Leinster Cross Country 2006
Avondale 5-Nov-2006The Leinster Intermediate & Uneven ages Cross Country Championships took place in the scenic estate of Avondale in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow. The club had a team taking part in the Intermediate race which was over 4 laps of a daunting course that included a very steep hill.
The race was very competitive with 6 runners, including Dunboyne athlete Rory McDonnell, together in the leading group at the halfway point. With 1½ laps to go the leading group was down to 3 athletes. Rory McDonnell, Ciaran Fitzpatrick of North Laois, who won the Novice race 2 weeks previously, and Eoin Flynn of Rathfarnham. On the final uphill stretch with 400 metres to go Rory lost contact but ran on strongly to finish third less than 100 metres behind the winner, Ciaran Fitzpatrick.
Rory's clubmates ran strongly taking good places to finish third in the Inter Club event. This was the best showing by Dunboyne at this level for a number of years. Phelim Glynn ran a good race to finish 14th. Declan Horgan ran strongly to finish 21st and Donal O'Mathuna had his best cross country race of the season to finish in 32nd position.
Rory, Phelim and Declan were part of the Meath team that took the gold in the Inter-County event.
In the Junior Womens Race Laura Buckley finished in 10th place thus qualifying for the All-Ireland Cross Country Championships.
Position
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Individuals
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Inter-Club
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|
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Inter-County
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1st
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Ciaran Fitzpatrick, North Laois
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Rathfarnham
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31
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|
Meath
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85
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2nd
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Eoin Flynn, Rathfarnham
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|
Sli Cualann
|
55
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|
Wicklow
|
102
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3rd
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Rory McDonnell, Dunboyne
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|
Dunboyne
|
70
|
|
|
|
Mullingar 24-Oct-2006 - PhotosThe club went to Belvedere House for the first of the Leinster Cross Country Championships. We had 5 athletes competing in the Novice event and 3 in the Veterans.
In the Novice event 130 of the best young athletes in Leinster took part in the race that was run on a 5 lap course over a hilly terrain.
Rory McDonnell took up the the running after 400 metres and at one stage there was a 40 metre gap to the 2nd placed runner. Inthe closing stages he ran out of steam and finally finished 3rd, less than 70 metres behind the winner Ciaran Fitzpatrick of Laois.
Rory led home the Meath Team for 3rd place in the inter-county event and the Dunboyne team to 6th place in the inter-club event.
Dunboyne: Rory McDonnell 3rd, Phelim Glynn 27th, Morgan McDonagh 61st, Declan Horgan 62nd and Donal O'Mathuna 94th.
In the Veteran's event at the same venue Dunboyne athletes were 2nd in the over 50 section. The team was Tommy McDonnell 4th over 55, Ray Duggan 5th over 55 and Frank Fagan 3rd over 60.
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