Have a read guys, great interview from our former Skerries AC athlete Rhona Pierce.

Well done to everyone who competed in todays Leinster Schools Cross Country in Santry, Demesne. There were some promising performances from Skerries AC athletes with a number securing qualification for the All Ireland Schools in March. Conditions were ideal for distance running with little or no wind and near perfect underfoot conditions for the time of year, making for some very fast races.

Minor Girls 1500m
10th Ruby Pereira
11th Rapha Diamond Ebs
18th Anna Prior

Junior Girls 2500m
35th Mairead Ní Chléirígh

Inter Girls 3500m
22nd Eibhlin McCarthy
47th Sive Duncan

Senior Girls 2500m
13th Orla Bollard
14th Laura Costello
22nd Aoimhe Downey
27th Eryn Devine
34th Aine McCarthy

Congratulations to Ruby, Rapha, Orla, Laura who all finished in the top 15 in their respective races thus securing qualification for the prestigious All Ireland Schools Cross Country Championships in Clongowes Wood College, Clane, Co. Kildare on March 7th.

Action from today’s Raheny Road race. Well done to all the children from Skerries AC who took part. A special word of congratulations to Shauna Prior who was 3rd in the 400m, Lottie Simons 3rd in 800m and Anna Prior 2nd in mile race. Great runs from everyone in particular those who were racing for the first time. Thank you to coach Carole and Colm and the parents for all your help. Well done also to coach Keith on a great run finishing in a time of 28.30. Thank you to everyone in Raheny Shamrocks AC for a great days racing.

See many photos here

North Leinster Schools XC, ALSAA results (Provisional, any amendments please let me know):
Minor Girls 1500m:
Minor Girls were first off over the 1500m course which was relatively flat and fast with underfoot conditions as good as you can get at this time of the year. Ruby Pereira running for Loreto, Balbriggan had an impressive run coming home in 2nd place and booking her spot in the Leinster finals. She was followed home by Anna Prior (Skerries CC) in 7th place, also securing her place in the Leinsters. Unfortunately for Rapha Diamond Ebs (Gormanston College) she just missed out on qualification finishing in 16th place. Lottie Simons and Kerrie Costello, both Skerries CC and Ella May, Loreto, Balbriggan all finished in the top half of a field of over 100plus athletes!!

Minor Boys 2000m:
Stephen Byrne (Skerries CC) was our sole representative in the Minor Boys race again coming home in the top half of a jampacked field of athletes

Junior Girls 1500m:
There was joy for Mairead Ní Chleirigh (Loreto, Balbriggan) who finished in 15th place and snatched the last qualifying position. Anna Calvez (Skerries CC) finished in 20th position followed by Ellen Walsh (Loreto) and Roisin Owens (Skerries CC) both having strong runs over the 1500m course.
Junior Boys 2500m:
Not so much joy for Stephen O’Connor (St. Josephs, Rush) who unfortunately could not start the race due to illness.

Inter Girls 2500m:
Eibhlin McCarthy (Loreto, Balbriggan) produced a fine run in the Inter Girls race to claim the bronze medal, while Sive Duncan (Skerries CC) having only recently returned from injury, finished in 15th place, both girls securing Leinster final spots. Orla Thompson (Loreto) in her first year at Inter level also had a good run finishing in 30th position.

Inter Boys 4000m:
Conor Tuck (Skerries CC) had a gruelling 4k distance to contend with and finished midpack in 33rd place.

Senior Girls 2000m:
Our Senior Girls were the last of the Skerries athletes in action. Eryn Devine (Loreto, Balbriggan) had a strong finish to claim 4th place, followed by Orla Bollard (Loreto) in 6th, Laura Costello (Skerries CC) 7th, Aoimhe Downey (Skerries CC) 12th and Aine McCarthy (Loreto) 13th. All five girls booking their spots in the Leinster Schools XC in Santry in a few weeks time. The Loreto trio of Eryn, Orla and Aine also claimed silver medals in the team competition with only 2 points seperating them from the winners, St. Dominics, Cabra.
Well done to everyone on their great performances today.

Well done Isabel on your great performance at the European XC in Bulgaria. Isabel came home in 52nd place overall and was 3rd of the Irish finishers. A great experience.

