junior Girls

1.         Megan Kiely                Ursuline Waterford                              2,918pts

2.         Rachel Healy               Alexandra College                               2,840pts

3.         Katie Hyland               Sacred Heart Westport                         2,782pts

Intermediate Girls

1.         Joanna Mills                Ballyclare High school                         3,266pts

2.         Orla Finn                     Kinsale CS                                           2,921pts

3.         Rebecca McAllister      Antrim GS                                           2,838pts

Senior Girls

1.         Fleur Brown                 Wilson’s Hospital School                     1,655pts

19th July 2008 Bedford Track, England

John Shields

This was the most successful day yet by the KitKat Irish Schools’ Track & Field team since these championships began in 1968. Ireland was on the podium for an unprecedented 27 times throughout the afternoon taking home 9 gold, 10 silver and 7 bronze medals. Although England were the eventual winners of the both boys’ and girls’ matches the KitKat Irish Schools’ were closer to them than ever before.

From an Irish point of view the day started well with wins in both hammer competitions. Killian Barry threw 57.95 to hold off a determined challenge from the Welsh boy, Rhys Hodnett. This was followed by an excellent sequence of throws from Gabby McNally to win the girls’ equivalent.

Once again we had good performances from our walkers with Fiona Dennehy walking her way to an impressive victory with Cian McManamon taking a creditable second place in the boys’ event.

A lot was expected from Curtis Woods and he didn’t disappoint. Running a controlled race in the blustery conditions Curtis upped the pace with 200m to go and won the 400m in 48.63. Curtis took third in the 200m and completed his full set of medals with a second place in the sprint relay. Joan Healy was one of those who competed in Poland and here she showed her talent by winning the 100m in 11.95. She also anchored the successful girls 4 x 100 relay team.

The Girls’ Long Jump was rewarding for the Irish as we had a 1, 2. Sally Rose Maughan from Mayo has competed in the shadow of Joanna Mills all year but on Saturday it was Sally’s day with a winning jump of 5.87m. Joanna might have hoped for two firsts but took second also in the 300m. Clare Fitzgerald was another looking for a double but had to be satisfied with a gold and silver. Clare threw 42.88m to win the discus and 12.38m to take second place in the shot.

The 1500m has been good for the Irish over the years and this year Shane Quinn led from start to finish to win with 4.05.72. Tara Jameson was a good second in the 3000m as was Ciaran Dolan in the Long Jump and Darragh Hanlon the Discus.

All in all a very satisfying day for the Irish Schools’ in Bedford.

SIAB Schools’ International – Bedford 19^th July 2008

KitKat Girls’ Team

100m                     Joan Healy                           Co na Toirbhirte Bandon                                                  

                                Stephanie Creanor              Lor St Stephens Green                       

200m                     Joan Healy                           Col na Toirbhirte Bandon 

                                Sarah Lavin                          Castletroy College

300m                     Joanna Mills                         Ballyclare High School                                                                      

                                Ruth Nic Dhiarmada          Gaelcolaiste Ceatharlach                  

800m                     Christine McMahon            Belfast Royal Academy                                                   

                                Sasha Hooks                        Belfast Royal Academy                   

1500m                   Ciara Mageean                    Assumption Ballynahinch                

                                Shannen Ryan                     Colaiste Chiarain Croom

3000m                   Tara Jameson                      Dominican Wicklow                                          

                                Eimear Black                       Dominican Belfast

2000m Walk        Fiona Dennehy                    Mercy Waterford                                

                                Emma Prindibhil                  PS Corca Dhuibhne                            

300m Hurdles     Orla Finn                               Kinsale Community School                                             

                                Rebecca Nolan                    Calasanctius Oranmore                                    

80m Hurdles        Catherine McManus           St Dominic’s Cabra                                            

                                Aimee McNeilly                   Regent House

High Jump           Cathriona Farrell                 Athenry Vocational School                                              

                                Mary Kate Lanigan            Loreto Kilkenny                                 

Long Jump          Joanna Mills                         Ballyclare High School                                      

                                Sally Rose Maughan          St Joseph’s Castlebar                         

Triple Jump        Caoimhe King                      Bower Athlone                                    

                                Aoife Bartley                        Scoil Mhuire Carrick-on-Suir                            

Pole Vault            Lisa Houlihan                      St Augustine’s Dungarvan                                

