31 January 2016

Munster Star Awards 2015


Well done to St.Brendan's AC athlete Darragh Courtney for receiving Munster Star Award for 2015 in category "Juvenile Indoor and Track & Field - Kerry". 
Award ceremony took place on 30 January 2016 in The Listowel Arms Hotel.
2015 was a very successful year for Darragh in both track  and field events where he continued the long family tradition in hurdles and even more impressive field events when he competed in high jump, triple jump, discus and also in multi events for both club and school.
Congratulations on an outstanding performance in 2015 and we are hoping for more of the same in 2016!

Munster Star Awards 2015 booklet HERE.
Gallery of photos HERE.

January 2016 results part 2

23.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #51
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Aaron Horgan (3rd in age category), Katie Falvey (2nd in age category & new parkrun Tralee PB), Moira Horgan, Norma O'Dowd (3rd in age category), Kevin Horgan, Kirstie Nowak (2nd in age category), Rebecca Falvey, David Butler 2nd in age category & new parkrun Tralee PB), Seamus Falvey, Nora Falvey
Full results HERE.

23.01.2016 - MCI Lilliput Marathon
Cathy Quilter (4:27)

30.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #52
Zach Walshe (pacer & 1st in age category), Artur Nowak (2nd in age category), Shannon Quill (3rd female overall & 1st in age category), Joe O'Brien, Aaron Horgan (2nd in age category), Moira Horgan (new parkrun PB), Peter Jackson, Yvonne Quill, Kirstie Nowak, Catherine Burke, Pat Sheehy, Paudie Dineen.
Full results HERE.

31.01.2016 - Kerins O'Rahillys 10K
Ursula Barrett, Mags Hussey, Linda O'Sullivan, Ann McGlynn, Norma O'Dowd, Catherine Burke, Pat Sheehy, Gerald Carroll.
Full results HERE

31.01.2016 - AXA Raheny 5 Mile Road Race
Irene Butler, David Butler (new 5mile PB)
Full results HERE.

31.01.2016 - Blue Pool Orienteering, Killarney
Lilly Nowak, Daisy Nowak, Kirstie Nowak, Artur Nowak
Full results HERE.

29 January 2016

Secondary Schools Cross Country - Killarney 2016

Some of our juveniles athletes were in action on Thursday, 21 January 2016 in Killarney:
Eimear O'Sullivan, Pres. Tralee (winner of Minor Girls 1500m), Ciara McCarthy, Mercy Mouthawk, (Junior Girls), Fergal O'Brien, CBS Tralee (winner of Junior Boys 3000m).




25 January 2016

Juvenile Relays Cross Country entry

The County Senior and Juvenile Relays Cross Country will take place in Cahersiveen on Sunday, 31st January 2016.
First race is at 11:00am, which will be the Senior Ladies.
This will be followed by the Juvenile Relays (U9, U11, U13 and U15).
If there is any athletes interested in going to this competition, please contact club on 087 7985557 with name no later than Friday 29 January as we need to check if we get enough athletes for relays.

Training cancelled - Tuesday, 26 January

Ardfert Community Centre will be closed all day on Tuesday, 26 January and as a mark of respect to the passing of a staff member all training sessions scheduled for this day will NOT go ahead:
Juveniles: 6:45-7:45pm
Fit4Life: 8:00-9:15pm
Please pass the message.

24 January 2016

Munster Juvenile Indoor Relays 2016

On Sunday, 24 January 2016, St.Brendan's AC went on the bus to Nenagh for Munster Juveniles Indoor Relays. We had almost 20 athletes who travelled and we were able to compete in 4 boys relays (U9, U10, U11 & U16) and one girls relay (U11).
There were huge numbers of relays from all over Munster with some large clubs having 2 or 3 relays in each of the age categories.
Boys U9 (Brody Leen, Matt O'Sullivan, Eoin Malik, Pierce Lowth & Darragh O'Flaherty) came second in their heat and qualified for the final. In the final they narrowly missed on bronze medal, battling hard to the finish line against Leevale AC A team.

Boys U10 (Darragh O'Flaherty, Zach Walshe, Aaron Horgan, Eoin O'Flaherty & Pierce Lowth) came 3rd in their heat but their finish time was outside top 4 to qualify for the final. Great fighting spirit by the boys to the last few meters.

Boys U11 (Liam'og O'Connor, Tom O'Flaherty, Aaron Horgan, Eoin O'Flaherty & Zach Walshe) also finished in 3rd position in their heat but we need to acknowledge that 2 boys in this relay were recruited from U10 age category.

