WEST WATERFORD ATHLETIC CLUB ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSOR “EMERALD FINANCIAL” FOR CLUB ANNUAL.
Last Wednesday evening the club announced a new sponsor for our much anticipated 4th club Annual. Always a popular yearly read the club annual covers all the previous years happenings in West Waterford AC and is brim packed with photos also. We are delighted to have Emerald Financial on board these years as sole sponsor for the Annual and we thank club member Brian Byrne along with his business partner John Organ for their kind sponsorship to the club. Brain has been part and parcel of all the clubs activities and club teams these past couple of months and has made great strides in the sport in a short time, Speaking at the sponsorship launch John Organ said both himself and Brian were delighted to be associated with the club and with the upcoming Annual due out next month. The Annuals Editor Dermot Dwyer is delighted to have Emerald Financial as sole sponsor of the publication and with this sponsorship now in place we can look forward to another great read reminding us all of the wonderful year the club witnessed in 2007.So what do our new sponsor and their new company have to offer. As mentioned above Emerald Financial was established by locals John Organ & Brian Byrne to provide customers with a One Stop Shop for mortgage, financial and insurance needs. Emerald Financial is a mortgage and insurance broker, basically what this means is Emerald Financial will shop around to all 17 Banks and Building Societies for you and negotiate the best deals available in the market for your mortgage and insurance requirements. When you go to your existing bank for a mortgage, they can only offer the services and products of that particular bank, however through Emerald Financial you will be offered free, impartial and independent advice. Emerald Financial arrange mortgages for first time buyers, movers, investors and existing mortgage holders looking to shop around for a better interest rate or release equity in their existing property. More and more people are shopping around for a better mortgage these days are there are very significant savings to be made by doing so and the costs involved in switching are getting lower and lower each year. Brian Byrne comments, “It is really important that people fully shop around when looking for a mortgage for the first time or when re-mortgaging, Emerald Financial can do the shopping around for you by checking the mortgage market and coming back with the best options for you to view and decide if they are suitable for you” Emerald Financial takes the legal costs out of the equation as the Emerald Mortgage Package offers customers either a Free Professional Solicitor or Cash back of up to €1,000 for mortgages. This allows customers to get the full benefit of the savings that they are making by moving to a mortgage with a more competitive interest rate via a re-mortgage with Emerald Financial. John Organ adds “The financial services market is constantly evolving with new entrants and new product offerings, Emerald Financial will always ensure our existing and future customers has full access to these new offerings and within two weeks we will be in a position to make some new exclusive product offerings available to our customers” As with all our sponsors we recommend that our club members support them when and where possible.
The complete product and service offering of Emerald Financial is outlined below –
· Mortgages – Residential & Investment
· Insurances – Life/House/Health
· Mortgage Protection
· Income Protection/Specified Illness Cover
· Commercial Finance
· New Property Search facility
· Pensions and retirement planning
· Savings and investments
· Property Valuations
· Financial reviews for new and existing clients
For further information on mortgages and financial planning please contact –
Emerald Financial, 64 Main St, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Tel: (058) 42250
www.emerald.ie info@emerald.ie
John Organ Mobile: (087) 2131558
Brian Byrne Mobile: (087) 2141342
Emerald Financial office is open Monday – Friday from 9.00am to 5.30pm and our advisors are also available for evening/Saturday office or home appointments if required.
Emerald Financial is located directly opposite the Dungarvan Credit Union at number 64 Main Street, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
To make an appointment please contact Emerald Financial at Tel: (058) 42250 or email us at info@emerald.ie
ALL ROUNDER SPORTS WINTER LEAGUE.
DWANE IS THE ONE
Round thirteen of the winter league was held under the “Colligan Cup” system and this time it was the turn of Cathal Dwane to be the one and only to pace himself to perfection. Starting off with rather a large bunch of runners, Cathal kept his cool throughout the course of the run and when several of the runners broke away from the group, Cathal declined and stuck to his guns and rightly so as he crossed the line exactly as the clock reached 0.00. Not only did he claim the maximum bonus points for the run but it has also put him at the top of his division and with only two nights remaining he looks well on the way to becoming the winner of division seven for 2008. He is heading in to round fourteen with a 55 point lead over Pat Frisby who also had a great run for last week. Such was the determination by all to get to the line on the right side of the clock, that there were two people every second crossing the line. Just behind Cathal were Paddy Power and Liam Kavanagh, both just one second slower than predicted. Liam is proving to be a dab hand at this predicting caper and has done very well indeed on all three Colligan cup nights as well as the official Colligan Cup itself. Between Michael Tutty and Liam Kavanagh, we really have no excuse from now on. Liam’s run has helped him to close the gap on long time leader Tom Scanlon and now there’s only 65 seperating the two. Another member of division one, Alice Fitzgerald was also very close on the night, being only two seconds slower than predicted, along with Billy Coleman. Alice picked up the pace over the second half of the route and will be delighted to discover that she is in second place, just 53 points behind Tom. It really is all to play for. Brian Kirwan and Michael Moloney were only 3seconds slower and Eamon Flavin and Martin Hayes were just 5 seconds slower. Ever so slightly on the wrong side of the clock were Triona Wall, 3 seconds too fast, Aaron Cartlidge and Donagh Cummins just 4 seconds too fast and Michael Tutty was just 5 seconds too fast. From a statistics point of view, out of 97 runners on the long route, 69 were slower than predicted, 27 were faster and just one had it spot on. Well done to you all. It’s back to our normal handicap times for tonight and then for next week it will be a mass start as is tradition for the last night of the winter league. It’s all to play for everyone so give it your best shot and enjoy!
