Well done to Ruby, Rapha, Laura and Orla who had excellent performances in yesterdays All-Ireland Schools CC Championships. In the minor girls race, Ruby finished a very credible 20th place overall, while Rapha came home in 70th position. In the Senior girls race, Laura Costello placed 22nd followed closely by Orla Bollard in 26th place in a high quality field of athletes. A special word of Congratulations to our former athlete Rhona Pierce (St. Angela’s, Cork) who took a well deserved victory in the Senior Girls race.

Laura Costello in action during yesterdays National Inter Clubs

Congrats to our Junior womens team who won team bronze at yesterdays National Inter Clubs Cross Country in Kilbroney Park, Co. Down. Best wishes to Isabel, Orla, Laura, Eibhlin, Eryn and Aoimhe! Well done girls. Great performance by the girls with a few suffering from the ill effects of colds and flu over the past few weeks. Great to see Skerries fielding a team

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