Boys U16 (Aaron Malik, Ali Gardezi, Darragh Courtney & Fergal O'Brien) lined up in the final of 4 x 200m against some power houses in Munster athletics - Dooneen AC from Limerick and Leevale AC from Cork. It was a great race to watch with our relay playing catch up from the start but came in 3rd position, winning bronze medal and qualifying for AAI National finals in March.

Girls U11 (Katelyn Leen, Ellie O'Connor, Lilly Nowak & Jeniffer Harty) had a very difficult task to qualify for the final as there were 17 other relays in this age category with some clubs having 3 teams. Nevertheless our girls finished 3rd in their heat but once again our time was not enough to guarantee a spot in the final but this day was all about experience and preparation for the rest of the season ahead.

It was great to see all the young athletes enjoying the big event like this and we are confident that this will pay a dividend in the months to come this year and in the future.
Thanks to all the coaches and parents for traveling to Tipperary and cheering and encouraging our runners. 

Gallery of pictures HERE.
Results for U9-U12 HERE and U13-U19 HERE.

22 January 2016

Munster Indoor Relays info


  • Bus leaving Ardfert Medical Centre at 8:00 am sharp, travel time around 2hrs
  • Approx. return time 6pm (depending on competition) 
  • Bus charge is €2 per athlete, Adults free
  • Please text club number 0877895557 if you intend to travel by car or bus (specify how many adults and kids)
  • Entry to Nenagh Olympic track is (usually) €5 for Adult and athletes are free
  • Singlets required when competing - please bring with you if you have one. Spare singlets, provided by the club will be available as well.
  • Please bring: set of warm clothes as there is no heating inside the track, shorts or running leggings, St.Brendan's AC t-shirt for warm up and to wear so can be easily spotted in the crowd, packed lunch, some fruit, drink - no fizzy drinks or crisps! Limited number of club t-shirts will be available to buy on the day (€8).
  • Don't bring large amount of money or any expensive equipment (tablets, e.t.c) - coaches and helpers are not responsible for personal items
  • Inside track there is a small shop with tea, coffee, water, isotonic drinks, sandwiches and snacks.
  • If using video cameras or close up photography - please register you name with Munster officials on the day - AAI policy. 

Direction to Nenagh Olympic track if travel by car:
Ardfert to Limerick

Limerick to Dublin M7
Take Exit 25 to Nenagh


After 2.2km left turn to Nenagh Olympic track.
Parking by the track is limited, more parking spaces at the railway station across the road.

18 January 2016

January 2016 results

02.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #48
Nice result from 2016 Parkrun Tralee when all our club runners placed first in they respective age category. Good start to the year ahead!
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Ursula Barrett (1st in age category), Paudie Dineen (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (1st in age category).
Full results HERE



09.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #49
Second Parkrun Tralee in 2016 have a record breaking participation with over 180 people taking part between runners, joggers and walkers and this was also first outing for Operation Transformation.
Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Shannon Quill (1st in age category & 5th overall female), Yvonne Quill, Cathy Quilter, Kirstie Nowak, Daisy Nowak (2nd in age category), Artur Nowak
Full results HERE.



16.01.2016 - Parkrun Tralee #50
Over 250 people took part in this Saturday parkrun with a fair share of Operation Transformation participants from runners to walkers ain all ages.
Shannon Quill (5th female overall &1st in age category), Kirstie Nowak (4th in age category), Zach Walshe (1st in age category), Yvonne Quill (3rd in age category), Rebecca Falvey (1st in age category), Nora Falvey, Pat Sheehy, Katie Falvey (3rd in age category), Peter Jackson (3rd overall).
Full results HERE.

17 January 2016

MUNSTER MASTERS INDOORS 2016


Munster Athletics

A very successful Sunday for the two St. Brendan’s athletes who competed in Nenagh on 17th January. 



Firstly congratulations to Ursula Barrett who broke the  Munster Indoor record for the long jump masters o35 competition by 25cm which was ten years old!! What a fantastic achievement for this master athlete who was competing in her first indoor competition & what a win especially at Munster level.  The jump was recorded at 4m 62cm.  It wasn’t the only medal Ursula brought home on Sunday she also won the 200m event & placed 2nd in the 60m too.  What an exciting start to 2016 for Ursula, can’t wait to see what the rest of the year will bring for her.



Artur Nowak who is starting out with a very good 2016 as well competed on Sunday too.  He brought home four medals to add to his already extensive collection!  After waiting all day for the last event of the day Artur won the high jump competition also breaking Munster Indoor record in Masters Men O45 category with jump of 1.63m.  He placed 2nd in both the long jump & weight for distance with a 3rd place position in the shot.

A great beginning to 2016 for St. Brendan’s, here’s looking forward to the year ahead!
Provisional results HERE.