                                Lucy Dugan                          Belfast Royal Academy   

Shot Putt               Clare Fitzgerald                    Presentation Tralee                            

                                Ailish Sheehan                     Copsewood College

Discus                    Clare Fitzgerald                    Presentation Tralee                                            

                                Zoe Scanlon                         Ard Scoil na nDeise Dungarvan                       

Javelin                  Grace O’Sullivan                 Sacred Heart Drogheda                                     

                                Mary Moynihan                  Castleisland Community College

Hammer               Gabrielle McNally               Craigavon SHS                                                                   

                                Charlotte O’Farrell              Our Lady’s Rosbercon New Ross

4 x 100 Relay      Joan Healy           Stephanie Creanor

                                Sarah Lavin          Jane Dickenson Castletroy College

4 x 300 Relay      Joanna Mills         Ruth Nic Dhiarmada

                                Orla Finn               Rebecca Nolan

                                Christine McMahon

Team Captain     Clare Fitzgerald

Team Managers Mary Barrett

                                Bronagh Delaney

                                Margaret Harvey

                                Karen Mills

                                Jean O’Connor

KitKat Boys Team

100                         Paul Whelan                         Templeogue College

                                Gerard Maguire                    Erne Integrated School                                                 

200m                     Curtis Woods                        Downshire School                                               

                                Lorcan O’Cathain               Marist Athlone                                    

400m                     Curtis Woods                        Downshire School

                                Joseph Dowling                     Rockbrook Park, Dublin

800m                     Brian Kelly                          Knockbeg College                                                                           

                                Adam Ingram                      Hazelwood Integrated School

1500m                   Shane Quinn                        De LaSalle Waterford                                           

                                Ryan Monahan                   Grange Post Primary School Sligo                                     

3000m                   Jake Byrne                            St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge               

                                Shane Boggs                         St Finian’s Mullingar

Steeplechase        Cathal O’Connor                 St Caimin’s Community School Shannon                                    

                                Pauric McLaughlin              St Eunan’s Letterkenny                    

2000m Walk        Cian Mc Manamon            Rice College Westport                                       

                                Oisin Oliver                           Scoil Mhuire & Phadraig Swinford

400m Hurdles     Patrick Maher                      Davis College Mallow                                 

                                Tim Crowe                            St Caimin’s Community School Shannon               

100m Hurdles     Paul Whelan                         Templeogue College                      

                                Edmond O’Halloran           Rochestown College Cork

High Jump           Michael Healy                     Pobal Scoil na Trionoide Youghal                                                                 

                                Michael O’Sullivan             Christian Brothers School Kilkenny                               

Long Jump          Nathan Jege                          St Caimin’s Community School

                                Ciaran Dolan                       St Michael’s Enniskillen                                                                     

Triple Jump        Shane Prout                          Scoil Ruain Killenaule                                                       

                                Ciaran Dolan                        St Michael’s Enniskillen   

Pole Vault            Thomas Houlihan                St Augustine’s Dungarvan                                

                                Keith Doherty                      Belvedere College                                               

Shot Put                Andrew Doyle                     Maghera High School                                         

                                Shane Lynch                        Belvedere College

Discus                    Darragh Hanlon                   Cistercian College Roscrea                               

                                Garreth Irvine                       Bangor Grammar School                  

Javelin                  Sean Ryder                           Colaiste Chraobh Abhann                                

                                Matthew Ramsey               Regent House                                      

Hammer               Killian Barry                        Belevedere College                                                              

                                Conall Campion                  Belvedere College

4 x 100 Relay      Paul Whelan                         Gerard Maguire

                                Curtis Woods                        Mark Kavanagh

4 x 400 Relay      Joseph Dowling                    Adam Ingram

                                Patrick Maher                      Tim Crowe

Team Captain                     Paul Whelan                                       

Team Mangers   Alan Kirk

                                Mark Stephenson

                                Rory Friel

                                John Sheehan

Outstanding Performances from Ireland’s next crop of stars.

