Bandon Athletic Club Est. 1964

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Regular Training: No training on Bank Holidays. Mon & Wed Grammar School Sports Hall, 7pm-8pm for up to 11yrs and from 8pm-9pm for 12 years and older.

Upcoming events & news

Results from the West Cork Cross Country Championships (here)

Annual 5mile road race will be held on Sun Dec 28th

 

A very successful table quiz was held by the club on last Friday night, thanks to everyone who helped make the night a success by helping with the organization or by supporting it on the night.

"A Photographic Jog Through the Past" is still available from committee members.

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/BandonAC  If anyone has photo's they would like displayed on the web site please forward them to the PRO or the WebAdmin

PRO Report: 29th Nov 2008
A number of athletes from the club competed at all Ireland level at the AAI Woodies DIY Inter County Senior, Junior and Juvenile Cross Country Championships in Tramore on Sunday 23rd November. Strong winds and rain made for difficult conditions for the athletes and spectators. Carmel Crowley was the first Cork athlete home in the Senior Women’s race. Over a distance of 8,000m amongst a competitive field she came in 24th position. Ronan Duggan had a 6,000m run in the junior men’s race where he finished 25th. Competing in the Juvenile Championships, were Robert O’Sullivan (U14), Louisa Keane (U12), Mary Teresa Murphy, Helena Murphy, Aoibheann Harte, Kellie Hart, (U14) and Ailis Crowley (U18).
Next weekend sees the Munster Juvenile B Cross Country Championships which take place in Killeagh. The Munster Masters Cross Country Championship will also be run at the same venue.
The Athletic Club held its AGM on last Friday night, November 21st. The following were elected to the main officer positions: Chairman – Finbarr Harrington, Secretary, Mike Weldon, Treasurer – Carmel Lucey, PRO – Kate Coveney, Grounds Officer – Billy Good, Head Coach – Catherine Duggan. Tom Laffan stepped down from his post as Club Secretary after a four year stint and was universally complimented on his excellent stewardship of the position. Once again, it was deemed to be another successful year for the club. Membership is up and the club was represented at all levels from County, Munster, All Ireland and International across a range of disciplines throughout the year.

PRO Report: 18th Nov 2008

Carmel Crowley of Bandon Athletic Club was competing at International level last weekend. She was the fourth Irish athlete home and 11th overall at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country International. This was held at Singleton Park in Swansea on Saturday 15th November. The race was run over a difficult and hilly 6k course. Carmel was also part of the Irish team who were place second winning her a silver team medal.
Closer to home, the Showgrounds in Clonakilty proved an ideal venue for the West Cork Cross Country Juvenile Championships on Sunday 16th November. It was also one of the few fine Sundays of the cross country season so far. Carla Hicks finished 6th in the girls U10 race. Victor Lovell won the boys U10 race with Conor Calnan coming in 6th. Mary Teresa Murphy, Helena Murphy and Kelly Harte came in 5th, 6th and 7th at U14 level and the team was placed second. Robert O’Sullivan, Alex Gibbons and Edward Aherne came second, third and fourth and they won the team competition. The girls U16 race had had a very close finish with Elizabeth Prout managing to beat off stiff competition for a well deserved third position. Bandon athletes took the top positions in the boys U16 race. Mark O’Sullivan was first, Ciarán Everard was second and Daire Harrington third and the team were also first. Ailis Crowley came second in the girls U20 race
The Cork County Intermediate and Masters Cross Country Championships were held at the same venue. Tom Laffan came third overall, Kevin Wilmot was 14th Also running well were Matthew Gedden, Pat Mulcahy and Michael Weldon. Carmel Crowley was unable to run in Clonakilty due to her International race the day before, however, the women’s team consisting of Priscilla O’Sullivan, Siobhán Dineen and Kate Coveney were placed third in the Masters Inter Club competition. Kate Coveney and Siobhán Dineen also received gold and silver medals respectively in their sections.
Upcoming events include the AAI Inter County Juvenile even age Cross Country Championships which take place on Sunday 23rd November in Dungarvan.
The Club organised a very successful table quiz recently which was held at the Munster Arms Hotel. It turned out to be a hugely enjoyable night and the Club would like to sincerely thank all those who attended and who donated spot prizes. All funds raised will go towards improving club facilities.
The Annual General Meeting takes place tomorrow night Friday 21st November at 8pm at the Munster Arms.

PRO Report: 13th Nov 2008
Aisling Everard maintained an early lead to achieve a convincing win in the girls U13 race at the Munster Juvenile Cross Country Championships held in Cooraclare, Co Clare on Sunday 9th November. Both the weather and underfoot conditions were atrocious on the day. Aisling was also part of the Cork team who were placed second. Louisa Keane had a good run in the same race finishing 28th.
Conor Callanan was the second Cork athlete home coming in 9th in the U11 race and was part of the Cork team who came in third. Also competing at U9 level were Michael Laffan, Shane Coomey, Aaron Draper, Cian Kingston. The Bandon team were placed fourth. Matthew Draper ran well in the U11 race as Ciarán Everard in the U13 race. Fiona Everard and Gráinne Lucey were part of the Cork Team at girls U11 level, Fiona finishing 19th and Gráinne 23rd. Ails Crowley just missed out on a place on the Cork U17 team finishing in 20th position.
The West Cork Cross Country Championships take place on Sunday next November 16th at the Showgrounds in Clonakilty with a 1pm start. The County Intermediate and Vets Cross Country Championships will be held at the same venue starting at 12 noon.
The Club is holding a fundraising table quiz on this Friday 14th November at 8pm in the Munster Arms Hotel. All club members and their families and friends are asked to support the quiz. There will be prizes for the winning teams and also a large number of spot prizes throughout the night. The AGM of the Club will be held the following Friday night at the same venue at 8pm sharp.

PRO Report: 23rd Oct 2008
The Cross Country season is in full swing at the moment. The Munster Juvenile even age cross Country Championships took place on Sunday 19th October in Turnpike, Thurles. David Laffan and Gavin Hicks competed in the boys U12. Robert O’Sullivan ran in the boys U14 race and Mark O’Sullivan competed in the U16 race. Eamonn O’Sullivan and Victor Lovell came 18th and 19th in the U10 race. Conor Reynolds, Mike Laffan, Ronan Lucey, Cyril Dineen and Ryan Blackmore also competed. Carla Hicks was 19th in the U10 race. Louise Keane, Gráinne Lucey, Lisa Lovell and Fiona Everard all ran well in the girls U12 race. The girls U14 team consisting of Aisling Everard, Mary Teresa Murphy, Kellie Harte and Helena Murphy have qualified to run in the All Ireland Cross Country Championships in November. Ailis Crowley came in 13th at U18 level.
In Carrig na bhFear the previous week the County Juvenile Uneven Age Cross Country Championships took place on Sunday 12th October. Mike Laffan came sixth in the boys U9 race and the team took first prize. Matthew Draper was fifth in the boys U11 race. Gráinne Lucey was fourth in the girls U11 race and the team took third place. Aisling Everard won a silver medal in the girls U13 race and the team was place third. Ails Crowley came sixth in the girls U17 race. The County Juvenile B Cross Country Championships were also run off on the same day. Mark O’Sullivan won gold in the U17 race. Ciarán Everard and Robert O’Sullivan took silver and bronze in the U15 race. Colin Kingston came second at U13 level and Eamonn O’Sullivan won the U11 race.
In Dublin Carmel McCarthy qualified to compete in Home Countries Cross Country Championships which will take place in Swansea on Saturday 15th November. Carmel was running in the Gerry Farnham Cross Country on October 19th where she came second in her age category.
Track training commences on Friday nights at the CIT Track at 7.30
There will be beach training next Sunday October 26th at Long Strand at 11am. Long Strand is located between Owenahincha and Galley Head. Meet at the Owenahincha side of the beach. There will be no training on Monday 27th October due to the Bank Holiday.
The Club will host a fundraising Table Quiz on Friday 14th November at 8pm in the Munster Arms Hotel. Club members are urged to make an effort to attend this and to bring along as many friends as possible in order to ensure its success. The Club AGM will take place the following Friday November 21st at 8pm also in the Munster Arms Hotel. All adult club members and parents of juvenile members are requested to attend.

PRO Report: 7th Oct 2008

The County Juvenile even age Cross Country Championships took place in brilliant sunshine in Carrigadrohid on Sunday 5th October.  Despite the incessant rain the day before, conditions underfoot were excellent for running.