10 January 2016

Making new friends – Pat story

St.Brendan’s AC members share their personal stories and different experiences of getting fit and embracing new challenges in recent years.

Making new friends – Pat's story

Start

My running career began in Rockwell boarding school way back in 1968. I raced against formidable opposition, the likes of which included the great Gerry Kiernan. You could clearly see the talent that he possessed even back then, he would leave us all in his trails! I competed mainly in cross country racing, which suited me as I was never what you would consider a sprinter, as the long distances and slower pace suited me. It kept me fit for underage football, as at the time I was playing for a Listowel minor team that included Tim Kennelly. It granted me a lot of concessions in school, even if the learning suffered as a result.

When I hung up my playing boots,I took up refereeing as a way to stay involved in the game. I graduated up through the ranks, and am lucky enough to be able to say I have taken charge of two senior finals in both codes in Kerry. It was when I progressed to inter-county officiating that fitness came to the fore. We were required to pass fitness tests under the watchful eye of Dr. Niall Moyna at UCD. This meant a lot of winter running for me.


Running for fun

I joined a group of Munster referees that ran every Monday night above at the University of Limerick. This meant a lot of long drives on long dark nights after a long day’s work. It was then that we discovered the running track at the Riocht in Castleisland, which was a godsend to us. One winter, however, the track was too frosted over to allow safe running so referees like Paudie and myself utilised the Bracker O'Regan road inside in Tralee, more commonly known as the "Fat Mile". It was through Paudie that we joined up with Dermot and that gang.


First race

Our first proper race was a 10K run in Ballybunion on the Easter weekend in 2010. We were curious and wanted to try it for ourselves. It was like nothing we had ever done before, we were hooked. We were training in Tralee and the miles started to escalate. After completing an eighteen kilometer run, we decided to enter our first half marathon. Dermot was the first of us past the finish line at a time of 1:45; I lagged behind at 2:15. We went on to compete at Shannagolden, Valentia, Killarney, Ballyheigue, Banna and many more.  



St.Brendan's AC

Dermot got us involved with St.Brendan’s AC, our group included Mary, Mairead, Sorcha Jacinta, Mary D., Tom, Kieran, Joe, Tom and Paudie. We decided to enter the Tralee Half and Full marathon. I was under no illusions - just finishing the marathon would be an achievement for me. Seeing my friends cheering me on really meant a lot to me and drove me on to break through the wall. I finished with a time of 4:15, and had no major aches or pains. We celebrated in Kilflynn that night. Our camaraderie is the key to our success, and it’s great to be able to show the appreciation of it.


2014

Whilst preparing for the Tralee Marathon, an event took place that would change my life forever. We had been training real hard to get ready for the marathon, but a week beforehand, in a completely unrelated incident, I passed out while on the couch. After being taken into the hospital, it happened again. As it was such a conundrum, I had to be moved to Cork University Hospital for ten long days, while they ran tests on me. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted, it put an end to my hopes of competing in the marathon. It was a low point for me, as I was getting texts from well-wishers and the gang, who told me they would be thinking of me as they ran.


The return

As running had kept me alive, I always had a burning desire to get back at it, but I knew given my predicament that it would be a long and slow road. The lads were nervous in the beginning, understandable given all that had happened. But they began to see that I was showing a clean bill of health. I don’t think I would be where I am now without them, so I have to give thanks. To help my rehabilitation, Mary put me on to the idea of the Parkrun, a no pressure environment idea that promoted the enjoyment of running. We checked it out in Macroom, feeling we could apply the idea in Tralee. When it started we had 120 people, it now averages over one hundred per week and all ages attend it.


I never set target times when I run. I have been first eight times in my category and finished fourth in my category for the Tralee Marathon. Sometimes I think I’m the only one in my category if that’s the case, although Paudie has entered these too, maybe he’s taking pity on me. I only ever enter to have a bit of fun, and to help others that are less fortunate. Helping various charities is immensely satisfying. The Rose of Tralee 10K and Dingle Half Marathon were particularly enjoyable, as I had the pleasurable company of Luke in his wheelchair. The 2015 Tralee Marathon meant a lot to me, as I lined up with my brother Mike, who had just donated his kidney to our nephew.


Last thoughts

If anyone feels that running is not for you, give it a try first and you might be surprised. You will meet plenty of supporting new friends, and when you cross that line in your first 5K the self-satisfaction is so much so that you will want to come back for more. By merely taking part, you are self-improving your health, and that is the main goal for all runners
I would like to thank you all for the enjoyment I’ve had with you over the last few years. Such as presenting a wee tree to the Donegal lass Caroline, so that she could climb it to watch Kerry team training. Or the morning that Cathy thought that Tom was tucked up in bed only for him to creep up behind her on a 20 mile run. We even got a slot on Kerry radio for Cathy and Dermot.
 To my wife Marie and son James, who never knew where I was half the time, thank you for your patience and keeping the dinner. May we all look forward to 2016 and more enjoyment and a bit of running thrown in.


