Great competition at the South Tipperary Primary Schools Cross Country competition

Clonmel Athletic Club along with Carrick on Suir and Moyglass Athletic Clubs and in association with Tipperary Sports Partnership organised a very successful Primary Schools Cross Country competition in the Marlfield GAA grounds on the 23rd October where conditions were perfect. The Clubs would like to thank Marlfield GAA Club for the use of their fine facilities in such a beautiful setting and the Civil Defence for covering the First Aid, greatly appreciated by everyone. This event has grown in stature since 2001 when 398 athletes attended our first event in Clonmel Og complex where in Marlfield this week we had over 1400 athletes competing. The Clubs would like to thank all the teachers and school principals for such great support, it is great to see the level of fitness has greatly improved over the past couple of years.

We were delighted to have teams from Presentation Convent Carrick on Suir, Crehana, Rossmore, Lisronagh, Templeorum, St Michael’s School, Tipperary Town, Ballylooby, Burncourt, New Inn Boys School, Golden, New Inn Girls School, Grange, Presentation Convent Clonmel, Gael Scoil Carrig na Suire, Carrick on Suir CBS, Ayle, Cahir Boys School, Killurney, Kilcash, Powerstown, Ballinure, St Peter’s and Paul’s Clonmel, Holy Trinity School, Fethard, St Mary’s Parochial School, Our Lady’s School Ballingarry, St Oliver’s, Ballyneale, Our Lady’s School Cahir, Lisnambroc, Clogheen, Poulacapple, Killusty, St Mary’s Clonmel, Gael Scoil Cluain Meala, Skeheenarinky, Moyglass, Rosegreen, Ballydrehid, Bansha, Grangemockler, Piltown, Owning and Kilsheelan.

There were over 40 schools competing. There were races for 3rd and 4th Classes combined and 5th and 6th Classes combined in all eight categories, based on pupil numbers with all pupils from each school scoring valuable points for the overall competition. Indeed the 24 race programme went very smoothly and the Clubs would like to thank everyone who helped to make the event such a great success. Throughout the full programme we saw some brilliant performances and great credit must go to all the teachers for all the hard work they put in to get their pupils to such a high level of fitness.

In the end the overall best schools in each competition were presented with a Shield and here are this year’s overall school winners:

Skeheenarinky National School won both the John Quirke Perpetual Shield for the Best Girls School and the Tony Ryan Perpetual Shield for the best overall Boys School in the Small Schools group 1 competition.

Clogheen National School was the winner of the Vincent Fox Perpetual Shield for the Best Girls Small Schools Group 2 competition

Templeorum as well as winning the Jack O Gorman Perpetual Shield for the Best Boys Small School’s Group 2 competition.

Ballyneale National School was the winner of the John Power Perpetual Shield for the Best Girls Medium School competition.

Golden and Lisronagh National Schools were joint winners of the Bill Hyland Perpetual Shield for the Best Boys Medium School Group 1 competition.

Moyglass were the winners of the Medium School group 2 for the Best Girls School competition while New Inn Boys School won the Best Boys School award in this category.

Scoil Mhuire New Inn was the winner of the Joe Holden Perpetual Shield for the Best Girls Large School competition.

Gael Scoil Cluain Meala was the winner of the Jack Bergin Perpetual Shield for the Best Boys Large School competition.

Powerstown National School was the winner of the Jim Cliffe Perpetual Shield for the Major Girls schools and

Powerstown National School and St Mary’s School were joint winners of the Paddy Mullins Perpetual Shield in the Major Boys event.