33rd ANNUAL KIELY MONUMENTAL COLLIGAN CUP
ANTHONY DWYER WINS COLLIGAN CUP .
It was a cold but dry day in the beautiful Colligan wood last Sunday morning as we gathered for the resumption of running the famed event after last year’s Covid induced cancelation, and boy was it great to be back all in attendance had smiles from ear to ear as the first race of the day got under way for the Mc Grath newsagents colligan shield of juveniles and we congratulate one of the youngest participants on the day Sebastian Byrne this year’s winner, a full report on this great event can be seen in this week juvenile club notes. So after the juvenile race finished it was onto the adults event which is now in its 33rd year and sponsored for of this time by Kiely Monumental where athletes compete for the same Colligan cup,the same cup is also now 33 years on the go.This race of course in unique its where all participants have exactly the same chance of winning as the next runner. The countdown clock was started at 60 minutes by Victor Mullins and Tom Leahy club chairman our timing scrutinisers at the stroke of 12 noon. It was then up to the runners themselves to start when they wanted with the aim being to be the first person to finish when the clock hits 0. At the end of the 3 and a half laps covering a total distance of 5 miles the runners were well and truly grouped together with a huge group heading down the wood for the final time on the last lap.As it always is the case when the field of runners got closer and closer to the finishing line it was anyone’s guess as to who would be deemed the winner for the 33rd time, and after the clock struck 00 it was a Anthony Dwyer the runner of the day and what a popular winner again this year, where do you start about this man, one of the originals as along as this scribe is at the game this man has been doing the same, a family steeped in all things sports especially running indeed the Dwyer family have the distinct honour of not alone Anthony winning last Sunday but his the 4th member of that family to pull off the big colligan cup victory, we had Ray in 2001, Michael in 2004 and Dermot in 2015 and now the man himself Anthony adds his name to the famed cup and plaque. Anthony has rarely missed any WWAC event and you could count on two fingers how many Colligan cup races he missed in the previous 33 years of the evnt. Anthony’s record of participation speaks for itself and all needs to be said is well done Anthony Dwyer.Well done also to our other prize winners who were ever so close on the day, Micheal Coakley was next just 6 second’s out so very close to winning, Eamonn Cashin was so unlucky also he was just 11 seconds off his target time, Mark Shalloe another who could easily have snatched on the day as he was only 18 seconds out and Padraig Healy was only 23 seconds off the mark. There also was those who came so close but were seconds too fast on the wrong side of the clock and the included Dane Finn Michael Morrissey Michael Morrissey Michael Morrissey Tony Dwyer Linda Bradfield,so it’s well done to all and very well done to Anthony. Here’s to the 34th year next year PG.
FIRST FIVE :
Winner Anthony Dwyer
- Michael Coakley
- Éamonn Cashin
- Mark Shalloe
- Pádraig Healy
EDEL CURRY CLAIMS COLLIGAN SHIELD.
Huge congratulations to our ladies shield winner last Sunday Edel Curry who won the Kiely Monumental Colligan shield for ladies when she was just 7 seconds off her predicted time, Edel a popular winner is very well known in Waterford ladies football circles as she is very much involved in the ongoing behind the scenes work on the Field of dreams committee. She was running the event Sunday for the very first time indeed it was her very first race as she is quite new to running as she only took it up a bit more seriously a short time back, Edel is now becoming a regular runner with us and participates at the winter league every Wednesday night from the sports centre and has also just recently joined our clubs 5k running group on Tuesday night’s, She might be quite new to running but she certainly knows a thing or two about pacing as over the 5 mile circuit Sunday she outfoxed runners with many more years running experience behind them to claim a famous victory, she now is gearing towards the John Treacy Dungarvan 10 in February which will be no bother to her going on her current form. Our 2nd lady home was Catriona Crowe who was only 8 seconds off the overall win as was Orla Bannon our next lady across the line and she two was 8 seconds off the win as she finished 3th overall, Helen Ó Ceallaigh from Clonmel was next 10 seconds and 4thlady home on the right side of the clock and Michelle Guiry was 5th just 12 seconds off her target time.Lucy Holmes was next in 6th place and Lucy was 20 seconds out. It must have been a better day for running than most thought as the stats show us that a whopping 82 runners were too fast of their predicated time and on the wrong side of the clock as we say and only 32 were on the right side of the clock. Well done to all our ladies winners and those who came along to take part also.
