Our club juvenile awardees were Malachy Kirwan & Eabha McCarthy.
Malachy is a fine young athlete who has been competing with the club for many years. He is an all-rounder with county medals in Track, sprints, middle distance, and Cross Country. He is coming through to be a very talented middle-distance athlete securing individual & team medals at the County Cross Country Championships and been well placed at the Munster XC.
Eabha has been a member of our club since the age of six. Her main involvement is in Cross Country and Track events. Winning individual medals at County XC, Munster XC and County Team Nationals. But her love has always been Track racing. Since a very young age she has been on the podium at all track events and representing Kerry at the National Community Games on four occasions. Eabha is now focusing her time to Hurdles and short distance.
David Kenny was awarded Junior Track & Field: David is one of Kerry’s most talented Race Walkers. He has broken all his personal best times, second in the National Indoors Junior 3K & senior 2K. National Outdoors T&F he was First in the Universities IUAA 3K, First in Junior 3K & third in the Senior 10K. The highlight of his season was made at the National 20km Outdoor Race Walking C’ships event in Raheny where his performance has placed him third in the all-time list for an U20 athlete in a time of 1hr 29mins.
Shauna McCarthy received a special International award for her part in the Junior Girls Irish Team to compete in the SIAB Schools Cross Country, Nottingham, where she was a part of the team to win Bronze.
Jim O’Shea was recognised for competing in the European Masters Indoors, Madrid, where he was first in the M75 Long Jump at a distance of 4 meters. An outstanding achievement for a great ambassador in the sport of athletics.
The Men’s League team was awarded for their excellent performance in the division one National league. Part of this team was Rossa Foley, Sean O’Shea, Dermot Dineen and David Kenny.
The highlight of the night was when Michael (Mike) O’Connor was awarded the Hall Of Fame.
The Men’s League team was awarded for their excellent performance in the division one National league. Part of this team was Rossa Foley, Sean O’Shea, Dermot Dineen and David Kenny.
The highlight of the night was when Michael (Mike) O’Connor was awarded the Hall Of Fame.
Michael (Mike) O’Connor made his athletics debut at Ballyhar Sports in 1966, when as a tall lanky youngster, he entered and won the 880 yards under 18 run. He was awarded for his efforts with a prize of a cake stand. He was then hooked on the sport!!
Joining Farranfore Athletic Club, on the invitation of John Crowley, he trained regularly and made great strides (pardon the pun).
In 1967, he competed in The Kerry Junior Road championships over two miles and won the individual title from Listowel’s jerry Kiernan in the runner-up position.
Other highlights of his career:
1968 – Won the Kerry Novice Cross Country Championship
1972 – Won the National Novice Road Walking Race Title at Kilkenny and also in this year he won the Kerry Senior Cross Country Title held in Ballymacelligott.
During the 70’s and 80’s, he was a regular member of Kerry Cross Country teams and won Munster and National team medals. Also, as a member of FCA, he won the Defence Forces Cross Country title.
As a veteran / Master athlete, he has won numerous county, Munster and national Titles in both middle distance and Race walking events.
Mike has competed for Ireland in three European Masters race walking Championships. (Madrid, AnCona and Seville). He also competed in the Dublin City Marathon completing the distance in a time of 2hrs 57mins.
Mike has been a very regular and loyal club member for well over fifty years and still retains his love for the sport in athletics. He is still a regular competitor with no intentions on stopping. He is our resident public speaker at our club sports day and Farranfore Road Race.
Mike’s favourite read each week is “Athletics weekly” magazine to which he has been a subscriber for many years. He can be found on several week mornings doing Race walking training in Killarney National park and along the Fossa way.