Looking back at the late 1980’s
All the local schools featured among the medal winners at the Munster schools championships of the late 1980’s. Ailish O’Brien continued to dominate the girls throws winning the inter shot and discus and finishing 2nd in the senior discus at the 1986 championships. Tina Mulcahy won the intermediate walk and her younger sister Michelle won the junior long jump and finished 2nd in the 800m. Bridget Kenneally placed third in the senior 1500m and 2nd in the senior walk and also representing the Presentation E O’Rourke placed 3rd in the high jump and A O’Rourke was 2nd in the discus and the Presentation junior relay team rounded off a successful day with a 3rd place in the relay.
In the boys events Michael Ahearne won the junior shot and placed 2nd in the discus. P. Galvin won the inter shot. Micheal O’Brien had moved schools and competing for St Augustines placed 2nd in both the senior hammer and shot. R Walsh finished 2nd in the senior walk and E Cremin was 3rd in the junior boys walk all competing for St Augustines.
Moving on to the 1987 championships F Power St Augustines won the Minor shot. Frank Lynch won the first of several Munster titles when he won the junior boys walk with P McCarthy also St Augustines 3rd and S Kiely was 3rd in the junior discus. In the intermediate grade Michael Ahearne had a double winning both the shot and discus and finished 2nd in the hammer with N O’Connor 3rd. P Galvin added the senior shot title to the intermediate title he won the year before and S. Russell was 3rd in the discus.
In the girls events Mercy Dungarvan were 2nd in the minor girls relay and Niamh Scanlon also Mercy finished 2nd in the junior walk. Fiona Lynch of the Presentation was 2nd in the inter discus and 3rd in the walk and Michelle Mulcahy finished 2nd in the inter 400m hurdles. In the senior girls Ailish O’Brien once again had a double winning both shot and discus and Tina Mulcahy finished 3rd in the senior girls walk.
In 1988 Corinna Walsh won her first Munster schools medal finishing 3rd in the junior 800m. Niamh Scanlon won the junior discus and finished 2nd in the walk. Both were representing Mercy Dungarvan. Representing the Presentation Fiona Lynch won the inter discus and Michelle Mulcahy was 3rd in both the inter 400m and long jump. Ailish O’Brien finished off her school athletics career with a win in the senior discus and silver in the senior shot.
In the boys events St Augustines had three winners. Michael Ahearne won the inter shot and discus and was 2nd in the hammer while Frank Lynch won the inter boys walk and also finished 3rd in the senior walk.F Power was 3rd in the junior discus and E Lynch was 3rd in the junior boys walk. D McCarthy was 2nd in the inter walk, John White was 2nd in the senior walk as was S Russell in the senior hammer.
In 1989 Fiona Lynch won the senior discus and was second in the shot while Michelle Mulcahy won the senior 400m hurdles and was 3rd in the long jump both representing Presentation Dungarvan. Competing for the Mercy E Fraher was 3rd in the senior walk, Nicola Costin was 2nd in the junior walk and Niamh Scanlon was 2nd in the inter discus.
In the boys events Frank Lynch St Augustine’s retained his inter walk title with D McCarty St Augustines second and both went on to finish second and third in the senior walk. E. Lynch was again 3rd in the junior walk as was C Prendergast in the junior 1500m . Brian Hayes won the junior javelin and R McCurtain finished 2nd in the senior 200m. Owen Cunningham Dungarvan CBS was 3rd in the junior 800m. St Augustines went on to have a very successful All Ireland that year and won the College of Science Cup for the first time.
In 1990 Fiona Lynch finished 3rd in the senior discus and Corinna Walsh 2nd in the inter 400m, Niamh Scanlon 2nd in the inter discus and Nicloa Costin 3rd in the inter walk were the last medal winners for Presentation and Mercy Dungarvan as in Sept 1990 the two schools amalgamated to form Ard Scoil na nDeise.1990 was also the last year St Augustines would compete as an all boys school as from Sept 1990 girls were accepted into the school. Michael Ahearne had a treble that year winning the senior shot discus and hammer with Shane Scanlon 3rd in both the discus and the hammer. In the senior walk D McCarthy turned the tables on Frank Lynch to take the senior title. Pat Nangle won the inter shot and discus and Brian Hayes won the javelin at the same grade. C Behal was 3rd in the 400m hurdles as was T Moloney in the walk. Dungarvan CBS had just one medal winner when Owen Cunningham finished 3rd in the inter steeplechase. In the junior events Aidan Ahearne was 3rd in the discus and C o’Grady was 3rd in the walk with D Kenneally 2nd in the 800m all competing for St Augustines.
