Sports
Galway athletes rise to the occasion in gruelling distance running events
TWO long distance Galway athletes produced outstanding performances on the roads of Europe over the weekend.
Gary Thornton of Galway City Harriers turned in an excellent effort in the Rotterdam Marathon last Sunday. He clocked a time of 2hrs, 18 minutes and 21 seconds, just off the qualifying time for the World Championships, but is determined to get the standard which is well within his capabilities. The city man will no doubt target another marathon later this year.
A second Galway athlete to produce a top class weekend effort was Athenry AC’s Ruthann Sheahan who finished a terrific 11th at the IAU 24Hour World Championships held in Turin, Italy.
Competing on a 2km loop, Sheehan covered 112 laps before having to bow out with 44 minutes left on the clock, coming agonisingly close to her own national record of 229km.
Sheehan had kept a steady pace throughout the day to pick off those in front of her and did best of the Irish contingent of five who travelled over for the race with Susan McCartney following not too far behind, and was ahead of all the male team of Eoin Keith, John O’ Regan and Eddie Gallen. As this race also doubled up as the European Championships, Sheehan was also placed 7th in Europe.
Meanwhile, Galway City Harriers athletes were out in force at the National 10km, held in conjunction with the Great Ireland Run, in the Phoenix Park Saturday last. A difficult course and swirling winds made it a challenging day for all athletes.
It was to prove a successful day for the strong GCH senior women’s squad who won the National silver team medal, a first such haul in many years for the city club. They were led home by the strong running Regina Casey, who was placed ninth overall in 38.14.
Casey was ably supported by newcomer Aubree Piepmeier who ran 39.48, and Siobhan Egan, 40.36. The GCH Over 50 ladies team also won a silver medal, with Margaret Sheridan, Barbara Bergin and Majella Ni Chriocain the scoring three.
In the men’s event, GCH veterans swept the boards, with Martin Kearney taking National Over 60 gold running 38.48, and Martin McEvilly taking the Over 65 title. These two allied to John Devlin won the national silver in the Over 50 men’s team category.
Brian Bruton was first home on the day for the club after a long injury lay off in a time of 36.54, some way off his best, with Culan O Meara next in 37.56. Judith Roche of Loughrea AC captured silver in the Ladies Over 60 category to add to her growing haul of national medals.
Over 2000 people took to the scenic surrounds of Connemara Sunday last for the 14th edition of the hugely popular event. Sean Brosnan won the gruelling 39.3 mile Ultra Marathon in an excellent 4hrs 22mins, while Tia Jones took the ladies title in 5hrs 36 mins.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GALWAY United need to guard against any kind of complacency when they make the short hop down the M18 this Friday to take on Treaty United at the Markets Field (7.45pm).
The game is a meeting of the two form teams in the division, and as in previous meetings between the sides, will have an additional edge given the number of former United players in the home side’s ranks, and the pair of Limerick lads playing for United.
There might have been just the eight meetings between the sides since Treaty became the latest iteration to represent Limerick in the League of Ireland in 2021, and while United have yet to lose to the men in the candy-cane strips, there has never been more than a goal in four of their eight wins.
The most recent of those was back in February, when Rob Slevin scored the only goal of the game in Eamonn Deacy Park after a tough battle against a side who made a slow start to the season, before finally finding their groove in the past month.
Having taken just three points from their first six games before finally getting a win against Longford Town, they reverted to type with just one point from their next three games, but are now on a run of four wins on the spin, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 victory away to Longford Town last Saturday, and they could have won by double that against the only side to have beaten United this season. That in itself is a warning.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Soccer Wrap with Mike Rafferty
While the Salthill Devon men’s team might have lost their grip on the Connacht Junior Cup that they held for two seasons, the club’s women’s side have picked up the mantle and on Sunday last in Headford were crowned provincial champions with a 4-3 win over Manulla.
Following midweek wins for Maree/Oranmore and Knocknacarra, the stage is now almost set for the semi-finals of the Michael Byrne Cup with Salthill Devon meeting St Bernard’s on Sunday in an outstanding quarter-final, with the winners advancing to a semi-final against Maree/Oranmore, while Colga will face Knocknacarra in the other last four contest.
Just one league issue remains to be decided, with the Championship runners-up position up for grabs, as Dynamo Blues have to win their two remaining games in order to overtake Colemanstown United who have finished their programme.
WOMEN’S CONNACHT CUP FINAL
Salthill Devon 4
Manulla 3
Ellerose O’Flaherty scored twice as Salthill Devon were crowned provincial champions with a win over a Mayo side who were losing in the final for the second year in succession.
Backboned by a number of players who previously had League of Ireland experience with Galway WFC, Devon suffered an early set back when Jess Nolan put Manulla ahead, before O’Flaherty levelled matters with a cracking finish on 20 minutes, which was quickly followed by a long-range free-kick from Aoife Walsh.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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