The girls U10 had a 600m race. Carla Hicks came in sixth with Amy Crowley and Caoimhe Ní Suilleabháin also running well.  Eamonn O’Sullivan finished 5th in the U10 boys race. Victor Lovell was sixth and Conor Reynolds, Michael Laffan, Johnny Keane, Ronan Lucey, Ryan Blackmore, Cameron Blair and Cyril Dineen also competed.  They won gold in the team competition.  In the girls U12 race of 1,000m Louise Keane came in sixth and Sinéad Caulfield was 11th.  Gráinne Lucey, Fiona Everard, Lisa Lovell, Mari Dineen and Rugile Mikalanskaithe also ran and the team took third prize.  Brian Everard, David Laffan and Gavin Hicks all ran well in the boys U12 race.  The girls U14 won gold in the team competition.  Aisling Everard was fourth, Emily Keane eight, with Helena Murphy, Kelly Harte 13th and 15th.  Seána Coveney was 17th.  Robert O’Sullivan was the only runner from Bandon in the boys U14 race and he came 9th.  Elizabeth Prout and Aine Weldon came 13th and 15th respectively in the U16 race with a distance of 2,000m.  Mark O’Sullivan and Ciarán Everard ran 3000m in the boys U16 race coming in 10th and 15th.  Ailis Crowley came 6th in the U18 race of 3,000m.

The second round of the County Cross Championships for the uneven age group takes place next weekend in Carrig na bhFear at 1pm.  The County Novice Cross Country Championship takes place at the same venue at 12 noon and the Open Senior Cross Country will be run at 2.30pm.

PRO Report: 30th Sept 2008

There was good turnout of athletes from Bandon Athletic Club in the Evening Echo Women’s Mini Marathon which took place in Cork on Sunday 28th of September. Carmel Crowley came in fourth for the second year in a row in a time of 22.32 which was up on last year. Also participating were Gráinne Caulfield, Hilda O’Mahony, Sharron Toner, Ann McCarthy, Eileen Scannell and Geraldine Lovell.
The first cross country meeting of the season took place on Sunday 21st of September hosted by Riverstick Kinsale Athletic Club. Bandon athletes had a number of successes on the day. Victor Lovell was fifth in the U10 boys race, with Eamonn O’Sullivan sixth and the U10 A team took first place in the team category. In the girls U12 race Louise Kean was fourth. Mari Dineen Lisa Lovell and Gráinne Lucey also ran well and the team took third prize. Emily Keane came third in the girls U14 race with Mary Teresa Murphy coming in 5th. Kelly Harte and Seána Coveney also ran and the team was second. Ailis Crowley came second in the junior girl’s race.
The County Juvenile even age Cross Country Championships take place on Sunday next October 5th in Carrigadrohid near Macroom. The first race is at 1pm. Athletes should aim to arrive at the venue at 12.10pm in order to familiarise themselves with the course.
Training continues at the Grammar School on Mondays and Wednesdays, 7pm-8pm for those up to 11yrs and from 8pm-9pm for the older age group.

West Cork Board: EBS Secondary Schools Cross Country.

The sunshine made a change after the recent heavy rain and a large number of students turned out for the E.B.S. West Cork Secondary Schools Cross Country in Dunmanway. Some impressive performances from some Bandon athletes with top 5 finishes for the following: Aisling Everard (winner 1st year girls), Fintan O'Shaughnessy, Oisin Sedgwick, Ciaran Everard, Mark O'Sullivan. Other club members who ran well included, Edward Aherne, Robert O'Sullivan, Great Okafor, David Reynolds.

PRO Report: 17th Sept 2008

The St Finbarr’s AC Mizuno Cork Half Marathon took place in Blarney on Sunday 14th September. Tom Laffan finished 8th overall and came first in the M40 category. Kevin Wilmot finished in 11th place. Also running were Joe Sullivan, Tom Sheehan, Matthew Geden, Phil Murphy and Ronan Kelleher.
The West Cork Cross Country league due to be held in Dunmanway on the same day was cancelled because of weather conditions. No new date has been fixed for this event yet.
The Club is hosting their annual Primary School’s Cross Country at 11.00am on Friday 19th September at the Rugby Club. All primary schools in the Bandon area have been invited to compete.
The Riverstick/Kinsale AC Open Cross Country takes place opposite Kinsale Rugby Club on Sunday 21st September with a 1pm start. There will be races for U8 to U16 and for Junior Men and Women.
Training will move indoors to the Grammar School from Monday 22nd of September. There is a change in training schedules in that the 7pm to 8pm slot will be for 8 to 10 year olds and training for those aged 11 years and upwards will be from 8pm to 9pm.

PRO Report: 14th Sept 2008

The Munster B Juvenile Track and Field Championships were held in Castleisland on Sunday 31st August.  Carla Hicks won gold in the U10 long jump. Victor Lovell won the U11 Ball Throw. Aoibheann Harte won the U13 long jump.  Sinead Caulfield was second in the U12 600m and Helena Murphy was second in the U14 high jump. Emma Lovell was second in the Girls U16 Shot. Daire Harrington won silver for the Boys U16 Shot. Erin Kingston won a bronze medal in the in the U11 ball throw, Gavin Hicks also won bronze in the U12 shot and Mark O’Sullivan won bronze in the U16 800m.  Also competing well on the day were Amy Crowley, Angharad and Milo Shaughnessy, David and Mike Laffan, Cian Kingston, Lisa Lovell and Elizabeth Prout.

On the road Tom Laffan won the M40 section in the BHAA Army/Navy 5 mile road race on August 20th. 

Mosney Community Games All Ireland Finals - Results for Bandon AC Athletes

Congratulations to Joan Healy who completed a magnificent 4 in a row in Mosney. Joan signed off from Monsey (this is the last year in which she is eligible to complete) by emphatically winning the U16 100 meter sprint. This is the 4th occasion in which Joan has captured Gold in this competitive event - twice at U14 and twice at U16. 

Well done also to Sinead Mulcahy who anchored the U12 relay team to 4th place in the final thus securing an All Ireland Certificate and a Podium Presentation. Like the sprints the relays were extremely competitive with 32 teams competing for honours. 
Phil Healy and Ashling Everard also did very well as part of the U14 relay - by coming 5th in the semi, they were very unlucky not to secure a place in the final.  
Colin Kingston finished just outside the medals in the U14 shot. However as Colin will be eligible for this age category again next year Colin's prospects look very positive.  

PRO Report: 11th Aug 2008
Fiona Duggan was the only representative from Bandon Athletic Club at the Woodies DIY All Ireland Juvenile B Championships and Inter County Relays at the Morton Stadium, Dublin on Sunday 10th August. Fiona won a bronze medal in the Girls U13 Shot. Sipke Shaughnessy competed in the AAI Combined events championships also in Morton Stadium on August 10th. This competition had to be abandoned however, due to the severe weather conditions.
Joan Healy competed in the England Athletics U15 and U17 Championships in Birmingham at the weekend. Joan came fourth in the 100m final in a photo finish. She was placed 5th in the 200m final which also had to be judged on the finish line photos.
A number of Masters athletes braved rain and floods last Saturday August 9th to travel to Tullamore for the AAI Masters Track and Field Championships. Conditions on the day were atrocious; however, this did not stop Bandon athletes producing some superb performances. Pat Mulcahy won a gold medal in a very competitive 100m sprint Pat also won bronze in the 200 meters Anne Kelly McCarthy was on top form winning gold in the long jump, silver in the 100m, silver in the 200m and bronze in the 1500m. Priscilla O’Sullivan came third in the shot, discus and hammer. Liz Coomey won gold in the hammer with a record breaking throw of 36.55 Gold also for Liz in the high jump, silver in the 100m and long jump and bronze in the 200m. The Bandon ladies team consisting of Ann McCarthy, Liz Coomey, Priscilla O’Sullivan and Kate Coveney took the gold medal for both the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays. Pat Mulcahy and Liam O’Reilly formed part of a West Cork relay team which came second in the men’s 4 x 100m relay.
On the road, Tom Laffan came 6th overall and 1st in the M40 category in the Cork BHAA Novartis 5k on August 6th. Also competing were Kevin Wilmot, Paddy Murphy and Tom Sheehan.