2014 European Cross Country Championships. This is a great honour for Isabel to represent her country on the European stage. We also extend our warmest wishes to our former member Rhona Pierce who will also be competing. Its great to see 2 Skerries girls mixing it with the best of Europe! Go IRELAND!!

The National Uneven Ages Cross Country Championships took place in bitterly cold conditions in Santry yesterday. Although underfoot conditions were favourable the athletes had to contend with a biting cold wind. Performance of the day from Laura Costello in the girls u19 race. Laura who is most notably renowned for her sprinting ability has been making great strides over the country over the past few months. She had an excellent run over the 4k course coming home in 20th position and 3rd scorer on the Dublin team who were silver medalists. Orla Bollard finished in 26th place and 4th scorer for Dublin. In the girls u17 race also over 4k Eibhlin McCarthy who stepped up in age group was first of the Skerries girls home in 45th place, closely followed by Eryn Devine 47th with Aoimhe Downey 91st and Sive Duncan 95th. Lorcan Devine in the boys u11 finished mid pack in 90th place in a field of 170 athletes. Well done to all. That brings the curtain down on a very successful Cross Country season and we look forward to the schools competition beginning in January.

Well done to all the athletes who turned out to the fourth and final League race in Tymon Park on Sunday. Great performances from the Skerries troupe with highlight of the day coming courtesy of Moses O’Brien in the u10 race recording a fine win. Full results as follows:

u9 Girls:
11th Nicole Hackett
12th Chloe Ericson
16th Shauna Prior

u9 Boys:
10th Cillian Emmett
17th Sam Kingsnorth
u10 Boys:
1st Moses O’Brien

u10 Girls:
15th Natasha Byrne

u11 Boys:
4th Lorcan Devine
7th Ethan Shannon
17th Paul Byrne
23rd Charlie Naessens

u12 Girls:
7th Kate Naessens
8th Ella Kingsnorth
17th Ciara Prior
24th Ella Walsh

u12 Boys:
3rd Joshua Ericson
18th Charlie Hackett

u13 Girls:
19th Kerrie Costello

u13 Boys:
10th John Fanning

u14 Girls:
5th Anna Prior
7th Ellen Walsh
8th Anna Calvez

u14 Boys:
15th Stephen Byrne

u16 Girls:
2nd Eibhlin McCarthy

u16 Boys:
4th Conor Tuck

u17 Girls:
1st Eryn Devine
3rd Aoimhe Downey

u18 Girls:
2nd Laura Costello
3rd Aine McCarthy

The National Even Ages XC took place on Sunday in Dundalk IT. Thankfully the sun stayed out for the duration of the days proceedings. First off was the girls u12 race over 2000m with no fewer than 167 athletes. The course was relatively flat with a few steep hills thrown in for good measure, however the underfoot conditions were energy sapping to say the least. Vita O’Brien and Kate Naessens who have both been running for less than 12 months and in their first National Championships put in excellent performances with Vita coming home in 37th place and Kate 82nd. Vita was also the 4th scorer for Dublin team who won Intercounty silver medals. Next off were the boys u12 over the same distance, Joshua Ericson despite being with the leading pack from the off, took a nasty hit and suffered a fall and despite getting up and trying to continue unfortunately had to withdraw from the race with 800m to go. Oliver McQuaid was first of the Skerries boys home in 128th place followed Hugh Lawlor 135th, Joe May 140th, Lorcan Devine 143rd and Sean Emmett 155th. We had a wait of an hour or so before the next set of Skerries athletes took to the off in the girls u18/Junior combined race over 4000m. In the u18 race Isabel Carron was first of the girls home in 4th place followed by Laura Costello 36th, Eryn Devine 43rd, Aoimhe Downey 54th, Aine McCarthy 60th and Ellen Tuck 66th. Orla Bollard placed 23rd in the Junior girls race. Well done to all.

at Dundalk Institute of Technology

Wishing the best of luck to all the athletes from Skerries AC who will be competing on Sunday. Girls u12 Vita O’Brien and Kate Naessens. Boys u12 Joshua Ericson, Oliver McQuaid, Hugh Lawlor, Lorcan Devine, Seam Emmett. Girls u18 Isabel Carron, Eryn Devine, Laura Costello, Aoimhe Downey, Aine McCarthy, Ellen Tuck and Junior women Orla Bollard.