Downes answers Irish call

UP until recently, Ireland appeared certain of team medals in the men’s race at the Spar European cross-country championships but those hopes have long since faded.

And, after a whole series of withdrawals through injury and illness, Team Manager, Patsy McGonagle, will today try to get the evergreen Limerick man, John Downes, back into an Irish singlet in what will be a last throw of the dice for the Irish team.

When Rob Connolly became the latest victim of a litany of injury problems for the Team Manager it appeared as if they would have to go to the line a man short for the race.

But when the 14 times Scottish national champion, Tommy Murray, who is the Irish attache in Edinburgh, told McGonagle that the teak tough Irishman was on his way to watch one of the athletes he coaches compete in the event, he was thrown a lifeline.

“I contacted him by mobile phone and he is definitely on his way,” he said.

“So tomorrow at the Technical Meeting I will endeavour to have him entered in the race.

“For a number of reasons I would like to have him in the Irish camp and not least for his motivating qualities.”

Downes, who is a former national champion at both junior and senior levels and whose father, John, also won a national senior cross-country title, has represented Ireland at all levels but has been living in England for some time now has the distinction of winning both the Irish and the English inter-counties titles.

Rob Connolly was a late withdrawal from the Irish team complaining of a back injury and it was too late to find a replacement before the team left.

The team will be led by Seamus Power who won a sensational ninth consecutive national inter-counties title the weekend before last and has a best placing of 13th in this race when he will be joined by his training partner, Peter Matthews, who led them to bronze medals when he finished 10th a few years back.