PRO Report: 5th Aug 2008
There was a large turnout of athletes from Bandon AC at the Kinsale Regatta 5 Mile Road Race on Friday 1st of August. Tom Laffan came 6th in one his best times over that distance clocking it up in 27.09. Kevin Wilmot was 7th and Tim Lucey was 3rd in the M40 category in a time of 29.15. Also representing the club on the day were Tom Sheehan, Joe O’Sullivan, Matthew Geden, Paddy Murphy, Phil Murphy, Bernard O’Sullivan, Robert Merrick, John O’Brien, Brian McSweeney and Sheila Muckian. The club also took first prize in the team category.
The club won the best club category the following day also at the Rising Sun AC open sports at the CIT Track on Monday 4th of August.
As the track and field season is effectively winding down, the club are taking a two week break from training. Training will resume on Monday 18th August in the Town Park when athletes will be gearing up for the forthcoming cross country season, which will kick off with the Kinsale/Riverstick open cross country on September 21st
The All Ireland Masters Track and Field Championships will take place on Saturday 9th of August in Tullamore. Morton Stadium, Dublin hosts the Woodies DIY AAI Juvenile Combined events on 9th and 10th of August. The Woodies DIY AAI Juvenile B Track and Field Championships take place on August 10th at the same venue. Liscarroll host their open Track and Field Sports on Sunday 10th August at 1pm in the GAA Grounds

PRO Report: 29th July 2008
The AAI National League Finals took place on Sunday 27th July in Tullamore. The Bandon women’s team competing in the premier division at senior level came fourth overall in the country. It was a highly competitive final this year with a number of senior Irish international athletes participating. Despite being just outside a medal position, the Bandon team produced some excellent performances. The team included some athletes still at juvenile level who were competing against some of the top seniors in the country. Competing for Bandon Athletic Club were Liz Coomey (hammer), Valerie Lynch (pole vault), Carmel Crowley (3,000m), Louise Kavanagh (800m and 1,500m), Lynda O’Donovan (400m), Joan Healy (100m and 200m), Róisín Howard (high and long jump), Rachel Roche (javelin), Priscilla O’Sullivan (shot), Colette Tuthill (1500m walk). Paula McCarthy of Bantry (discus) and Maureen Glanton of Skibbereen (100m and 400m hurdles and triple jump) were guests on the team.
The Town Park was the venue for another round of the West Cork League on Friday 18th of July. Athletes from Bantry, Skibbereen and Dunmanway travelled for the event. The Summer League series is essentially a fun and social event for the West Cork athletic clubs, however there were some excellent performances from all the athletes concerned across the various disciplines.
Upcoming events include a five mile road race in Kinsale on Friday 1st August, the Rising Sun Open Sports at the CIT Track on Monday 4th August at 1.30pm. Bantry AC hosts a festival of sports on the same day at 1pm.

PRO Report: 23rd July 2008
Joan Healy was the only athlete from Bandon AC competing at the UK and Irish School’s International Athletics Track and Field championships in Bedford last weekend. Joan won gold in the 100m in a time of 11.95 and came fourth in the 200m. She was also part of the gold medal winning Irish 4 x 100 relay team.
Also in the UK Ronan Duggan competed in the British Milers Club Nike Grand Prix at Trafford Athletic Stadium in Stretford, coming in 7th in the 800m.
Upcoming events include the West Cork Summer League hosted by Bandon AC which takes place in the Town Park on Friday 25th July at 7pm. There will be events for events for even age groups U8, U10, U12, U14 and U16. The AAI National Track and Field League final takes place on Sunday 27th July in Tullamore. Midleton Open Sports also take place on the same day at 1.pm. Training continues on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Town Park. Details of results and fixtures can be seen on www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 16th July 2008
Joan Healy of Bandon Athletic Club was part of the Irish 4 x 100m team which set a new Irish junior record for the event with a time of 45.93. She was in action as part of the Irish squad in Poland last week at the World Junior Championships. Joan was selected as part of the squad, having equalled the qualifying time for the 100m sprint earlier in the year. Unfortunately however, the team came fourth in their heat and did not qualify for the final. Joan also ran in the 100m sprint finishing 6th in her heat. Keep in mind that she was competing against the best in the world at junior level and to qualify for this level is a huge achievement for an Irish athlete. There can be no doubt Joan has an illustrious career ahead of her in athletics.
The third round of the All Ireland Juvenile championships took place in Tullamore at the weekend. Tracy Bradfield brought home a silver medal in the U16 discus. Patrick McSweeney won a bronze medal for the U16 Shot. Lyn Bradfield was fourth in the U15 shot as was David Reynolds in the U17 javelin. Also competing on the day for Bandon AC was Conor Pullin, Ivan O’Brien.
Events to come on the athletics calendar include the AAI Senior Athletics Championships which will take place in Santry, Dublin next weekend on July 19th and 20th.

PRO Report: 8th July 2008
There were some sterling performances from Bandon athletes at the Woodies DIY All Ireland Juvenile Track and Field Championships held on July 5th and 6th in Antrim. Bringing home All Ireland gold medals were Colin Kingston, Laura McSweeney and Sipke Shaughnessy. Fintan Shaughnessy, Tracy and Lyn Bradfield and Róisín Howard all won silver medals. It was the first time that the All Ireland Juvenile Championships were held in Antrim and conditions unfortunately were not ideal for competition with wind and showers dominating the weekend. However despite the weather and the arduous trip to Antrim, Bandon athletes were on top form, holding their own with athletes from all corners of the country.
Full results as follows, Colin Kingston won the U13 shot with a huge throw of 13.91 and the jury is still out as to whether it is a record breaker. Fintan Shaughnessy came second in the U13 long jump and was joint 4th in the high jump and 4th in the 60m hurdles. Laura McSweeney won gold for the U14 Shot, silver in the discus and came 6th in the hammer. Robert O’Sullivan came 5th in the U14 javelin. Lyn Bradfield won silver for the U15 discus. Sipke Shaughnessy won gold for the U16 250m hurdles and was third in the 100m hurdles. Patrick McSweeney was fifth in the U16 hammer. Tracy Bradfield won silver for the U16 Shot. At U19 level Róisín Howard came second in the shot and the high jump and third in the discus. Well done to all of these athletes for their achievements at the championships. To make it to the top level in the country requires huge commitment by the athletes themselves, their families and their trainers.
In Poland this week, Joan Healy is part of the Irish squad competing in the World Junior Track and Field Championships. There are 21 athletes from 17 clubs across the country taking part, making this the largest team going from Ireland to the championships. Joan is running in the 100m sprint and in the 4 x 100 relay.
Upcoming events include the Cork City Sports which take place at the Mardyke Arena on Saturday 12th July. The second round of the All Ireland Track and Field Championships take place on July 13th in Tullamore. Full results and details of all fixtures can be seen on www.bandonathleticclub.com. Training continues on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm at the Town Park.

Well done to all the Bandon Athletic Club members who recently qualified for the National Community Games finals due to be held in Mosney on August 23rd / 24th next. Those qualifying were ; Sinead Mulcahy ( U12 Relay), Phil Healy & Ashling Everard (U14 Relay), Joan Healy ( U16 100 M), Ashling Everard ( U14 800 M), Colin Kingston ( U14 Shot ) & Toni Chatterton ( U 16 Long Jump).
Others to get amongst the medals were ; Grainne Mulcahy ( 2nd U8 60M), Erin Kingston ( 3rd U10 100 M ), Sinead Mulcahy ( 2nd U 12 100 M ) Sinead Caulfield ( 2nd U12 600 M ), Matthew Draper ( 3rd U12 600 M ), Keren Chatterton ( 2nd U14 shot ), Phil Healy ( 2nd U14 long jump ), Ciaran Everard ( 3rd U14 800 M ), Fiona Everard ( 2nd U10 mixed relay ), Erin Kingston ( 2nd U10 mixed relay ), Brian Everard ( 2nd U12 Relay ), Matthew Draper ( 2nd U12 relay ), Colin Kingston ( 3rd U14 relay )

PRO Report: 2nd July 2008
Joan Healy heads for Bydgoszcz in Poland this week to compete in the World Junior Track and Field Championships. Joan will be competing in the 4 x 100 relay on Friday 4th of July and will run in the 100m sprint on Monday. Joan was selected to compete for Ireland based on equalling the qualifying time of 12.04 at the Munster Junior T & F Championships in CIT in May. Joan was also recently part of the 4 x 100 women’s relay team competing in Mannheim, Germany which broke the 2004 junior record or 45.95 with a time of 45.95. Well done to Joan for this fantastic achievement and best wishes to her in Poland.
It was a busy weekend for athletes, Ronan Duggan competed in the British Miler’s Club 800m Birmingham. The All Ireland Junior Championships took place at the weekend in Tullamore. Rachel Roche came second in the javelin and third in the discus.
The inaugural Courtmacsherry 10K Road Race was run on Saturday 28th June on a course from Courtmacsherry to Timoleague and back. The race attracted a large field and there was a local win by Carmel Crowley in the women’s race. Kevin Wilmott won the men’s race. Joe Sullivan, Owen O’Leary, Bernard O’ Sullivan, John O’Sullivan and Kate Coveney also competed. The race was a fundraiser for the Niall Mellon Trust and it is hoped that it will become an annual fixture on the road race calendar. Also on Saturday, David Reynolds, Tracy Bradfield, Patrick McSweeney and Ivan O’Brien competed in the Kit Kat All Ireland Schools Tailteann Games in Santry, Dublin.
The County Masters Track and Field Championships took place at CIT on Friday 27th June. Priscilla O’Sullivan won silver medals for the high jump and the 35LB weight and bronze in the discus. Liz Coomey won gold for the 200m and the high jump and silver in the discus.
Upcoming events include the All Ireland Juvenile Track and Field Championships which take place in Antrim next weekend. The West Cork B competition will take place in the Town Park in Bandon at 12 noon on Sunday 6th July.

