This article is from page 56 of the 2011-04-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 56 JPG
THE Ennis Track Club are celebrating the foundation of its club this Friday night to mark its 20th anniversary as they take a look back on their success and it’s athletic endeavors to date.
A club that started out in 1991, when twelve members came together in James O’Keeffe’s pub to form the Ennis Track Club can now be proud to be the starting point of an organisation that currently boasts over 120 members. Five of the original twelve founders still remain involved with the club including Gerry Hayes the current President of the club who spoke with The Clare People ahead of Friday’s event.
He told us he is delighted with the progress the club has made over the last two decades and the great heights it has achieved along with many of their members going on to compete for Ireland. Most notably Rory Chesser who has been very successful in European competitions in recent years. Gerry has coached Rory, along with many other athletes since a very young age and has watched them prosper over the years.
The Ennis Track club started out in the Fairgreen running track as it was the only available one to them in the Ennis area.
While he is thankful for the use of the track down through the years he has credited the Ennis Town Council for the building and development of Lee’s Road and says the track and cross country course there
have benefitted the
club greatly and
he hopes this will
continue for many
years to come. The Anniversary
night will take
place this Friday in
the Old Ground Ho
tel and will be kick
ing off at 8.30pm.
Tickets are still
available at € 20
for the night’s food
and entertainment.
They are hoping the
night will be a great
success and are encouraging everyone to come along and join in the celebrations. THE Johnny McMahon Healty Heart 10k Charity Fun Walk and Road Race will take place on Saturday starting at noon at Kilmaley School and there will be an option of taking a 3.5k walk and fun run and all proceeds will go towards the Ray of Hope Hospice Jinja, in Uganda, and to Kilmaley Voluntary Housing Assocation. This event will see many special guests taking part from soccer, GAA, rugby, athletics and many Meet and Train groups from Ennis, Shannon, and North Clare. The race will start just below the church in Kilmaley and take the 3.5k loop towards the main Ennis to Kilmaley Road and out on to the Miltown Malbay Road back to the Kilmaley Inn turning left on up towards the school. For the 10k loop you will continue on towards Darragh and turning left over towards Dr Hennessy’s House and left and going back all the way and finishing at the School. The leading contenders for this 10k title will be Kenneth Rodgers St Cronans along with Michael Shannon Kilnaboy, Brian Murphy Ennis Track, the local man Terry Hennessy St Cronans with Veronica Colleran Ennis Track and Tracy Guilfoyle Kilnaboy along with the 2009 champion Loretta Duggan St Marys defending her title and in close pursuit will be Sharon Rynne Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, Mary Lynch Marian and Marian Burke St Marys,
For any further contact phone Terry Hennessy (087-9091436), Gerry Keane (087-2714716) or Martin Clancy (087 6355933).
Prizes
The first Three senior men and ladies Tee Shirts to the first 300 entries. Meanwhile, the eighth Annual Matt O’Connor Memorial and Marian AC Open Sports day will take place on Sunday at Lees Road with a starting time of 2pm. The organising committee have drawn up a very attractive programme of over forthy events, catering for U7 Boys and Girls races and that will be followed by U8, U9, U10, U11, U12, U14, U16, Boys and Girls races plus Junior Men and ladies 1500m also the Girls 100metres (Confined) for the Ciara Conroy Memorial Shield. Programme: U7 girls and boys 60mand 100m U8 girls and boys 60mand 200m, 4 x 100mRelay. U9 girls and boys 80mand 300m. U10 girls and boys 100mand 400m. 4 x 100m Relay U11 girls and boys 100mand 400m. U12 girls and boys 100m, 600m. 4 x 100mRelay U14 girls and boys 100m, 800m. U16 girls and boys 100m, 4x 100mRelay Junior ladies and men 1500m.
Fixtures
April 15 EnnisTrack 20th Anniversary celebrations at the Old Ground Hotel Ennis. (Tickets €20) 16The Johnny McMahon Healty Heart 10k Fun Run and 3.5k Walk all in Aid of two Charities KilmaleyVoluntary Housing and Uganda Rays of Hope Hospice Jinya starting at Kilmaley school at 12noon.Tee Shirts to the first 300 entries. 17 Marian ACand the Matt O’Connor Memorial Open Sports at the Lees Road starting at 2pm. 17 National Road Relays Championships in Raheny Dublin 17 Coole Park, Gort 10kTrail Walk, Jog, Run, starting at 11am 23 (Saturday) Clare Sports Partnership and Clare AAI 5k road series No 1 Scariff Rugby Grounds starting at 11am. 25 Clare Crusaders 10k and 10 Mile Road Race in Ennis. 30 Munster Masters and Juvenile Multi EventsTrack and Field Championships in CIT Cork.
May
1 Clare Athletics Association Sports Star Awards at the Auburn Lodge Hotel at 8pm