MARK CLIFFE DENIED THE DOUBLE BY JOHN HANLON
In the 3 mile route John Hanlon ran a blinder to claim the top spot for the colligan cup system and in doing so denied previous winner Mark Cliffe the chance of claiming a double. Like Cathal Dwane in the long route, John completed his run and crossed the line at exactly 0.00. Mark Cliffe was next and was only one second slower than predicted. Mark wasn’t on his own as John Lucey was also only one second slower as well. Yevgeniy Chizhikov was only two seconds outside of his predicted time and Josie Harty did very well indeed to run only four seconds slower than she thought she would. Avril Doocey and Gillian McNamara, fresh out from their ten mile race the previous Sunday showed that they know a thing or two about running and were a mere seven seconds slower than predicted. They say that you’d want to be years at it, but not so the case for these two girls. Well done! Terri Ranahan and Sean Moore were both only 8 seconds slower which Sean will be delighted with as it has him at the top of his division with a 23 point lead over Peter Barry. Mary Riordan and George Tutty were quite close and both finished just 9 seconds slower than they predicted. Those that were too fast were Brigid Coffey and Maire Flynn, both just one second too fast. So close girls!! Eunice Power and Ciara Duffin were just two seconds outside of their time and Caren Ní Dhroma and Karolina Mazur were only three seconds too fast. A total of eighteen were faster than predicted, fifty-five were slower and just one-John Hanlon was exactly right. Well done to all. For both the 3 mile and the 6 mile routes, we will be reverting back to the normal handicap times for tonight and for the last night we will be having a mass start. All runners will start at the same time as the curtain draws on another successful winter league for 2008. Some of the divisions in the 3 mile are extremely close and right now it is too close to predict the eventual division leaders. In some divisions there’s only a few points separating the runners so everyone will have to give it their all over the remaining two nights. We wish you all the very best of luck.
MYSTERY TOUR TIME
We are now taking names for our annual mystery tour which takes place on Friday night February 22. All runners will gather at a venue in Dungarvan that’s yet to be decided. A bus will pick us up and bring us to a certain location, known only to the organiser for our night out. In previous years we have been to Leamybrien, Kilrossanty, Ardmore, Tallow and Clashmore. Our mystery tour organiser Finbar Kelly has been very busy in preparation for the big night out and he tells me that a great night is in store for you all. At this location, the eventual winner of the winter league will be made known along with all the division winners. There will be a huge array of prizes handed out, courtesy of our sponsor and league participant Pearse Moloney. At the end of the night, the bus will bring us all back to Dungarvan. To book a seat on the “mystery tour” bus, all you have to do is give your name and €5 to Triona Wall who will be taking names at the Sports Centre tonight.
MICHAEL ROCHE CARPETS SPRING SERIES
Our Spring Series is going very well at the moment and the number of participants taking part seems to be bigger than previous years. The four races in the Spring Series are:
Ø The Kiely Monumental Colligan Cup
Ø Dunphy Vivas Health Dungarvan 10 mile
Ø Bausch and Lomb Kilmacthomas 5
Ø Eason Dungarvan 10k
Two of these races have already been held with two more remaining. In order to join the series you must let the race organisers know and it also costs €5 to join the series. This fee is outside of the race fee, and the last date to enter the series is at the Kilmac 5. You have to do 3 out of the 4 races in the series, it doesn’t matter which three races you do. So if you haven’t joined the series and you want to, please let us know at the Kilmac race on February 24 and remember it costs €5 to do so.
BAUSCH AND LOMB KILMACTHOMAS 5 SUNDAY WEEK.
