Ó Lionáird to challenge Darcy for 1,500m crown

ATHLETES from all 32 counties will converge on the Tullamore Harriers Track for the Kit Kat Irish Schools championships today.

Danny Darcy (Pres/DLS Bagenalstown) will be hot favourite to retain his 1,500m title but faces a new challenge from Cork’s Ciarán Ó Lionáird (DLS, Macroom), who steps up an age group after winning the intermediate title last year.

Roseanne Galligan (Newbridge College) looks unbeatable in the senior girls’ 1,500m, having won everything available to her indoors, outdoors and at cross-country level.

There could be a surprise in the senior boys’ sprints where Derek Duff (Glanmire CC) comes into the equation.

The Cork lad, who competes with Leevale, missed at least a year of competition through injury and he was all -but forgotten until the last indoor season, when he returned to set the boards ablaze.

There is going to be a big race at 800m also where Brian Markham (St Flannan’s), Eoin Everard (St Kieran’s) and Stephen Morrow (Coleraine) go to the line. Markham is a battler and he pulled out all the stops to beat Ó Lionáird at the Munster championships, where John Shine (Coláiste An Spioraid Naomh) was also involved the battle.

Shine finished ahead of Markham indoors in Nenagh and at the Cork junior championships on a dreadful evening last week, he won the 400m unchallenged to indicate that he will not be short of speed when they all assemble in Tullamore.

Another who won’t be found wanting for speed in David McCarthy (St Augustine’s, Dungarvan). Just a couple of months younger than Ó Lionáird and Markham, he has been involved in some great battles with them but has developed into a serious 800m runner and would appear unbeatable in his quest for the 800m title here.

He has been unchallenged in all his races to date this year, ran a smart 1:52.9 at the East Munsters in Waterford and a solo 1:53.39 to win the Munster title.

Now he wants James Nolan’s old schools record. If the conditions are favourable he won’t be denied and he can complete a double by winning the 400m.

Chris Crowley (Coláiste Chriost Rí) and Caolainn Flanagan (Integrated Dungannon) will battle it out in the senior high jump and the Cork schoolboy, who can clear two metres on his day, can take this one.

Munster will be a dominant force in the girls’ events also and while they are particularly strong in the field events, young Ciara Cronin from Waterford was a sensation at the Munster championships at the CIT where she ran 2:11.77 to win the junior girls’ 800m and that would have won her any of the titles on the day.

Kelly Proper (St Paul’s,Waterford) won the 200m very impressively from Eimer Crowley (Intermediate School, Killorglin) at the Munsters. Laura Crowe (Presentation, Tralee), who was third, went on to win the 800m and finished second to Claire McSweeney (St Aloysius, Carrigtwohill), who was an impressive winner of the senior girls’ 400m.

Proper’s main event is the long jump, and if she is to duplicate her indoor form then she appears all set to break the record.

Ann Marie Cronin (Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig) has another hammer title at her mercy on current form, while Kathleen Fitzgerald (St Aloysius, Carrigtwohill) in the shot putt is another Munster athlete set for a title.