Pat

More stories from St.Brendan's AC:

03 January 2016

Seeking fitness...Finding fun - Ursula Story

St.Brendan’s AC members share their personal stories and different experiences of getting fit and embracing new challenges in recent years.

Seeking fitness...Finding fun – Ursula story

I have probably always been involved in some type of sport all my life. When I was young it was mainly swimming and athletics through school and community games. In college I dabbled in lots of fitness classes and some new sports and then once I moved to Kerry after my daughter was born I took up basketball. After a good few years playing for Ardfert Ladies and then Cobras basketball clubs and after the arrival of two more children I decided to retire from Basketball. The decision was probably more to do with the number of injuries and the increasing age gap between me and the rest of the players than the demands of family life. You see I have always been a bit selfish when it comes to exercise – I need it to feel healthy physically and mentally so I make sure to make the time for it! It’s that simple.



So what would I take up next?? I always knew St.Brendan’s athletics club was there and I had done the odd 10K in the past so decided I would give it a go. The transition to my new sport was so easy. The group were welcoming, fun and encouraging and the running wasn’t hard especially when I was so distracted with the banter on route. After a couple of weeks there was a race on the horizon – the Kilmoyley 5K. Most of the group were taking part and I decided to give it a go. There was a great buzz on race day as we all gathered for photos and a few warm up exercises before the race. Once the start was signaled my competitive streak surfaced and I pushed myself to do my best. I was delighted with a time of 23.08.

Once I started racing there was no stopping me. The runners high I got from my first race in June 2013 in Kilmoyley spurred me on to set a few ambitious goals. Next would be the clubs 10K race in Banna in August and so I couldn’t change my mind I also booked myself in for the half marathon in Dingle in September and a full marathon in Dublin in October. Since that first year there has been no looking back, just looking to the next challenge – I’ve finished 3 marathons, countless half marathons, 10ks, and 5ks. 



Just to keep some variety in the mix I also joined my club mates in entering track and field events and even competed in the AAI Masters all Ireland finals in Tullamore in javelin, shot putt, 200m and long jump coming away with a much coveted bronze medal. 


Other challenges included the Bewildered and Sandstorm obstacle courses in Glanageenty and Ballyheigue. 


There have been so many highlights to my athletics experiences over the past few years. My best race experiences include completed the Cork half marathon with my two brothers and sister and having a most welcome pint of Guinness afterwards. Getting a personal best in a half marathon in Killarney, flying down the home straight of the track in the 200m in Tullamore are just a few more great running memories. But while there are many highs from the many races the best experiences have to be the fantastic training sessions. The many St.Brendan's members and athletes from other neighbouring clubs that I have spent hours sweating, chatting, laughing and conspiring with have been the best part of it all.



Last year I also started helping out with the coaching side of the club. My daughter and two sons have both trained with the club and I have always been a believer that I should contribute to local clubs in whatever way I can. It’s great to see the younger members enjoying each other’s company and be part of their experience as they learn and master new skills is very rewarding.

What’s next – who knows. For now the next test of endurance is the clubs annual twelve pubs of Christmas and after that I’m sure 2016 will offer more fun, fretting on the starting line and making more friends.


02 January 2016

Beaufort 10K/5K 2016

1 January 2016 - Beaufort 10K & 5K

First road race of  2016 took place in Beaufort, organised by Star of The Laune AC. This annual event was  expanded this year to include 5K option and another novelty was that the 10K route was run in the opposite direction to accommodate 5K and to reduce traffic on route.
In good Kerry tradition, it was cold and "not dry" at the start. Due to a technical issue with timing equipment, start was delayed by 30min but once the race started rain took back stage to wind, very strong in some places. 
There was a very good turn out despite the poor weather conditions and the after race refreshments were very much appreciated and gave everyone a good chance to chat and dry out after the "treacherous conditions".
The 5K option meant that a lot of younger participants came along to take part. 



St.Brendan's AC had good presence with all our male members decided on the longer, 10K route and all females preferred the shorter, 5K distance. 
10K: Artur Nowak, Paudie Dineen, David Butler, Pat Sheehy
5K: Shannon Quill, Mags Hussey, Daisy Nowak, Tina Curtin, Lilly Nowak, Cathy Quilter, Kirstie Nowak, Yvonne Quill
Full results of 10K HERE and 5K HERE .
Photos HERE.