On Sunday next February 24th AT 11 AM the Annual Bausch and Lomb sponsored
Kilmacthomas 5 mile road race will take place. This is race number three in this years
Michael Roche Carpets spring series of road races. The organising committee in Kilmacthomas have a great deal of work put into this event and we request all our members to come along and support their efforts on the day. Entries will be taken at the community hall Kilmacthomas at the top of the town with the entry fee being 8 Euro. Shower facilities will also be available in this hall after the event for both Men and Women. With the help of the very generous sponsorship very kindly given by Bausch and Lomb a very attractive prize fund will be on offer with a total of over 1.000 Euro cash on for the top competitors and plenty of spots for down the field finishers.
The categories are as follows:
MEN-1st 2nd and 3rd, 1st over 40,45,50,55 and 1st Junior.
LADIES- 1st 2nd and 3rd, 1st over 35,40,45,50,
Presentation of prizes will take place at Kirwans Bar on the Main St. where sandwiches and refreshments will be available to all.
JOE GOUGH SETS AN NEW IRISH MASTERS OVER 55 RECORD FOR 800 METERS INDOORS.
West Waterford’s Joe Gough was in action last Saturday at the brand new Indoors facility in London called the Lee Valley. The event was the Southern Countries Masters VAC Indoor’s. Joe running in the 800 meters is now competing in the over 55 category, He had his sites not alone set on winning the race itself but also felt he was in the shape to maybe have a crack at the Irish V 55 800 meter record which was set all of 10 years ago by well known Crusaders AC Master Jimmy O’Neill. Jimmy’s record time was 2.14.86.Joe took the race by the scruff of the neck from the gun flying into a lead which he was to hold all the way to the finish line, and yes he duly delivered a new Irish record indeed he smashed the old standard well and truly with his sizzling time of 2.11.13.Joe now has his sites set on this coming weekend when he competes in the national Masters in Nenagh running the 400 meters and the following weekend its off again to The Lee Valley centre in London for the British Masters where he will again run the 800 meters over 55.we wish him well and we will keep everyone posted on his progress.
SYMPATHY.
West Waterford Athletic Club extends sincere sympathy to the family of Matt Hayes Childers Est. who passed to his eternal reward last Saturday. May he rest in peace.
CLUB MEMBERSHIP.
Just a little reminder to the few who haven’t yet paid their overdue club membership. Just 25 Euro will sort it out for you. And Michael Tutty is the man you need to see.
MICHAEL ROCHE CARPETS SPRING SERIES
26th ANNUAL EASON DUNGARVAN 10K.
The fourth and final race in the Michael Roche carpets spring series the Eason Dungarvan 10 k will take place on Sunday March 02nd next at 2 pm, we wish to thank Pat Whyte and the Whyte family of Eason Dungarvan for their kind sponsors of this event one of the oldest in the local road running scene, A number of perpetual trophies will be presented on the day and we will be using the fast Canal circuit with the race head quarters at Dungarvan G.A.A.club by kind permission.
RUNNING QUOTE.
My feeling is that any day I am too busy to run is a day that I am too busy. Norma Wall.
JACK AND JILL RUN UP THE HILL.
There is a sponsored Run Up the Hill being organised to take place in Kenmare, Co Kerry at 3pm on Saturday, April 12th 2008. This will be a 10k charity run/walk in the scenic surroundings of Kenmare town. All monies raised in the event are to be donated to the jack and Jill Foundation. The race is being organised by the Kenmare Triathlon Club with the help from many others. Entry fee will be €30 which will be collected from each entrant and a t-shirt will be provided for each person participating in the race. The use of sponsorship cards is therefore not required. It is open to runners and walkers of all ages (under 16 free but to be accompanied). The run is on Saturday afternoon at 3pm and starts in the Square, Kenmare, it follows The Kerry Way and Old Killarney Road out of the town, rises to over 600ft in the first 2k and then it’s all downhill back to town!!! Refreshments will be provided at the Top of the Hill! For further details please contact John at Kenmare Post Office on 064 41490 or 086 8037796.
ANNEVALLEY 5
The second Anne valley 5 Mile run will take place on this Sunday Feb 17th in Dunhill, Co. Waterford. This is a unique course with nice challenges! This year it is in aid of Our Ladies Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.Registration will be from 10.30 at Harneys Pub. The race will start at 1 o’clock. Lots of category prizes and cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd male and female.
FINAL CHANCE TO BOOK YOUR SEAT FOR TRIP TO BUDAPEST MARATHON 2008.
Jacinta has asked us to remind all those interested in travelling to The Budapest Marathon which is on Sunday 5th October, 2008.That your last chance to book your place is Monday February 25th.The flight is leaving Dublin on Friday 3/10/08 at 3.15 p.m.returning on Monday or Tuesday 6(7)/10/08 – 8.15 p.m.3 or 4 nights. Get your deposit to Court Travel or Jacinta Sheil or Albert McGrath.
