Autumn 2026 – The search for XC teams begin….

East Cork Senior & Masters XC – 13th September 2026
It’s September. We’re back at Market Green (well, some of us) and the nights are closing in, which can only mean one thing… It’s time to pull out those mucky spikes, give them a clean and run around a field or two for sport. Cross-country is back.

And it all started a week ago with the East Cork Seniors and Masters in Frank Hayes’s fields in Aghern, near Conna. Or near Ballynoe, depending on your approach route.

The day was warm and unbearably humid. Add in a plentiful supply of flies and it felt like this year’s championships were being held in deepest , tropical Borneo. One mis-step into a pile of cow s**t though was enough to remind athletes that, despite the weather, this was indeed rural Ireland.

Late negotiations failed to produce a women’s team and so we only had Christine Kelly flying the flag for the club in the 3k ladies’ race. She finished up 9th of the East Cork affiliated participants. Elaine Cardiff – a valued member of our training group – ran as a guest, finishing 5th overall. A fair effort for one more attuned to the track.

The gentlemen were just about able to muster teams at both senior and masters levels. Stephen O’Brien gave Paul Hartnett a massive fright, putting him under serious pressure for the first 60 metres of the 6k race. Paul may have been feeling the after effects of the previous day’s training session at Walshtown but he was soon into his stride as he eased away to take a facile victory – his second at this level. He had 30 seconds or so to spare over the competition by the end, and one suspects there were a few more seconds in reserve should they have been required. The runners-up spot was fought over by Stephen, Donal Giltinan and Trever Cummins. The trio stayed in close proximity to each other for the first half of the race, after which gaps began to develop. In the end it was the Great Island Athletics man, who took 2nd place with Stephen a few seconds behind in 3rd (2nd M35) and Donal, all on his own in 4th (3rd M35). Ollie Smiddy finished in 10th place (2nd M50) with Denis McCarthy rounding out the East Cork representation in 21st. This secured the club senior gold (Paul, Stephen, Donal & Ollie) and M35 gold (Stephen, Donal, Ollie & Denis). Well done all.

Next up will be the County Seniors on Sunday 4th October in Carrigadrohid, with St. Catherines hosting the County Novices a week later on Sunday 11th October.

On the roads and trails:
· Eve Buckley was up in Newcastle, Co. Down where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea, representing the Republic at the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships. She led her country home by finishing 7th overall in the U20 ladies’ race. Well done Eve!

· Michael Furlong ran the first two rounds of An Riocht’s 5k series in Castleisland and found his place in the world by finishing seventh in both races.

· Annelise Hutch also found herself in the Kingdom and finished 2nd in the Tralee 10k, winning a miniature bust of local legend Jerry Kiernan to put on her mantelpiece back home. No doubt he shall be a source of inspiration for years to come.