KitKat Tailteann Schools’ Athletics Interprovincial

Saturday 28^th June 2008

The 46^th running of the KitKat Tailteann Schools’ Interprovincial at Santry today was another winner for Irish athletics with four new championships best performances and a host of personal bests. This was despite the inclement weather which made achieving such heights even more difficult.

The outstanding performance came from Joanna Mills, Ballyclare High School, who took home three gold medals and set two records and was a part of the record-breaking Ulster team in the 4×300. Joanna competed first in the long jump, where she added 9 cm to Claire Ingerton’s record set in 1990 when she jumped 5.87m. She followed this shortly afterwards with a magnificent run in the 300m of 39.46 breaking Martina McCarthy’s record of 1998. But Joanna wasn’t finished yet when she led home the Ulster team in the 4×300 Relay with yet another record.

The other record came in the Girls’ Hammer when Gabby McNally, Craigavon SHS, threw the 4kg hammer out to 48.39m. This mark passed the record of Rachel Akers set in 2000.

Claire Fitzgerald, Presentation Tralee, was another to have a good day when she won the shot, discus and javelin. She threw an excellent 38.91m in the Discus and followed it with 12.26m in the Shot. This will make Claire very competitive in the SIAB Schools’ International.

Caoimhe King, Bower Athlone, won well in the Triple Jump but failed to scale the heights of her KitKat All-Ireland performance. Another to be affected by the elements was Cathriona Farrell, Athenry Vocational School. Cathriona won the High Jump with 1.66m. There were good wins in the sprints from Stephanie Creanor, Loreto St Stephen’s Green, and Sarah Lavin, Castletroy College.

In the boys’ events we had an excellent double from Paul Whelan, Templeogue College, in the 100m and 100m Hurdles. The middle distance events provided some good finishes. Brian Kelly, Knockbeg College, ran well in the 800m to hold off the junior champion from Tullamore with 1.58.21. There were wins on the track from KitKat champions, Jake Byrne, St Joseph’s Rochfordbridge, and Cathal O’Connor, St Caimin’s Shannon.

In the field events Darragh Hanlon, Roscrea, threw the Discus a useful 45.21m, while Conal Campion, Belvedere, turned the tables on the KitKat All-Ireland Champion, Killian Barry to win the Hammer. Andrew Doyle, Maghera High School, putted the shot to 15.02m to win well.

The next event on the schools’ calendar is the SIAB Schools’ International this year being held in Bedford on the 19^th July.

Kit Kat Tailteann Irish Schools’

Interprovincial 2008

Morton Stadium, Santry 28th JUNE 2008

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS

TRACK EVENTS                                        FIELD EVENTS

            12.00               3,000 Walk, Girls                   12.00               Hammer, Boys                      

            12.20               3,000 Walk, Boys                   12.30               High Jump, Boys

                                                                                                            Long Jump, Girls

            12.45               400 Hurdles, Boys                                         Javelin, Girls 

            12.55               300 Hurdles, Girls                                         Pole Vault, Boys

            1.05                 800 metres, Girls                                            Triple Jump, Boys

            1.10                 800 metres, Boys                    1.00                 Hammer, Girls

            1.20                100 metres, Girls                                           

            1.25                 100 metres, Boys                                           

            1.35                 1500m Steeplechase, Boys                           

            1.45                 300 metres, Girls                    2.00                 Discus, Girls

            1.55                 400 metres, Boys                                            Shot Putt, Boys         

            2.00                 3000 metres, Girls                                          Long Jump, Boys

            2.20                 100 Hurdles, Boys                                         Triple Jump, Girls

            2.25                 80 Hurdles, Girls                                           Pole Vault, Girls

            2.35                 200 metres, Girls                                            Javelin, Boys

            2.40                 200 metres, Boys                                            High Jump, Girls      

            2.45                 1500 metres, Girls                                                     

            2.55                 1500 metres, Boys                  3.00                  Shot Putt                               

           3.05                 3000 metres, Boys                                          Discus                   

            3.20                 4 x 100 Relay, Girls                                                   

            3.25                 4 x 100 Relay, Boys

3.30                 Presentation of Tailteann Awards

            3.45                 4 x 300 Relay, Girls

            3.50                 4 x 400 Relay, Boys