PRO Report: 25th June 2008
The Munster U15-U19 track and field championships took place over two days last weekend at the CIT Track. The first day’s competition on Saturday 21st June saw one of the wettest days of the summer. A number of Bandon athletes still managed to bring home medals despite the conditions. Laura McSweeney won silver medals in the U14 hammer and discus. Tracy Bradfield won silver in the U16 discus. Sipke Shaughnessy won gold for both the U16 100m hurdles and the 200m. Mark Sugrue and Patrick McSweeney both won bronze for the U16 javelin and the high jump respectively. Conor Pullin won gold for the U17 discus. At U19 level Róisín Howard brought home silver in the discus and the shot.
The second round of the championships took place the following day under much improved conditions. There were gold medal wins at U16 level for Sipke Shaughnessy in the 250m hurdles, Patrick McSweeney in the shot, Mark Sugrue in the discus and Tracy Bradfield in the shot. Gold also for David Reynolds in the U17 Javelin and for Róisín Howard in the U19 high jump and the javelin. Sipke Shaughnessy also came second in the long jump. Conor Pullin came second in the U17 javelin and third in the high jump and the shot. David Reynolds came second in his U17 high jump and Ivan O’Brien came third in the U18 discus. Patrick McSweeney also won Bronze in the U16 Hammer. Also competing well for the club on the day were Elizabeth Prout, Daire Harrington and Kevin Nyhan.
Upcoming events include the West Cork Summer league on Friday 27th June hosted by Dohenys AC, a 10k road race in Courtmacsherry on Saturday 28th June with a 5pm start. The route of the race is Courtmacsherry to Timoleague and back. The all Ireland Junior and U23 Track and Field Championships take place in Tullamore on 29th June.


Munster Juvenile Championships video clip from Templemore from Munster Athletics Site

PRO Report: 3rd June 2008
The second Cork City Marathon took place in bright sunshine on the June Bank Holiday Monday. Tom Laffan came 18th overall in a time of 2.54.10. He was 4th in the M40 category. Tom Sheehan was the second Bandon athlete home in a time of 3.01.17 and Kevin Wilmott was not far behind in a time of 3.02.55. Also participating from Bandon AC were Matthew Gedden, James Daly, Eamonn Moloney, Phil Murphy, Pat O’Sullivan, and Robert Merrick.
A number of athletes from the club represented their schools at the All Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships held in Tullamore on 31st May. For Coláiste na Toirbhirte Joan Healy won gold for both the Intermediate100m and the 200m, Laura McSweeney came third in the junior discus and Toni Chatterton came 5th in the junior long jump. Lynn Bradfield of Bandon Grammar School won bronze in the Junior Girls shot putt. Ronan Duggan of St Brogans came 4th in the senior boys 800m and Patrick McSweeney of the Hamilton High School was 7th in the Intermediate shot.
At the Munster Combined Events Championships in Castleisland on May 25, siblings Fintan and Sipke Shaughnessy were both clear winners bringing home gold medals in the U13 and U16 Pentathlon. Events in the pentathlon are long and high jump, shot, hurdles and 800m.
Upcoming events include the County Senior Track and Field Championships in CIT on 6th June and the Munster Juvenile Championships in Templemore on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th June.

PRO Report:
It was another busy weekend in Athletics with club members competing in the Munster Schools competition in Limerick, the ESB National League in Tullamore and the final day of the County Championships in CIT. Representing Coláiste na Toirbhirte and Bandon AC, Joan Healy had wins two days in a row in the 100m and 200m.
The County Track and Field A Championships drew to a close on Sunday 18th May at the CIT Track. Events of the day consisted of relays and paired competitions. The Relays were run off first, generating plenty of excitement and intense competition. The boys U15 team consisting of Mighty and Great Okafer, Kevin Nyhan and Ronan Sheehan won a gold medal in their relay. The Boys teams at U9, U13, U14 and U16 levels all received silver medals and the girls U12 and U13 teams received bronze medals. In the paired competitions, four of the girl’s teams and eight boy’s teams qualified for Munster
On the same day also, the ESB National League took place in Tullamore. The following all brought home gold medals; Colette Tuthill in the 1500m walk, Joan Healy for the 100m and the 200m and Rachel Roche for the Javelin. Róisín Howard and Liz Coomey had a second place each in the 100m hurdles and in the Hammer respectively. Louise Cavanagh came third in the 800m as was Carmel Crowley in the 3000m. Priscilla O’Sullivan came third in the discus and the Bandon team were third in the 4 by 400 relay. Bandon Club was also third overall in the Premier Women category.
A number of athletes from the Club represented their schools at Munster level at the Munster Schools Track & Field Championships in Limerick on 17th. For Coláiste na Toirbhirte, Joan Healy was first in the Intermediate 100m and 200m, Toni Chatterton was second in the high and long jump and Laura McSweeney was third in the Discus and Phil Healy was third in the minor long jump. Representing St Brogans, Ronan Duggan received a silver medal for the senior 800m. Patrick McSweeney from the Hamilton High School was second in the Shot. Euan Walters of Bandon Grammar School was second in the discus. Athletes who come first or second in distances up to 400m in the first three over 400m and in the field events qualify for the All Ireland Schools Competition which takes place on May 31st in Tullamore.
Upcoming fixture includes the County Masters and Junior T & F Championships at CIT Track on Friday 23rd May at 6.45pm and Courcey Rovers Open Sports which take place next Sunday May 25th at 2pm in Ballinspittle.

PRO Report: 13th May 2008
Bandon athletes had number of success on the second day of the County Track and Field Championships on Sunday May 11th at the CIT Track. David Reynolds won the U17 Javelin and the High Jump. Mark Sugrue won the U16 Long Jump and was third in the 200m; Mark O’Sullivan came second in the U16 Walk with Tadhg O’Donovan coming third. Mark Sugrue came first in the U16 Discus and Patrick McSweeney came second with Tadgh O'Donovan completing a clean sweep for the club by winning the Bronze. Patrick McSweeney also won the U16 Shot Putt with Mark Sugrue coming second.  Mighty Okafer was second in the U15 200m and third in the High Jump. At U14 level Robert O’Sullivan won gold in the Walk and Thomas O’Sullivan was third in the Discus. Victor Lovell was first in the U10 Ball Throw.
The girls also produced some medal winning performances. Ailis Crowley won silver for the U17 walk. Lynda O’Donovan won the U19 800m. Toni Chatterton was 2nd in the Long Jump at U15 where Lynn Bradfield won silver in the Shot and gold in the Discus. At U14 Laura McSweeney took gold for the Hammer, Javelin, Walk and also won Bronze in the High Jump. Aoibheann Harte won the gold medal in the U13 Long Jump; Fiona Duggan took the silver medal for both the Shot and the Hammer. Mary Teresa Murphy came second in the U13 700m with Aisling Everard coming third. Sinéad Caulfield was third in the U12 700m. Erin Kingston won the silver medal in the U11 Shot.
It was a busy weekend for athletes as the second leg of the South Munster Schools Track and Field took place at the same venue on Saturday 10th May. Ronan Duggan of St Brogans won a gold medal for the Senior Boys 1500m. Owen Walters from Bandon Grammar School won the Intermediate Pole Vault, David Reynolds, Bandon Grammar, came second in the High Jump and Patrick McSweeney was third. Lynda O’Donovan Coláiste no Toirbhirte came third in the Senior Girls 400m. Joan Healy won the Intermediate Girls 100m and 200m and Tracy Bradfield won the Shot. Lyn Bradfield won a silver medal in the Junior Girls Shot and Laura McSweeney took the bronze. Liz Prout won Silver in the Junior Girls Triple Jump. The Junior Girls team representing Coláiste na Toirbhirte won the Junior Girls cup for the team that won the most medals over the two days of the competition. Full results of the above and photos from the events can be seen on www.bandonathleticclub.com
A number of athletes from the Club competed in the fifth annual Rising Sun Straight Road Mile in aid on Enable Ireland near Ballinhassing on Friday 9th of May. Seána Coveney (GU14) won the women’s race in a time of 6.38 with her sister Róisín (GU12) taking the second prize. Kate Coveney was third and Sharron Toner fourth. Seán Murphy was 6th in a time of 5.11 Matthew Gedden, Tom and Mike Laffan also ran.
The third leg of the County Track and Field Championships consisting of relay and paired competition takes place next Sunday May 18th at the CIT Track.

