County Masters Track & Field C'Ships 2013

The County Masters Track & Field championships were held on Sunday afternoon 12th May 2013 at An Riocht, Castleisland. The turn out was well down from the previous years. This was mainly due to the poor weather conditions and that all the events were running late by almost 2hrs due to the juvenile championships held on the same day.
Farranfore had a number of athletes competing and all did very well.
George McCarthy (O40) won gold in the 400m and 3000m distance.
Maria McCarthy (O35) won gold in the 3000m distance in a PB time of 10:27
Mike O'Connor (O60) won gold in the 100m sprint
Jim O'Shea (070) won gold in the High Jump, Long Jump & 100m sprint
Fergal Daly (O40) was 4th in the 100m sprint

Full Results can be found on Kerry Athletics Web soon: http://kerryathletics.com/results/2013/fieldresults.pdf

But the highlight of the masters championship was when our own Eddie Mulcahy produced a WORLD RECORD throw in the O80's weight for distance category. This was a fantastic achievement for Eddie who has been competing in athletics for over half a century.

Eddie in action at the National Masters in 2012

(Courtesy of Kerryman Newspaper)
Eddie was born in Clashmore, Co Waterford in 1933. He moved to Sneem later in life where he settled down. He has competed in weight events since the early sixties and has won medals with three National Athletic bodies — NACA pre (1967), BLE and AAI.
During the 60’s and 70’s, he competed regularly at county, Munster and National championships and could be a certainty for a medal at the shot putt and 56lbs events.
He won two silver medals at the Bristol Indoor championships and was a founder member of the Hibernian Weight Throwers Club which provides competition and promotes the field events at all age levels in Britain and Ireland.
He was in Castleisland the day Lien Braham broke the Irish 56lb wof record on July 21, 1973. That day Eddie finished second to Braham with Dan McMahon from Moyvane third. Eddie holds many world medals for the 56lbs o/b and wof.
Eddie received the prestigious "Hall of Fame" award in 2004 for his contribution to Irish athletics throughout his life.

Eddie is so famous in the world of throwing. He holds claims to the ballad “A Sportsman Unsung” by Myles Parkinson and many young athletes especially throwers may draw inspiration from this poem.

His name is Eddie Mulcahy

He’s a champion of Ireland from Sneem

Athletics is the sport he excels at

And in age he is more that a teen

There are many great sports hit the headlines

And sometimes they’re played none too clean

But Eddie’s a true Irish Sportsman

Like all the great sportsmen from Sneem

He could build you a house or a castle

Forever his works guaranteed

The house he’s built around Kerry

Are a picture of beauty indeed

Accomplished at most kinds of music

Accordion and bagpipes to name

He’ll play for ceremonial or disco

And that’s not the extent of his fame

When Eddie starts throwing the hammer

Stay a mile and three quarters away

The Champion of Ireland’s just practise

To be champ of the World some day

Though the media don’t bathe you in glory

Great Sportsmen will long know your name

Another great “first” for Sneem village

And a contender for the great halls of fame

May he continue to compete for many more years to come and be an inspiration to all our future Irish athletes.