Galvin returns to win first Munster senior cross-country title
Dermot Galvin took control of the race on the first lap after the early pace had been set by the defending champion Philip Harty (KCK), but the Waterford man, who completed a family double last year when his younger brother, William, won the junior title, fell victim to a chest cold and subsequently abandoned the race. This left Galvin clear and he increased his lead up to halfway when he settled into a rhythm that saw him coast to what he described as one of the most exciting wins of his career.
From the club that produced Willie Keane, he was coached by the legendary Clareman during his formative years, and subsequently went on an athletics scholarship to Providence College. He returned last summer and began training with another Clare legend, Séamus Power, but after an exciting performance at the Great Ireland Run in Loughrea, he picked up an injury during the national inter-counties championships in Donoughmore and did not get back training for five weeks.
Behind him, James McInture who finished ninth in Templemore last year, opened up a 30-metre gap on the chasing group and held on to take the silver medal with 12 seconds to spare over Bryan McMahon (Carraig na bhFear).
Fourth place went to the teak-tough and versatile St Finbarr’s marathon man Cathal O’Connell, who was just three seconds behind and one second clear of Desmond Casey (Millstreet) with evergreen John Lenihan (An Ríiocht), who won this title on a number of occasions, sixth. Another multiple winner, Louise Cavanagh (UCC AC) reclaimed the senior women’s title with a runaway victory.
She opened up an early lead over Collette O’Riordan (West Muskerry) and although the latter fought back bravely, she could not make any inroads as the UCC athlete appeared to get stronger as the race progressed and had 16 seconds to spare at the line with Ann Sexton-Moran (Kilmurry/Ibrickane) third ahead of super vet Carmel Parnell (Leevale).
Cork county champion Mark Hanrahan (Leevale) fought off the challenge of his clubmate, Damien Dunlea, to win the junior men’s title. There was nothing between the pair over the first half of the race but a surge at the half way point sent Hanrahan into a lead that he continued to build on for the remainer of the race and, in the end, he had half-a-minute to spare.
Hanrahan, who finished 10th behind William Harty last year, has only once been out of the top four this year and that was when he came off injury to run the national inter-counties championships and had to be content with fourth place. Next weekend he is on the Irish team for the Celtic international in Belfast.
Orla Drumm (Dooneen), who runs in Belfast on Saturday week before returning to win the 1,500m at the Munster indoor championships in Nenagh the following day, was a very impressive winner of the junior women’s title.
This was also an exciting head-to-head contest until she broke away from the defending champion, Joyce Curtin (Glenbower) to win by four seconds, with Siobhán O’Doherty (Borrisokane) third ahead of Aoife McCarthy (North Cork).
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