PRO Report: World Qualifying Time for Joan Healy

Joan Healy matched the qualifying time of 12.04 in the 100m sprint at the Munster Junior and U23 Championships at the CIT track on Monday May 5th.
This superb time now makes Joan eligible to compete in the World Junior Championships in Byigoszcsc in Poland in July.

PRO Report: 5th May 2008

The first leg of the County Track and Field Championships took place in glorious sunshine on Sunday May 4th at the CIT Track. Athletes from across the County from ages 9 to 19 competed fiercely, putting in some superb performances on the track and in the field in order to qualify for the Munster Championships. There were some excellent performances from Bandon athletes on the day which earned them numerous medals and a number of personal bests.
Fiachra Harrington took the gold medal for the U11 shot. Colin Kingston brought home a gold and silver medal in the U13 shot and hammer. Promise Okafer came second in the sprint and first in the long jump. Fintan Shaughnessy came third in the long jump. Mary Teresa Murphy received a silver medal in the U13 High Jump. Mary Teresa and Aoibheann Harte reached the finals of the U13 sprint producing some super speeds in the heats and semi finals but despite further excellent running in the final were just outside medal positions. The U14s also performed well with Helena Murphy winning the 250m hurdles and Robert O’Sullivan winning the javelin. Laura McSweeney came first in the discus, second in the shot and Seána Coveney came third in the 1500m and Robert O’Sullivan came fourth at the same distance. At U15 level Toni Chatterton came second in the high jump and Chloe O’Leary third. Kevin Nyhan was second in the 250 hurdles and Daire Harrington was third in the discus. Great Okafer came third in the sprint and Ciarán Everard ran a great 1500m race finishing just outside the medals in fifth place. The U16s produced some fine performances with Tracy Bradfield taking gold in the discus and shot, silver in the long jump and triple jump. Elizabeth Prout received a silver medal in the discus and the 250m hurdles and a bronze medal in the long jump. Patrick McSweeney took gold and had a personal best of 1m 53 in the high jump, gold also in the javelin and the hammer. Tadhg O’Donovan came second in the hammer, taking the silver medal. Mark O’Sullivan came fifth in the 1500m Ailis Crowley came second in the U17 1500m and also in the 300m.
Bandon AC athletes were also in action at the CIT track the previous day but this time representing their schools in the South Munster Schools Track and Field Championships. For Coláiste Na Toirbithe Laura McSweeney came first in the junior discus, third in the javelin. Lynda O’Donovan won a gold medal in the senior 800m. Toni Chatterton came first in the junior high and long jumps and Phil Healy was second in the minor long jump. Phil Healy and Seána Coveney also competed in the 800m but were outside the medal positions. Daire Harrington received a gold medal in the junior shot. For the Hamilton High School, Patrick McSweeney took gold in the intermediate shot and Sipke Shaughnessy took the silver in the junior hurdles. Representing Bandon Grammar School, Lynn Bradfield was third in the junior discus and high jump and fourth in the javelin. Tracy Bradfield was first in the intermediate discus and second in her long jump.
The Munster Masters, junior and U23 Track and Field Championships were held also at the CIT Track on the May Bank Holiday Monday. Liz Coomey won gold in the hammer, high jump and the long jump. Priscilla O’Sullivan won four silver medals in hammer, javelin, discus and shot. Pat Mulcahy won gold in the 100m sprint and Carmel Crowley won the 3000m. Further results in this competition to follow.
Three Bandon athletes competed in the 2008 Bay Run on Sunday 4th May. The Bay Run is a half marathon run from Glengarriffe to Bantry. Kevin Wilmot came fifth. John O’Brien and Bernard O’Sullivan also ran well in the race.
Fixtures for next weekend include the Rising Sun Straight Mile in Ballinhassing on Friday 9th May at 8pm, the second round of the County Track and Field Track and Field Championships at the CIT Track at 10.00am.

PRO Report: 29th April 2008
The second leg of the West Cork Track and Field Championships for even ages took place on Sunday last April 27th. Heavy rain however, marred the day and a number of field events were cancelled. In the Girls U8 60m Brittney Okafer came third. Kate Aherne also came third in the U10 Ball Throw and the U10 relay team came second. Sinéad Caulfield won the U12 100m with Rochelle Scannell coming second and the U12 relay team came second. Aoibheann Harte won a bronze medal in the U14 100m and silver in the long jump. Laura McSweeney came third in the long jump but won the U14 shot with Fiona Duggan coming third. In the U14 800m Mary Teresa Murphy came third. At U16 level Tracy Bradfield was second in the 100m; she won the shot putt and was also second in the long jump. Lynn Bradfield was third in the shot and Toni Chatterton was third in the long jump and the U16 relay team was first. Ailis Crowley came third in the U20 200m. Rachel Roche won the Senior Women long jump.
The boys also produced some good results in the championship. Victor Lovell won a silver medal in the U10 80m; he won the U10 300m and produced a fine performance to bring the U10 relay team to victory. Aaron Draper came third in the 300m and Travis Coomey was second in the ball throw. Matthew Draper won a bronze medal in the U12 100m. The U14 boys took all the medals in the 100m with Oisín Sedgewick taking gold, Promise Okafer taking silver and Fintan Shaughnessy taking the bronze. Colin Kingston came first in the U14 shot, Promise Okafer took gold in the long jump with Fintan Shaughnessy coming second and the U14 boys won their relay. Great Okafer came second in the U16 100m. In the U16 shot Patrick McSweeney came first with Daire Harrington coming second. Mark O’Sullivan won the 1,500m. In the U16 long jump, Ronan Sheehan won the gold medal, Mark O’Sullivan the sliver and Patrick McSweeney the bronze. The U16 team also won their relay. Tim Harrington won the U20 high jump. Kevin Wilmot won the Senior Men 1,500m and came third in the 200m.
The May Bank Holiday is going to be a busy one for athletes. The South Munster Schools Track and Field Championships take place on Saturday May 3rd at the CIT Track; the first day of the County Track and Field is on the following day also in CIT. Monday sees the Munster Senior, U23 and Masters taking place at the same venue. Details of all of the above available on www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 21st April 2008
The first leg of the West Cork Track and Field championships took place at the CIT Track on Sunday 13th of April. It turned out to be an ideal day to return to outdoor competition with ideal weather, dry, bright and not too warm. Bandon AC athletes turned out in force to compete with their West Cork rivals. Michael Laffan won a gold medal in the U9 80m Sprint and the Boys U9 Relay team was second. Fiona Everard came second in the U11 60m with Gráinne Lucey coming third. The U11 girls also won their relay. Gráinne Lucey was second in the U11 Long Jump with Carla Hicks and Kelly Scannell sharing third position. The U11 boys took gold in the relay, with Niall McCarthy coming 2nd in the Long Jump and Matthew Draper coming 2nd in the 80m, and 3rd in the Long Jump.
Colin Kingston continued his winning form coming first in the U13 Shot and the 100m and the boys U13 relay team came second. The U13 Girls took gold in the relay, Fiona Duggan came first in the shot with Kerrin Chatterton third. Aishling Everard was first in the 800m and Sinéad Caulfield second. The U15 Girls came second in the relay. Toni Chatterton won the high jump and was second in the 100m. The U15 Boys also won their relay. Oisín Sedgewick took gold in the 100m and in the 200m. Jerry Crowley took the 100m bronze.
The U17 girls continued the relay success taking gold. Tracy Bradfield was first in the Shot with her sister Lynn coming second. Tracy also came first in the 100m and in the Long Jump. The U17 Boys also won their relay and took gold and silver in the shot with Patrick McSweeney coming first and Tadhg O’Donovan coming second.
Not to be outdone, the Seniors and Masters produced more medal winning performances. Liz Coomey came first in the 100m and the shot. Anne McCarthy won Masters 100m and 400m. Siobhán Dineen came second in the 100m and third in the 400m. The Senior Women also won the relay. The Bandon Senior men also won their relay and Patrick McSweeney won the 56lb shot. Niall Forde won the Masters 56lb shot and Martin Lovell came second.
A number of Bandon athletes competed at Leevale Open Sports which took place at the Mardyke Track on Sunday 20th April. In the Senior competitions, Ronan Duggan won a gold medal in the 1500m with Timmy Harrington taking gold in the long jump. Linda O’Donovan took silver in the Senior Women’s 400m and Joan Healy won a silver medal in both the 100m and 200m. Liz Coomey came third in the shot putt. The Juveniles also scored well with Laura McSweeney winning a gold medal in the U14 shot, Patrick McSweeney coming third in the U16 high jump. Lynn Bradfield and Gráinne Lucey won silver medals in the U15 shot and the U11 600m.
The Bandon AC team consisting of Colette Tuthill, Carmel Crowley and Louise Cavanagh came fourth recently in the Woodie’s DIY All Ireland Road Relay Championships held in Dublin on Sunday 13th April.
The second leg of the West Cork Track and Field Championships for even ages take place next Sunday April 27th at the CIT Track. The BHAA Stride by the Tide 4 mile race takes place on Redbarn Beach near Youghal on Tuesday 29th April. The first leg of the County Juvenile Track and Field Championships kicks off on May 4th at the CIT Track with the Munster Senior, U23 and Masters taking place the following day.

