Record numbers of participants attended this year’s Community Games in association with the HSE in Athlone. Despite the inclement weather, over 7,000 participants competed over the weekends of the 18th-19th & 25th-26th August to make the 2016 games a resounding success.
Cork, and in particular our own Clontead/Kinsale parish, were well represented at the games across Track, Field and the Quiz.
On the first weekend the U14 girls from Cork which included Kate Redmond from Clontead/Kinsale came 2nd in the Final of the Cross Country mixed distance relay. The U12 girls, all from Clontead/Kinsale, Lauren Green, Nicole Buckley, Caoimhe O’Donoghue, Mary Clare Murphy gave a strong performance and were unlucky not to have qualified for the final. The Quiz team of Sarah Fitzgerald, Aoife Hartnett, Evan Daly, Oisin Soderland, Jack O’Dononvan all from Clontead/Kinsale came within the top 10 of 70 teams on the day.
The second weekend saw Lia Farley of Clontead/Kinsale, ensure that Cork took 2nd in the Long Jump while Cillian Fitzgerald, Clontead/Kinsale, came 2nd in the U8 60m B Final. Kate Farley and Sarah Murphy both of Clontead/Kinsale also performed well in Sprint and Hurdles. The relay team of Lia Farley, Sarah Murphy, Rose Marie Buckley, and Ava Coyle all from Clontead/Kinsale gave great run in the semi-finals against tough competition on the day.
Suffice to say sport was played, races were run but more importantly lifelong friendships were made. In the eyes of Community Games, everyone is a winner with participation and enjoyment being key. Congratulations to you all for taking part and representing your parish and county so well.
