Local schools represented with pride at recent Belfast Meet event

Local schools represented with pride at recent Belfast Meet event

1 June 2022

THE Mourne area has a long standing tradition of churning out elite athletes over the years, from Olympians to world renowned mountain runners. 

As time goes on, the next generation of young athletes look up to those before them for inspiration and hope. 

Those who have gone on to achieve great things within athletics, like Kerry O’Flaherty,  Zak Hanna and the great Deon McNeilly, who from humble beginnings are now recognised as world class athletes within their own fields. 

Most recently, it’s the fresh, young legs of 17 year-old Tom Crudgington that are soon going to have to be insured and protected for more than Michael Flatley’s, as he soars up and down mountains and glides around cross country courses. 

These skills have caught the eye of the selectors for the European Off-Road Running Championship which is taking place this summer in La Palma.

When you’ve relentlessly trained and represented your school at county and regional level in cross country; when you place within the top runners within NI in the Northern Ireland XC finals; when you earn your place on the Athletics NI Endurance runners programme and then are invited to participate at the prestigious Belfast International Meet at Mary Peters Track amongst the rising stars of junior athletics - alongside the current best senior stars of track and field from near and far – you know to mark those young athletes as the up and coming stars of the future. 

Amongst the small group of selected junior athletes from across NI invited were Paddy Sherrard and Ryan Thorton from St.Joseph’s, Carnicaville and Maisie McVeigh from Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche. 

To have such spectacular talent from two schools,  less than two miles apart, reflects the dedication to training and nurturing of children’s talents from all staff involved in both establishments to develop a strong sporting ethos with a focus on the core fundamentals of athletics. 

Each of the three individuals selected have gone through the motions over a long winter of training and clocked amazing parkrun times at Castlewellan and Dunleath playing fields in Downpatrick. 

They have pushed through the hard fought races at all stages of competition and now pulled on their spikes and toed the line on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Belfast.

First up was the girls 1000m race where 11 year-old Maisie had entered. She was without her core family support due to Holy Communion commitments. 

She knew that everyone would be gathered around the live feed at home willing her on. On the sidelines, her coach had taken on the duties of ensuring she was focused and ready to run the race of her life whilst keeping in touch with those gathered at number 117. 

On the starting line were many familiar faces, after all both these young ladies and young gentlemen have all represented their schools to get to this point and have crossed paths before. 

Yet for once they had gathered in sunshine, minus the muck and gutters of a cross country track. 

Leading from the front, Maisie dictated the race pulling the rest of the field with her, soon leading to clear divides within the pack as her strong pace took its toll on the other runners.

Her majestic and controlled stride around Mary Peters Track brought her into the final 400m with only one other athlete matching her pace. 

It was said that Connaire McVeigh’s roaring could be heard in South Belfast as they entered the final 200m and the cameraman had veered over to a shot of the high jump activities and stopped following the race on track. 

Maisie crossed the line leaving her rivals in her dust to take second place to Megan Mullally from Enniskillen in three minutes and 21 seconds. 

Second place, at an invitational, international event, where you were already considered the cream of the crop to even toe the line, gives a glimpse into what lies ahead for Maisie as she has now proven herself not just in cross country, but on the track also. 

The boys field was slightly larger than the girls and set off at breakneck speed. Paddy and Ryan settled into the pack not to burn off too much energy early on in the race. 

The eventual winner, Caolon McGarry from St Bernard’s in Belfast, had created such a lead, that as he came up the final straight, the real race was taking place directly across the track from him. 

Ryan, who as a Primary Six, still has another year within this category, picked up the pace with 200m to go, navigating the pack skilfully to finish in 11th place. 

He will surely sit back and look at this race and applaud his epic achievement as a ten year-old. Next year, he will begin the process again and if he continues on his current trajectory, he will return stronger and even more determined. 

Paddy held on to his flawless steady pace and finished in three minutes 27 seconds, really giving everything he had left on the final 100m. 

Paddy, who only this year discovered his talent for running, a talent his mum claims he obviously gets from her, has grown to be a formidable young athlete making a lasting impression on this year’s cross country scene. 

From his performances at Mallusk and in the McGrady’s series, he will undoubtedly represent St Patrick’s Grammar next year in the Ulster Schools.

As they stood proudly in their school colours beside the statue of the great Dame Mary Peters on the 50th anniversary of her Olympic gold medal win, the future of not just local, but Northern Ireland Athletics looks to be one of greatness. 

One which will begin for many, just like Paddy, Ryan and Maisie, through an enthusiasm built for athletics, presenting them with opportunities to experience and represent the school in events. 

Most importantly, the belief instilled in them by those in their schools and the school community. 

Opportunities don’t happen, you create them and Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche and St Joseph’s PS, Carnicaville certainly had a huge role to play in fostering such talent in these junior athletes.