PRO Report: 8th April 2008
The first round of the AAI All Ireland Juvenile Indoors took place last weekend at the Indoor area in Nenagh. There were some superb performances from Bandon Athletes at this All Ireland competition including a record breaking throw for Colin Kingston in the U13 Shot Putt winning him an All Ireland gold medal, gold also for Patrick McSweeney in the U16 Shot, Sipke Shaughnessy in the U16 60m Hurdles and for Joan Healy in U17 60m Sprint. Patrick McSweeney’s win this weekend is his third All Ireland Shot Putt title in a row after he also won the U14 and U15 titles in previous years. Joan Healy also made it a three in a row at Indoors in the 60m Sprint. Laura McSweeney and Lynn Bradfield both took all Ireland silver medals in the U14 and U15 Shot Putt respectively. Promise Okafor also won silver in the U13 Long Jump with Fintan Shaughnessy taking the bronze medal and Tracey Bradfield came third in the U16 Shot. Other noteworthy performances outside the medal positions included a fourth for Sipke Shaughnessy in the U16 Long Jump, Shane Conway 6th in the U19 400m and Fintan Shaughnessy 8th in the U13 High Jump. Toni Chatterton came 5th in the U15 Long Jump, Daire Harrington was 9th in the U15 Shot and Promise Okafor came 10th in the U13 60m Sprint. All these athletes are to be commended for representing the club with distinction at the top level in the country. The second round of the competition takes place next weekend April 12th and 13th also in Nenagh.
On the road, Carmel Crowley won the women’s race in the UCC/Carmel Lynch Memorial (BHAA) 10K on Sunday 6th April with Louise Kavanagh coming in second, both of them repeating last years positions in the same run. In the men’s race, Tom Laffan came in 8th overall and picked up first prize in the O40 race. Joe O’Sullivan came third in the 045 race. Tom Sheehan, Eamon Moloney and Tim Lucey also competed well.
Matthew Geden was the only Bandon AC runner to compete in the Connemara Ultra Marathon covering a distance of 39.3 miles in a time of 6 hours and 24 minutes which was truly a great test of endurance and fitness. For most of us the thought of facing into a regular 26 mile marathon is more than daunting so full credit must be given to anybody who dares to do half as much again! Well done Matthew. The Connemara International Marathon took place last Sunday April 6th comprising a Half Marathon, a full Marathon and Ireland’s only on-road Ultra Marathon. It also ranks as one of the most scenic marathon routes in the country with numerous rolling hills to conquer.
Upcoming events include the West Cork Track and Field Championship which take place next Sunday April 13th at the CIT Track at 12 noon sharp. The first round is for the uneven ages and the second part of the competition takes place on Sunday 27th also at the same venue. The order of events for both days can be seen on the Bandon Athletic Club Website.

PRO Report: 1st April 2008

The Bandon Athletic Club Annual Awards night was held at the GAA Pavilion on Friday 28th March. Awards are presented to athletes who have achieved in competition at a high level during 2007. A results based points system is used to decide the awards in each category. Awards are presented to the various age groups in both Cross Country and Track and Field. In track and field, the following received awards – U9 Travis Coomey, U11 Matthew Draper, U13 Fintan Shaughnessy, U15 Sipke Shaughnessy. The U16-19 award went to Tim Harrington. Joan Healy received the overall Track and Field Award.
In the Cross Country section awards were presented to the following – U11 Grainne Lucey, U13 Aisling Everard. Mark O’Sullivan and Ciarán Everard tied for the U15 award. Ronan Duggan received the U16-19 award. Carmel Crowley received the overall Cross Country award. The overall Masters award was presented to Liz Coomey. The Club Person of the year went to Tom Laffan and Billy Good was honoured with the Hall of Fame award. A new award for road runner of the year will be presented shortly. A disco for club members followed the presentations.

PRO Report: 24th Mar 2008
The Paddy Desmond Memorial 4 Mile race was held in Ballinhassig on Easter Sunday, hosted by The Rising Sun AC. Over a hundred athletes competed with Tom Laffan coming in third and Kevin Wilmot finishing 6th. Tom Sheehan and Paddy Murphy also competed.
The Bandon Athletic Club annual awards night takes place this Friday March 28th at 7.30pm at the GAA Pavilion. Athletes at Juvenile, Junior, Senior and Masters Levels are recognised for overall individual performance during the year in both Track and Field and Cross Country. There will be a Hall of Fame presentation and a Club Person of the Year Award. The event is one of the social highlights in the Bandon AC calendar with refreshments and a disco following the awards ceremony. All club athletes and their families are invited to attend.
There was a welcome break from competition for the majority of Bandon AC athletes over the Easter break ahead of a very full schedule for April. The AA1 Juvenile Indoors will take place over two weekends, April 5th and 6th and 12th and 13th in Nenagh. The outdoor season kicks off with the West Cork Track Field Championships which take place over two Sundays, April 13th for the uneven age group and April 27th for the even ages. Leevale Sports will be held on 20th April at the Mardyke Arena. Athletes intending to train with Bandon AC and compete in Outdoor competitions should ensure that their membership is up to date for the 2008 season.
Some results from the previous week include the Munster Novice, Senior and Masters Road Championships which took place in Ennis on Sunday 16th where Tom Laffan came 2nd in the over 40 race. Kevin Wilmot competed in the Novice Race. Liz Coomey and Róisin Howard competed in the Woodies DIY Championships of Ireland Indoor Relays in Nenagh on the same weekend taking gold in the 2 x Shot and silver in both the 2 x Long and High Jumps. The St Patrick’s Day Dash on March 17th ahead of the Cork Parade aims to find the fastest men and women in Cork with Timmy Harrington coming in third and Róisin Howard finishing fifth in the women’s sprint.
Training continues at the Grammar School on Mondays and Wednesdays for the moment. The forthcoming time change will hopefully herald a return to outdoor training once conditions in the Town Park are deemed suitable.

