McKiernan hopes to be fit for cross-country championships
The four time world silver medallist sat out Sunday’s national inter-counties in Mullingar because of a cold.
She said last week she had missed “a few days training” but was hoping to make it to the line.
Team Manager, Patsy McGonagle, said yesterday they were pretty excited about the team prospects and were hopeful McKiernan and Sonia O’Sullivan would be in the line-up.
“Catherina will have a work out on Tuesday and Thursday and will then let us know if she is in shape for the European championships,” he said.
The last time O’Sullivan and McKiernan competed on an Irish cross-country team together was at the world championships in Turin in 1997 when Ireland won their first of two sets of bronze medals. The second came in Leopardstown when McKiernan was out of action.
This time they will be joined again by Anne Keenan Buckley, who has an amazing record at world and European levels. Her durability was underlined a week after her masters success in the UK when she was back to finish third in the inter-counties on Sunday.
The winner, Rosemary Ryan, will be joined by the runner-up, Jolene Byrne, who was born in Indiana but resides in Dublin where she is married to Karl Byrne.
The selectors have also named Marie Davenport from Ennis.
The depleted Irish men’s teams were boosted with the naming of Alastair Cragg who finished eighth on his debut in an Irish singlet last year.
Cragg, who had surgery on a hernia on September 25 was third and second in the Conference and District championships on his comeback before finishing seventh in the NCAA championships.
Last year he won the NCAA’s before going on to record a 5,000m/10,000m double at the NCAA track and field championships.
Seamus Power, who won a ninth consecutive national inter-counties title on Sunday, will again lead the men’s team. Suffering from a bad cold last week he admitted he had contemplated staying away on Sunday.
In Edinburgh he will be rejoined by his training partner, Peter Matthews, who has made a welcome return to form, highlighted by his silver medal on Sunday. The Dubliner has a best placing of 10th in the European championships while Seamus Power has placed 13th; both were on the bronze medal winning team in Malmo.
“A few months ago both of us were struggling a bit so we decided to knuckle down to it. We trained a lot together and we are both running well again,” Power pointed out. “It is unfortunate that we have so many absentees - Cathal Lombard and Keith Kelly in particular - but that always seems to be the way. We have guys injured or sick and a nation of our size just cannot afford that.”
Mark Christie from Mullingar will lead the junior men’s team. Since joining Enda Fitzpatrick’s squad at Dublin City University he has gone from strength to strength.
The Irish teams are:
Senior Men: Seamus Power (Kilmurray/Ibrickane) Captain; Peter Mathews (DSD); Vincent Mulvey (Raheny Shamrock); Robert Connolly (DSD); Mark Kenneally (Raheny Shamrock); Alistair Cragg (Unattached); Reserve: Tristan Druet (Sligo).
Senior Women: Anne Keenan Buckley (North Laois) Captain: Rosemary Ryan (Bilboa); Jolene Byrne (Donore Harriers); Sonia O’Sullivan (Ballymore/Cobh); Catherina McKiernan (Annalee); Marie Davenport (Marian); Reserve: Maria McCambridge (DSD).
Junior Men: Mark Christie (Mullingar Harriers); Andrew Ledwith (Fr Murphy’s); Alan McCormack (DSD); Joseph Sweeney (DSD); Jamie McCarthy (Riverstick AC); Dan Mulhaire (North Laois); Reserve: Daniel Darcy (SLOT).
Junior Women: Linda Byrne (DSD); Fionnuala Britton (Sli Chulainn); Frances Nic Riamoin (Clonliffe Harriers); Siobhan O’Doherty (Borrisokane); Orla Drumm (Limerick); Michelle Gallagher (DSD); Reserve: Ashling Baker (DSD).
Team Manager: Patsy McGonagle (Finn Valley): Jerry Kiernan (Clonliffe Harriers): Jim Davis (Liffey Valley): Teresa McDaid (Letterkenny). Physio: Shirley Foley.
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