* Sunday was one of those days when weather wise as it couldn’t decide if it was winter/spring, spring/summer or just spring and the clocks have gone forward. This all blended in nicely with The Spring Lake Challenge which took place on Sunday past. Without referring to our running fraternity I would safely say that in the end it made good conditions for all those taking part in the 5K and 10K races. With the race following the course of previous years the race which start at the club and snaked its way up around Castlewellan Forest Park, around the Lake, up past the Cypress Pond, through the Spring Gardens and finally finishing in front of the Lake. As the runners turned into the Forest Park it was clear there were two runner vying for the lead with the pace which can be best described as blistering. The 2012 and 2013 winners of the race David O’Flaherty and Brendan Teer were clearly in a personal battle to win the race. That’s the way it stayed with last year’s winner Brendan Teer (East Down AC) putting in a fantastic front running exhibition to hold off the David O’Flaherty’s (Newcastle AC) brave attempt to wrestle back his Spring Lake Challenge title. Martin Wilcox (East Down AC), Alan Johnston (Murlough AC), Brendan Quail (Newcastle AC) and Steve Darby (Barnsley AC) were 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th respectfully. The ladies race was also a keenly fought and an even closer affair with Hannah Oldroyd from Airedale Harriers and Laura Devine (Garscure Harriers) battling all the way with Hannah coming out on top in another great battle. Sinead Murtagh (Castlewellan AC), Catherine O’Connor (East Down AC) last year’s winner, and Amanda Perry (North Belfast Harriers) were 3rd, 4th & 5th respectfully. In the 5K run there were great performances from all those competing in this run with Aoife Cochrane (East Down AC), Ann George (Murlough AC) and Ruairi King filling the top three spots. There was plenty of youth running Sunday. Two notable competitors in the 5K race being the young brothers Cormac & Ryan McKibben who both had a right old run of it. They were copying older brother Gareth and dad Marty McKibben in the 10K race in putting in strong performances. Thank you to all the stewards and those who worked tirelessly at registration and in the kitchen. Everyone made it a great day. It was another successful Spring Lake Challenge.
* Thank you to all those children who took part in the winter coaching programme. We hoped you all enjoyed it. Our thanks also to the coaches who gave selflessly of their time to coach the children and to all those parents who helped out. We will now take a break from the Saturday morning sessions and they will start outdoors on Saturday April 26th. A full programme for Nursery to P7 coaching will be available from next week and will be posted on the website.
* There will be a meeting of all juvenile coaches from all codes on Friday April 4th in the Social Club at 8.30pm sharp. This meeting will last no longer than 1 hour and it is essential that as many coaches as possible attend. Nurse Margaret King will give a short talk on the basics of First Aid and we would request that each team bring their first aid bag and we will get it refilled. A full list of juvenile coaches with contact details is now available on the website. Anyone interested in juvenile coaching in football, hurling or camogie please contact John O’Neill on 07711737610
* Under 10 and Under 12 hurling training has resumed every Monday at 5.45pm in St Malachy’s Park. Any boys in the area who are interested in playing hurling is welcome to come along and get involved. There are sticks and helmets available for anyone starting out.
* Last Friday morning in Annsborough saw the qualifiers for Féile an Dúin. A great mornings hurling and camogie was had by all. It was particularly pleasing to see three of the primary schools in our Parish taking part – Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche, St Malachy’s and St Mary’s. After a number of closely contested games the hurlers of St Malachy’s Castlewellan and St. Mary’s Aughlisnafin qualified to take part in Féile an Dúin which takes place in Warrenpoint this coming Friday the 04th April. It was great seeing so many of our own club member’s representing their schools in both codes. Good luck to both team’s on Friday evening. Special word of thanks to the teaching staff and local coaches whom assist in the promotion of our national games in all our local schools.