PRO Report: 11th Mar 2008
Athletes from Bandon AC participated in road races at opposite ends of the County on last Sunday March 9th , the West Cork Road Races, which were held in Dunmanway, and the Ballycotton ‘10’. In Dunmanway conditions were bright but windy with the races being almost completed before some very heavy hail showers. Bandon Athletes were successful in a number of races. Ronan Lucey came 4th in the U10 Race. Fiona Everard came 2nd in the U12 race with Grainne Lucey and Róisin Coveney finishing 5th and 6th respectively. Brian Everard came in 5th in the U12 Race. Robert O’Sullivan was 3rd in the U14 race. Seána Coveney and Aishling Everard battled for first place in the Girls U14 race with Seána wining on this occasion and Aishling coming second. Mark O’Sullivan ran a strong race to win the U16 race with Ciarán Everard coming in 3rd.
In Ballycotton, Kevin Wilmot was the first Bandon athlete home in the 10 mile road race coming 38th out of almost 3,000 runners in a time of 57:42. Tom Laffan was 46th overall with a time of 58:27. Tom Sheehan, Margaret Crowley, Elizabeth Barry Crowley, Joe O’Sullivan, Paddy Murphy, James Daly, Vincent Goggin, Eamonn Moloney, Declan O’Halloran, Phil Murphy, Robert Merrick and Shiela Muckian also competed for the club.
The Munster Road Championships take place next Sunday 16th March in Ennis. Full fixtures for the year can be seen on www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 4th Mar 2008
Bandon athletes had a successful outing to the Munster Juvenile U15-U19 Indoors Championships in Nenagh on 1st and 2nd March. Joan Healy won gold medals for the 60m Sprint and in the 200m. Sipke O'Shaughnessy won gold medals in the U16 Hurdles, Long Jump and 200m and Lynda O’Donovan took the gold in the U19 800m. Timmy Harrington came first in the U17 Long Jump and in the Triple Jump and reached the final of the 60m Sprint. Shane Conway won gold in the U19 400m achieving a personal best time of 51.60 seconds in the process. Patrick McSweeney won a gold medal in the U16 Shot and came in third in the High Jump. Daire Harrington won a bronze medal in the U15 Shot and the Bradfield sisters Tracey and Lynn brought home a silver and a bronze medal in Shot at U16 and U15 level respectively. Toni Chatterton came second in the U15 Long Jump. Ronan Sheehan was 5th in the U15 60m with Great Okafor 9th in the same race. Phil Healy also competed in the Long Jump finishing 6th and also completed well in the 800m.

The boys U15 team comprising Mighty and Great Okafor, Ronan Sheehan and Kevin Nyhan came second in the 4x200m relay.
The West Cork Road Races take place next Sunday March 9th at 12 Noon in Dunmanway with races from U8 up to Senior Level. Training continues on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7pm at the Grammar School. Full results, fixtures and further information can be found on the Club website www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 25th Feb 2008
The Munster Juvenile Indoor U10-U14 Championships took place on 23rd and 24th February at the Nenagh Olympic Indoor Arena. A number of athletes from Bandon AC made the trip and represented the Club with distinction. There were a number of nail-biting moments in the events held over two days which included a new championship record in long jump and a tie for gold in the boys U13 4x100m Relay. Promise Okafor won gold in the boys U13 Long Jump setting a new record of 4.69m in the process. The previous record for Boys U13 long Jump was 4.68 set in 1996. He also won silver in the 60m sprint. Fintan Shaughnessy won a silver medal in the long jump and in the high jump. He also performed well in the final of the 60m sprint. Colin Kingston won gold in the boys U13 Shot with a throw of 10.92m. Laura McSweeney came second the girls U14 Shot. The boys U13 relay team of Edward Aherne, Fintan Shaughnessy, Kelvin Stone and Promise Okafor gave an inspiring performance at the end of arduous day, to take joint gold with the Nenagh Olympic team. Other athletes who competed well over the weekend were Fiona Ivri, Clare Sexton, Kate Toner and Kerrin Chatterton. Fiona Duggan was 5th in the U13 Shot. Aoibheann Harte and Mary Teresa Murphy qualified for the semi-final of the girls U13 60m sprint. Sinéad Caulfield qualified for the final of the U12 600m but was just outside a medal position. Milo Shaughnessy and Oisin Sedgewick both qualified for finals in their events on their first outing to an Indoors event. The girls U13 4x100 relay team comprising Aoibheann Harte, Clare Sexton, Kate Toner and Mary Teresa Murphy gave a great performance, narrowly missing out a place in the final.
Further a field, Joan Healy competed at U17 level at the British Triple A Indoor Championships in Birmingham. She came fourth in both the 60m sprint and 200m with personal best times of 7.70 seconds and 24.98 respectively.
Liz Coomey competed in the British Masters Track and Field and Winter Throws Championships at the Lee Valley Centre in Enfield, Middlesex. She came home with 5 silver medals for Hammer, Shot, 60m Hurdles, High Jump and Heavy Hammer Throw.

PRO Report: 18th Feb 2008
The AAI All Ireland Masters Indoors Championships took place on Saturday 16th February at the Indoor Arena in Nenagh. Liz Coomey, Ann McCarthy and Kate Coveney competed for Bandon AC in their various age categories. Liz won All Ireland gold medals at four events, Shot, Long Jump, 60m Sprint and High Jump and silver in the 200m. Ann McCarthy won silver in the Long Jump, 200m, 800m and a bronze in the 1500m. Kate Coveney won gold in the 200m, silver in the Shot, Long Jump and bronze in the 1500m. Liz moves on next weekend to compete in the British Masters Open Indoor Championships in Enfield, Middlesex.
The All Ireland Junior Indoor Championships took place the following day also in Nenagh. Joan Healy came second in the 60m Sprint and the 200m. Shane Conway came 3rd in the 200m bringing home a bronze medal on his first outing to an All Ireland competition. Timmy Harrington under performed on this occasion due to injury in the 60m Sprint and the 200m. Anthony Hennessy came 4th in the 800m.
The County Road Race Championships took place in Whitechurch on Sunday 17th February. The event was hosted for the first time by Eagle Athletic Club. Conditions were ideal with bright sunshine and cool temperatures. The course was testing however, for both men and women, being mainly uphill. In the men’s race over a 4 mile course, Tom Laffan came third overall and first in the over 40 category. Kevin Wilmot came in 5th overall and 2nd in the Novice race. Joe O’Sullivan was second in the over 45 category. Tom Sheehan and Tim Lucey also competed. The Women’s race was run over two miles and Carmel Crowley of Bandon AC had an early lead, winning comfortably in a time of 12.07mins. Sharron Toner and Kate Coveney also competed. At the prize giving ceremony, hosts Eagle AC announced with regret that club member Wieslaw Sosnowski was leaving Ireland to return permanently to his home in Poland. Wieslaw was one of the top runners in Cork during his stay in Ireland and was the winner of the recent Bandon 5 mile road race on December 30th.

PRO Report: 11th Feb 2008
Bandon AC athletes continue to represent the Club at International competition, travelling to Glasgow to the Scottish Indoors on 9th and 10th February. This event was held in the impressive Kelvin Hall International Indoor Sports Arena where Irish athletes were competing against the best of their fellow Celts, the Scots and the Welsh. Colin Kingston brought home a gold medal in the U13 Shot Putt event with a fine throw of 9.05m, which was more that a metre longer than the silver medal winner. Fintan O’Shaughnessey won a bronze medal, coming third in the U13 Long Jump. Fintan also competed in the U13 200m, coming third in his heat. Fiona Duggan just missed out on a medal coming 5th in the U13 Shot event. Kerrin Chatterton also competed in this event. Other athletes from the club who competed at U13-U15 level included Toni Chatterton who came 9th in the U15 Long Jump, Daire Harrington in the U15 Shot, Mighty Okafer,U15 Long Jump and 60m, Promise Okafer U13 200m and Great Okafer U15 200m and 60m and Kate Toner, U13 Hurdles.
Lynda O’Donovan and Ronan Duggan both competed in U20 800m. Ronan got to the semi-final stage and only missed out on a place in the final by the narrowest of margins - one eighth of a second. Róisin Howard came 3rd in the U20 Long Jump, 6th in the Shot and 6th in the High Jump. There were large fields in many of the events which meant that there were up to eight heats in some races. Qualification for semi-finals and finals was based on times. It has to be said that participation in competition at this level gives a huge boost, and a wealth of experience both from a sporting and social perspective, to athletes and coaches from the Club.
The Munster Schools Cross Country was held on February 7th in Tramore. Ciarán Everard was the sole member of Bandon AC at the competition, representing MICC Dunmanway. He took part in the Minor Boys race, coming in 6th overall.
The achievements of a number of Bandon Athletes were recognized recently at The Munster Athletics Star Awards Ceremony which took place on Saturday 9th February in Dungarvan. Liz Coomey took the award in the Masters Women Category. Joan Healy received the award for the best Cork County Juvenile U16 Female for achievement in 60m sprint and 200m in both Indoor and Outdoor Competition in 2007. Timmy Harrington received the award in the Triple Jump category. Bandon Athletic Club also received the award for the best Munster Masters Club for Indoor competition in 2007.
Upcoming events include the AAI Masters Indoors on 16th February in Nenagh, the AAI Junior Indoors on 17th February and the County Road Championships also on 17th February in Whitechurch.

