Peter O'Farrell

27 May, 2011

The all powerful website tells me that Paul Nolan's record of 39.02 on this shortened route remains secure and indeed the second placed finisher from that race, Aonghus O'Cleirigh, was also ahead of all of our 2011 bunch in the virtual head to head on 39.22 - may we 2011 aspirants hang our head to head heads in shame although maybe not as I can clearly recall never ever thinking back then that I'd be close to those times so there is hope for us all, a quick glance at the results from 2002 will show training, consistency and luck with injuries can bring us on. 5th placed Bernard Fortune can attest to this as he has improved his time in the intervening 9 years by about a minute. Billy Alexander of 2002 came 14th with James 2011 coming in 16th with a slightly quicker time then Dad so bragging rights finely balanced in that family - for now. Apparently there was a fine view of Djouce from the start back then which says a lot for the vibrancy and quick growth of fir trees.
Roisin McDonnell had a stong overall win in 2002 and an equally strong category win this year and Aoife Joyce's winning time from this year has her in the top 20 of yesteryear, pushing hard and only 7 virtual places down on a certain Barry Minnock no less :)
Back to the race and the field ambled away from the startline at a restrained gallop. This restraint proved too much for Des Kennedy who friskily cantered into an early lead only to be swallowed by the peloton like pacing after a few turns. John Brennan had taken note of an logjam section of singletrack and prudently eased away into the lead before this although he neglected to leap over the fallen tree and thus we all came back together upon hitting the lovely lovely open mountain.
A steady climb brought us to point Caroline, thanks Caroline, but not before two if the early starters flew down the grassy descent causing some initial confusion in my befuddled brain. I briefly wondered how we’d catch them before copping on to myself and then the next surprise of the day was my clubmate Mark Ryan powering along on his recce of leg 2 of the upcoming WWR. I love to see the recces!
Some more running along the WW brought us to the last climb of the day up the other flank of Djouce and this section was amazing with a tailwind pushing us up into a shroud of calm cloud. Aaron was beside me and I chuckled thinking of a certain Scarr race where on a narrower track we’d deployed the elbows jostling for the same position, more track width on Djouce and the elbows remained polite this time. On up around the cairn to point Vivian, thanks Viv, and then a helter skelter dash back around to point Caroline, thanks again Caroline, and a plunge down the very fast runnable grassy section picking off early starters and skating occasionally on the slippier bits.
The legend John Casey had finished before me but alas for him not before Clare Glanville and so our happy full carpooling carload cheered Grainne home and legged it away from the midgies to the pub.
Gotta love the Wicklow Wednesdays!
Thanks Brendan – carparking fields are really (re) opening up some great routes this year.

Rene Borg

27 May, 2011

From: http://www.mudsweatandtears.co.uk/2011/05/26/rathfarnham-sweep-away-glasnamullan/

The labyrinthine forest race through Ballinastoe wood at the foothills of Djouce was displaced in favour of a revived route dubbed Glasnamullan-Ballinastoe, starting a few kilometres further up road, and offering an open mountain challenge instead…

… as runners were led up iconic Djouce Mountain for the second Wednesday in tow.

Rain darkened the grassy hill-side enough for Rathfarnham’s green power-house train to be noticeable as Peter O’Farrell, Aaron O’Donohue, Brian Furey and John Brennan took a clean sweep of the honours and with it the overwhelming team victory. The south Dublin side are in a serious mood for this year’s mountain running season and have their eyes set on the Wicklow Way Relay team record on June 11th. No one will bet against them.

Another Dublin club, Crusaders AC, took their share of the spoils too when Aoife Joyce took her first Leinster League victory since her return from injury, a win that had been brewing on top of a few solid performances in recent hill races, building an unconquerable lead on the ascent ahead of Clare Sullivan and Duhac’s Mirjam Alik, the latter narrowly outsprinting Clonliffe’s Karen Duggan on the flat section to the finish.

The new route met with widespread acclaim, and your reporter can only join in the chorus having inspected the course this weekend: a flat narrow trail through forest leads you onto grassy tracks with a high fun factor for descenders before the steep climb to Djouce before coming off the steep and rocky Eastern slope.

Rene Borg

26 May, 2011

TEAM RESULTS

MEN
1. Rathfarnham WSAF 6 (1 Peter O'Farrell, 2 Aaron O'Donohue, 3 Brian Furey)
2. Sli Cualann 51 (8 Ben Mooney, 19 Jimmy Synnott, 24 Tony Collins)
3. Boards AC 88 (25 Eamonn Hodge, 30 John Ahern, 33 Laurence Colleran)
4. Setanta 89 (11 Paul Mahon, 14 Gerry Lalor, 64 Andreas Kusch)
5. UCD 122 (9 Brian Caulfield, 10 Zoran Skrba, 103 Stuart Scott)
6. Crusaders AC 176 (28 Oran Murphy, 54 Kevin O'Riordan, 94 Diarmuid O'Colmain)
7. Glenasmole 254 (48 Justin Condon, 91 Thomas Galvin, 115 Andrew Clancy)
8. The Pain 183 (13 Andrew Hayes, 122 Richard Finnegan, 148 Wayne Byrne)
9. Clonliffe Harriers 314 (46 Dermot Murphy, 101 David Duffy, 146 Pol O'Murchu)
10. Raheny Shamrocks 362 (6 Des Kennedy, 149 David Brady, 179 Mike Gomm)

WOMEN
1. Crusaders AC 19 (1 Aoife Joyce, 8 Susan Seager, 10 Roisin McDonnell)