WOMEN
Ladies
- Edel Curry
- Caitríona Crowe
- Orla Bannon
- Helen Ó Ceallaigh
- Michelle Guiry
- Lucy Holmes
THE VICTOR MULLINS CUP GOES TO THOMAS FINN.
Victor Mullins was the creator of this style of time handicap race as it was he who came up with the handicap timing system which has been used now for the past 33 years in this event. Each year Victor presents the Victor Mullins Cup and a prize to the first person on the right side of the clock that has never ran the Colligan Cup before. This year’s winner was Thomas Finn from Carrick On Suir AC who joined us for the race in Colligan last Sunday so very well done to Thomas. Our thanks go to Victor for his help and sponsorship of this element of the race and for his ongoing involvement with this race each year.
MANY THANKS.
Our thanks to all who helped in any way to make last Sunday’s 33rd Annual Kiely Monumental Colligan cup Firstly a huge thank you to our loyal sponsors of 33 years David and Margaret Kiely of Kiely Monumental works.Many thanks to David who once again was available to present the winners with the famed Colligan cup and shield on the day .Our thanks also to Victor Mullins for all his practical help on the day and he also was on hand to present his cup the Victor Mullins trophy winner to this year’s winner. To the numerous people who looked after the entries and results especially Shirly, Tom and Ann and thanks to Victor for looking after the timing and Gerry who sorted this year’s results. Thanks to Ann Dunford for looking after the prizes for the race and her efforts with securing the use of Colligan wood for the event. Thanks to John, Declan on finish line and all for who helped with the stewarding on the course. Thanks to Gerry Cantwell for looking after results. Thanks to Jamie Mills for all his help also. Many thanks to Coillte for the use of Colligan, without their help we couldn’t have staged the event at all. Here’s to next year and the 34th year of the event in 2023.
FORDES DAYBREAK WINTER LEAGUE LONG COURSE RECORD BROKEN FOR SECOND WEEK IN SUCESSION.
SEAN CURRAN-RECORDS ARE THERE TO BE BROKEN.
A former student on an athletics scholarship at Wichita State University but now finished his American stint and back home running with his club, West Waterford’s Sean Curran showed a clean pair of heels to the field at last Wednesday nights round 8 of the Fordes Daybreak winter league. As we all know Raivis Zakis set a superb new course record the previous week when he ran a solo effort clocking 28.17. Well records are there to be broken and that’s exactly what young Sean Curran came along and did last Wednesday evening just 7 days later, Sean was the final runner off at his 18 minute handicap and he had to do it all on his own as he made his way through the field stride by stride to pass through the finishing clock back at the sports centre in 28.08 knocking 9 seconds off the course record. In fairness the previous week Sean was close to the old record also and with a bigger push from the off last week he did break that mark set by Raivis.It’s great to see Sean back among us and there will be great things to come for this young man who has a B.A. in Sports Management after his time in America. Sean is currently working in his chosen field and you can expect to see and hear much more of him in the coming months and years, but for now his the course record holder at the Fordes Daybreak Winter league ,well done.