PRO Report: 4th Feb 2008
Bandon Athletes were on the move last weekend, travelling to Cardiff and to Donegal in order to compete. Joan Healy and Tracey Bradfield represented Ireland in the Celtic Schools International Indoors Competition in Cardiff. Joan continues to impress, bringing back three gold medals for the U16 60m sprint, 200m and the 4 x 200m relay. Tracey was just outside a medal position, finishing fourth in the Shot event. Athletes are selected to compete for Ireland in this event on their Outdoor performance in the previous year. The Celtic Schools International is open to athletes from Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The AAI All Ireland B Juvenile Cross Country Championships brought the 2007 Cross Country Season to a close. The event was hosted by Finn Valley Athletic Club in Ballybofey, Co Donegal on Sunday 3rd February. A number of Bandon AC athletes made the trip to the opposite end of the country to compete in lashing rain and what must have been the muddiest underfoot conditions of the season. Elizabeth Prout came 17th in the U15 race and brings home a silver medal as part of the Cork Team. Mark and Robert O’Sullivan both received individual medals, each coming 8th in their respective races - U15 and U13. Seána Coveney missed out on an individual medal by two places, coming in 14th in the U13 race. In Juvenile Cross Country competition, the first twelve finishers receive an individual medal and County Team medals are won on points. Róisin Coveney ran in the U11 race and came in 41st.
Registration for the 2008 season continues. It is important for all athletes associated with the club, whether competing or not, to ensure that their membership is up to date. Training takes place each Monday and Wednesday at 7pm at the Bandon Grammar School. Full details of fixtures, results etc can be seen on the club website – www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 29th Jan 2008
Three Bandon AC Athletes represented their various schools at the South Munster Schools Cross Country event held at Midleton College on January 25th. Ciarán Everard finished third in the Minor Boys 1,500m race. Mark O’Sullivan came 19th in the Intermediate Boys 4,000m race and Seána Coveney was 16th in the First Year Girls 1,200m race.
Carmel Crowley featured at the recent Cork County International Award Ceremony. She received a County Award in the Senior Cross Country category. This award is presented to athletes who performed exceptionally well during the Cross Country Season.

PRO Report: 21st Jan 2008
Once again the Senior Pentathlon title has come back to Bandon. Róisín Howard won a gold medal in this event with an excellent performance. Liz Coomey finished in third place despite injury. Both were participating in the All Ireland Senior Pentathlon Championships which took place in the Indoor Arena in Nenagh. Liz was the winner of the Senior title last year. Róisín’s achievement at Senior level is all the more commendable given that she has moved up competitively, from Juniors to Seniors while still being eligible at U19 level, and, is also studying for her Leaving Certificate Exams in June.
The Munster Senior and Junior Indoors Competition took place the following day, also in Nenagh. Róisín continued her winning form here, coming first in both the Senior Women Long Jump and the Junior Women High Jump events. She also competed in the Senior Women High Jump event and came 2nd. She also won a silver medal in the Senior Women Shot Event. Timmy Harrington not only won gold in the 60m sprint but ran in a personal best time of 7.41. Timmy also came 2nd in the Junior Long Jump Competition. Liz Coomey won a bronze medal in the shot, also achieving a personal best throw of 9.60m. Joan Healy moved up to the Senior Competition and was a worthy gold medal winner in both the 60m sprint and the 200m. Tracey Bradfield produced a personal best throw of 9.36m in the Shot Event, but just missed out on medals coming 4th. At the longer distance, Ronan Duggan was 4th in the 1500m race at Junior level. Lynda O’Donovan came in 4th at Senior Level in the 800m race. Shane Conway came third in the 400m Senior race. Anthony Hennessy won a silver medal at Senior level in the 800m race. Both Shane and Anthony moved from Junior to Senior competition in their respective events. Well done to all of the athletes who produced superb performances amid strong competition at both Munster and All Ireland Level last weekend.

PRO Report: 14th Jan 2008
The Munster Senior Cross Country competition took place on 13th January in Cashel, Co Tipperary. The event of 5K was won by Siobhan O’Doherty of Borrisokane. Carmel Crowley from Bandon AC improved her placing from 4th last year to finish third. Bandon resident, Louise Cavanagh of UCC Athletic Club came second. The Munster Juvenile Even Age Cross Country Relays also took place at the same venue. Matthew Draper was part of the Cork Team that won gold in the U10 4 by 250m relay. Aishling Everard was on the Cork Team that came second in the U12 relay. Fiona Everard also competed on the U10 Cork team which came fourth.
Four athletes from Bandon made the 140 mile round trip to Castletownbere on the same day to compete in the West Cork Cross Country League hosted by Berehaven AC. The event was held in the grounds of the Berehaven Golf Club, which aside from being a stunningly visual location, with sea to the south and mountains to the north, provided a good mix of terrain for cross country running. Edward Ahern finished strongly in 4th place in the U14 race, and won a gold medal as part of a West Cork team. Seána Coveney won the girls U14 race. Kate Ahern came second the U10 race and Róisin Coveney was 4th in the U12 race. Both received gold medals as part of West Cork Teams.
Club registration is taking place this month. In order to compete at any level as part of the Club, all athletes should ensure that they are registered members for 2008. Membership fees remain the same as last year, €30 for Juveniles, €40 for an adult and a family membership is €100.
Full details of results, training schedules etc can be found on the club website www.bandonathleticclub.com

PRO Report: 7th Jan 2008

A number of Bandon AC athletes travelled to the indoor arena in Nenagh on Sunday 6th January to compete in the Munster Masters and Juvenile Pentathlon.
In the Pentathlon event Roisin Howard won at U19 level. Siblings Patrick and Laura Mc Sweeney both came fourth in their respective age categories, U16 and U14. The Pentathlon comprises the following events, 60m Hurdles, Long Jump, High Jump, Shot and 800m.
In the Masters events, Patrick McSweeney Senior was the only representative from Bandon AC to compete in the men’s events. He came 2nd in the 56Lb for Distance and was 3rd in the Shot event. In the women’s events Ann Kelly McCarthy and Liz Coomey won gold all the way in their events. Ann was first in the 60m sprint, 200m, 1500m and Long Jump. Liz won the 60m sprint, High Jump, Long Jump and Shot in her age category. Kate Coveney was first in the 200m and second in the Shot, 1500m and 800m.
The Mallow AC 10 Mile Road Race attracting a large field of runners, also took place on January 6th. Tom Laffan finished 15th and Kevin Wilmot came 19th. Michael Morgan, Joe O’Sullivan, Tom Sheehan and Matthew Gedden also competed.
Three members of Bandon AC have been selected to receive Star Awards for best Munster Athletes. Timmy Harrington, Joan Healy and Liz Coomey will receive their awards at a ceremony hosted by the Munster Athletics organization in Dungarvan on February 9th.
The Athletic Club would like to acknowledge Carbery Milk Products, Bandon Co-op and Bandon Tyres who provided generous sponsorship for the prizes at the very successful road race hosted by the club on December 30th.

PRO Report: 1st Jan 2008
The Annual Donough Coughlan 5 Mile Road Race was hosted by Bandon Athletic Club on Sunday 30th December. The race was won with a six second margin by Wieslaw Sosnowski from Eagle Athletic Club in a time of 26.02.. Bandon resident Louise Cavanagh from UCC Athletic Club won the women’s race. Jerry Forde from Blarney Inniscarra AC was the only wheelchair participant. There were almost 140 runners in the race this year and conditions were almost perfect on the day.
The race started on the Bypass in Bandon, and after doing one circuit of the town, runners headed out the country via the KIlbrittain Road before finishing at the Mart. A large local contingent took part in the race and runners came from all over Cork, Munster and Dublin to participate. London, Luxembourg and Holland were also represented. Oliver Hammerling from the Rollstuhl Sportclub of Hamburg in Germany, who was visiting the area, made his trip memorable by finishing third. Eagle AC won the team prize in the men’s race and St Finbarr’s AC won the women’s team prize. In all there were 64 prize winners in the various age and team categories.

The Club would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorship of the prizes for the road race provided by Carbery Milk Products, Bandon Co-op and Bandon Tyres
Bandon AC athletes who participated included Kevin Wilmot who finished fifth, Paddy Murphy, Tom Sheehan, Tim Lucey, Liz Barry, Shiela Muckian, Bernard O’Sullivan, John O’Brien and Mark O’Sullivan. Full results of the race and a large number of photos can be seen on www.bandonathleticclub.com.
Training resumes at the Grammar School on Monday 7thth January. The Indoor Season kicks off with the Munster Masters and the Juvenile Pentathlon Competitions in Nenagh on January 6th followed by Juvenile Indoor Competitions in Glasgow in February.

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