Slow time but O’Donoghue still a dash ahead of his rivals
“Maybe it was not as fast as I would have liked - I ran 6.76 last year - but it was good,” he said afterwards. “I had a niggle for a couple of weeks and it was a bit worrying. So I was looking to today’s race to see if it was OK, and it was.”
He has never lost a race in Nenagh and he arrived there yesterday in the colours of his new club, An Riocht, as raging-hot favourite. His nearest rival was his training partner, Alan Dunfort from Templemore, who took silver in 7.03 secs, with David Hynes (Menapians) third in 7.06.
“I will be back for the AAI Games next Sunday and my indoor target will be the national championships in Belfast next month. I am not too bothered about a qualifying standard for the world indoor championships but if it comes, well and good,” he added.
At 10.45 secs he was the fastest 100m man in the country last year but he had to settle for the silver medal behind a rejuvenated Gary Ryan at the national championships.
Another with his sights on far flung fields is young Leevale man Ciaran Ó Lionáird, who outclassed a combined junior and senior field to win the 1,500m in 4:02.76.
He was disappointed with his time, which was short of the record he set at 4:00.47 last year, but he had to be happy with the manner in which he won the race from the front.
“It can be difficult when you are out there on your own and you don’t really know what is happening behind you. My arms felt a bit heavy but otherwise I felt good,” he said.
Ó Lionáird has his sights on the world junior championships in Beijing next summer but his coach Der O’Donovan said he had not yet made up his mind about a US scholarship, dismissing rumours that he was heading for Michigan.
He was chased by schools rival Brian Markham (Ennis Track) in the early laps yesterday and he took the junior silver medal but it was Jason Fahy (Olympic Harriers) who eventually followed him across the line to win the senior title in 4:05.38.
It was a memorable weekend for the Ferrybank club. While her clubmates were dominating the junior women’s events in Nenagh, Kalyn Sheehan was winning the AAA U17 heptathlon title in Sheffield, where she recorded three personal bests en-route to a total of 3,429 points.
She had a personal best of 8.86 secs for the 60m hurdles, 9.28m for the shot putt and 2.25 for the 800m, while she cleared 1.55m in the high jump and 5.10m in the long jump.
In Nenagh, her club-mate and schools rival Kelly Proper set a new provincial junior record in the long jump at 5.63m.
Ferrybank club-mates Mairead Murphy, 5.31, and Sinead Donnelly, 4.90, filled the minor placings and the club took the first four in the 60m won by Proper in 7.87 secs - the first leg of a treble that also included the 200m - followed by Mairead Murphy, Niamh Whelan and Haley Murphy.
Jessica Zebo (Leevale) made a winning debut in the senior 400m, losing the lead to club-mate Aisling Maunsell on the final bend but snatching it again on the run to the line, winning in 60.79 secs with another Leevale athlete, Niamh Cremin, third.
Patsy O’Connor (Tralee Harriers) won gold medals in the shot putt and 56lbs for distance to bring his gold medal total to an amazing 34.
Belgooly AC had an excellent day, led by Christopher Crowley who won all three junior jumps, the high jump at 1.90m, the long at 6.15 and the triple at 12.63m while Dawn Kelly was an impressive winner of the senior 800m. Laura Crowe (An Riocht) was a runaway winner of the junior women’s 800m.
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