WITH 3 ROUNDS REMAINING IT’S STILL HARD TO CALL IT ON LONG COURSE
Once gain we were blessed with a brilliant night weather wise for last week’s league with as the field of 143 headed for the village on the long course. Our thanks once again to our team of stewards who have been looking after our welfare out on the roads for the past 8 weeks, as we say without them we couldn’t have the league at all, so many thanks from all runners.Last week was a special night at the league at least for one man anyway as Sean Curran broke the new course record for the course which was only set the previous Wednesday night, so very well done to Sean.Well done to our first runner home last week Shane Healy who completed the course in 45.54,he was followed by Dermot Gough in an impressive 37.27 Kelly Fitzgerald was our 3rd finisher and first lady home last week in a fast time of 37.15.Looking at the lead table there’s plenty of movement here, will our winner of the Fordes Daybreak winter league come from one of these three or could someone else come from the pack to take it at the death, Richie Fitzgerald 1133 ,Niall Collins 1069, Ray Hahesy 1061, Geraldine Casey 1047, Kevin Casey 1025, Joe O Rourke 1021 and others all still in a with a shout, it’s all to play for as they say. With three nights remaining in this week we can just say best of luck to all and also of course to these battling for division honours.
1 Richie Fitzgerald 1133
2 Niall Collins 1069
3 Ray Hahesy 1061
4 Geraldine Casey 1047
5 Kevin Casey 1025
6 Joe O’Rourke 1021
7 Sinead Ní Fhaolain 1009
8 Mark Hayes 1007
9 Paul Mc Grath 1105
10 Stephen Hogan and Aimee Moloney 972
Division 2 Gerry Power 918
Division 3 Michelle Finnegan 837
Division 4 Mary O’Brien and Karen Darcy 774
Division 5 T.J.Crotty 721
Division 6 Philip Cleary 681
Division 7 Shima Lanigan 612
Division 8 Liz Nyhan 546
Division 9 Catherine O’Connor 489
Division 10 Caoilfhionn Ní Choileáin 411
Division 11 Thomas Kavanagh 304
TIGHT AT THE TOP ON SHORT COURSE LEAGUE.
It was cool, breezy but dry as the runners gathered at Dungarvan Sports Centre for week 8 of the Fordes Daybreak winter league before heading out on the 2.4 mile run. This was our 2nd night back of 2022 with the quality of the running improving week on week. There are now only 3 more nights left before the conclusion of this year’s league. There was a great number out again last Wednesday when 61 runners took up the challenge, on what was our 8 night of the winter league. This section of the league specifically has first timers and beginners in mind and is a manageable distance for most as it covers 2.4 miles in total. First home on the night was Patricia Daly in 19.55. Next was Niamh Looby 21.39 followed by Emma Dunne 24.10.It was a great night last week for the Ladies of the short course league as they filled the top 7 placing’s on the night. Also remember that there is a running bib for anyone completing 8 of the 11 nights of the league. The overall league table continues to be a very closely contested with just 13 points between 1st Christine Fogarty 666 and 2nd place Brigid Coffey 653 with Stephanie Curran 3rd on 645 points. Many of the divisional top spots are so very close also within leader board having 3 athletes sharing then top spot currently, but remember so much can change in a night or two it’s all to play for yet.
The top 10 is as follows.
1 Christine Fogarty 666
2 Brigid Coffey 653
3 Stephanie Curran 645
4 Philip Coffey 641
5 Colm Barry 639
6 David Morrissey 628
7 Gearoid Coffey 613
8 Angelina Chizhikova 604
9 Anne Massey 595
10Daly Deirdre 589
Divison 2 Leader Gerard Cummins 565
Divison 3 Leader Tara Ni Reachtagain 490
Divison 4 Leader Kevin Pollard,Claire Fennell, Louise Mansfield 436
Divison 5 Leader Nikki Hynes 391
Divison 6 Leader Cathy Halley 330
Divison 7 Leader Máiréad Walsh 264
Division 8 Irene Dee 173
SYMPATHY.
West Waterford athletic club extend sincere sympathy to the families and friends of John Fennell Windgap Dungarvan, Pat Dalton Ballinamult and Michael O’Connor Murphy place Abbeyside who passed to their eternal reward recently, may they rest in peace.
