Plenty of Offaly interest in cross country clash at the Castle

There will be plenty of Offaly interest in the National Cross Country Championships at Castle Irvine Estate this Sunday (November 17).

Danielle Donegan of Tullamore Harriers and Mucklagh native Ann Marie McGlynn will be two of the big names to watch out for in the senior women's race.

McGlynn, a member of Letterkenny AC, recently retained her national marathon title in Dublin, while Donegan represented Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships at Laeken Park in Brussels last December.

A cross country specialist, Tullamore's Donegan heads into the weekend on the back of strong recent performances on the grass.

Danielle will be joined by her sister Nadine Donegan and fellow Tullamore Harriers members Emily Grennan, Evelyn Coughlan, Madison Mooney and Nita McLoughlin in the senior women's race.

Kilbeggan native Michael Murphy and Cian Law will fly the flag for Tullamore Harriers in the senior men's race.

Irish athletics fans will descend upon Castle Irvine Estate, close to Enniskillen, on Sunday for what promises to be a stellar weekend of athletics action. Ireland’s best cross-country athletes will go in search of national glory and European selection at the 123.ie National Senior, Junior and Juvenile Even Age Cross Country Championships.

Those coveted podium places will be as sought-after as ever with the leading places securing selection on the Irish team set to compete at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey, on December 8.

It looks ultra-competitive across the full schedule of competition and the 2024 edition of the 123.ie National Cross Country Championships could throw up some surprises with athletes in both the senior men’s and women’s races taking on the shorter 7,500m distance.

Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) looks set to return in defence of his title in a stacked looking senior men’s race (2.50pm) which includes entries from the in-form Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers) and Hiko Tonosa (Dundrum South Dublin), as well as recent Autumn Open Cross Country champion Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley), who could be just three of Dalton’s likely challengers.

Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) looks to have timed her preparations perfectly as she bids to go back-to-back following last year’s breakout success at the senior cross in Gowran.

Many eyes will be on West Limerick’s Íde Nic Dhómhnaill who finished in second place ahead of third-placed Everard at the Autumn Open, with the West Limerick athlete sure to lack little in the way of motivation following last year’s late withdrawal when looking one of the likely favourites.

There will be no shortage of support for the local athletes with Enniskillen’s Annabel Morrison sure to go well in the U20 race having placed eighth last year.

The action on Sunday will get underway with the U12 girls at 11:30am, building to a crescendo with the senior races which start from 2.10pm.