St Brendan’s AC Wins Best Overall Club Award
By David Butler, St Brendan's AC Juvenile Head Coach
St Brendan’s AC was represented by 28 of our younger juvenile members at the 2024 edition of the Kerry Sportshall Games. This year’s event was originally scheduled for April but it was postponed then on safety grounds due to a red weather warning relating to a long since forgotten storm taking place.
For the first ever it was going to be held in one of Kerry’s premier sports facilities, the Kerry Sports Academy at MTU Tralee so all were eager to see the young athletes take to the boards.
Competing for the club on the day were
Aisling O’Driscoll
Amanda Connell
Anna Winter
Aoife Rice
Cassie O’Connor
Corey O’Carroll (Gold in BU12 Sprints, Silver in BU12 Shot Put, Silver in BU12 Standing Long Jump)
Dara O’Connell
Éabha Cowan (Gold in GU10 Sprints)
Einin Lawlor
Emma Joy (Bronze in GU11 Sprints)
Holly O’Driscoll
Jack Feehan (Silver in BU9 Speedbounce, (Joint) Bronze in BU9 Standing Long Jump)
Jack O’Flaherty
James Sheehy (Gold in BU9 Sprints, (Joint) Bronze in BU9 Standing Long Jump)
Karl Wallace (Gold in BU10 Speedbounce)
Keely Flaherty
Kira Harbuzova
Laoise Neary
Lelia McCarthy
Liam O’Driscoll
Lottie Boyle
Millie Flavin
Niamh McGuckin
Olivia Leen (Silver in GU12 Shot Put)
Roisin Flaherty
Sarah Duggan
Tadhg Quille
Tomas O’Flaherty (Gold in BU12 Shot Put, Gold in BU12 Standing Long Jump, Bronze in BU12 Sprints)
Following the successes of the individual events it was then into the relays where the club fielded 6 teams across the age groups. 4 of our teams secured medals by finishing in the top 3 in exciting races.
U9 Girls Relay, Bronze Medal (Roisin Flaherty, Niamh McGuckin, Amanda Connell, Anna Winter)
U10 Boys Relay, Gold Medal (James Sheehy, Dara O’Connell, Liam O’Driscoll, Karl Wallace)
U11 Girls Relay, Silver Medal (Lottie Boyle, Millie Flavin, Aisling O’Driscoll, Emma Joy)
U12 Girls Relay, Silver Medal (Keely Flaherty, Aoife Rice, Olivia Leen, Emma Joy, Lottie Boyle)
Well done to all the athletes on their performances and congratulations to our medallists. With the competition completed the club won the overall best club award on the day, the last time the club won the competition was in March 2020 (just before lockdown!)
Thanks to Kerry Athletics for hosting the event especially as it was away from its normal calendared date, to all volunteers on the day including the Irish Red Cross and club volunteers who looked after the athletes and helped run off an efficient event. Thanks to the parents for bringing their children to represent the club. Thanks to club coaching team who helped to prepare the athletes for the original date and the rescheduled date and for supporting the athletes on the day.
