The 123rd Waterhouse Byrne Baird saw an entry list of experienced Stephen’s day warriors and bright shiny new debutants to the event to brave the epic distance. It was fitting therefore that the race in the end came down to battle between 2 athletes from each camp. It’s list of winners runs like a calling card of many of the Donore greats…but many a fine Donore athlete has not had the rub of the green …or the mud…or the snow….or maybe just the handicappers. This of course is as it should be as every athlete should have an equal chance of winning when they line up on December the 26th. The vagaries of form, time of year sickness injury conditions all play their part, but the adage still endures coined by our very own late Jim McNamara – “You must use your handicap when you get it”.
So the field was whittled down by injuries and illness, ruling out former winner Michelle Dawson, former men’s cross and Road captain Rossa Hurley. It also saw Liz Mac Curtain. Claire Mulligan and Treasa Boylan bow out. Conditions above ground proved fair very little wind and very mild. The ground was heavy and sticky and caused several stalwarts of the race to bow out early such as Barry Potts and Dana Mackey with an Achilles problem and Patrick Farrell battled hard in his first ever cross country against an ongoing knee problem but was forced to yield.
Early running saw a number of athletes set their intent out. Catherine McKeon and Dana Mackey were paired as lead off athletes and beat out the early tempo only for Dana to pull up but Catherine undaunted kept her pace up to go through with over two, two mile laps to spare over the scratch athletes. Julia Hackett similarly had company in Angela Eustace before Angela had to pull out and this perhaps helped these two athletes in their overall races. Neil Hand appeared to take out a fast early lap. Luke Boland recorded the fastest lap only to be bettered by Niall Lynch with an 11min 35s first lap. Niall was paired with Ken Nugent whom between them have shared the Tommy Hayward trophy for the fastest 10 mile since its inception, so when Niall broke away from Ken in that first lap his intent was clear.
The race unfolded as the Junior Shield was run after scratch athlete Peter Sweeney former men’s road and cross country captain started. Anne Curley the defending champion was going steady but the event is notoriously hard to win two years in a row and the momentum just didn’t seem to be with her this year. Similarly Alan Farrell former winner after working with Sinead Lambe for nearly 3 laps seemed not to have the magic of his victory year and Sinead Lambe started to pull away from him. Two laps in another former winner Tony Griffin cast aside his gloves and appeared to have a sense that perhaps he could be a double winner of the Shield and was moving well. Two laps to go Catherine McKeon still had a long lead and as later athletes started to unwind the head start she’d got on them it all came down to time gaps and speed on the track coming into the last lap.
Taking the bell with two miles of running to go Catherine had a minute and 40seconds lead on Julia Hackett. Julia a veteran of the Stephen’s day race known for her canny pacing doggedness in the final stretch of any race was lapping 2 minutes faster than Catherine and she could see Catherine up the horse gallop…..the race was well and truly on. Tony had a chance as passed through with a lap to go and had a look of determination on his face. There had been a surge from the back of the field, Niall Lynch had appeared not to make the progress on Luke Boland as had been suggested from the early laps, but the 4th lap was the slowest of Luke’s race with a 12 min 53. Catherine was 12 min 30 seconds ahead so it required a low 12 minute lap to overcome the gap. Luke had also passed Gavin Keogh who was himself running well. This appeared to be where the placings would be decided.
Julia took Catherine at the back of the course after the hill and pushed on through the trees, the pink head band looking comfortably in the lead, with seemingly a long gap to the chasing men. Could there be a 3 in a row for the ladies of Donore. Momentum of course is everything on the last lap of the Waterhouse Byrne Baird. Luke now getting a sense that the line and the lead were within touching distance seemed to eat the ground as he chased Julia around the civil service cricket ground. The gap seemed to disappear as quickly and assuredly as Julia lead had seemed to be commandingly clear minutes before. A mixture of a groan for the vanquished and a cheer for the challenger rang out as Luke took Julia up the home straight before the small bump with enough time to savour a sweet victory. Julia brilliant in second place smiled and raised her own hand as she crossed the line knowing shed come so very close. Luke had a run a 12 min 13 seconds last lap. Just behind Gavin Keogh had a nearly equally storming last lap and despite nearly falling in the home straight due to the intensity of his efforts sprinted past Tony Griffin to snatch 3rd place. Catherine the long-time leader for 9.5 miles, was passed by Niall Lynch who didn’t quite have the last lap that would have brought him right into contention but still ran fast enough to be the winner yet again of the Tommy Hayward \trophy for fastest ten mile of the day. Sinead Lambe was as predicted the fastest lady on the day but didn’t quite get enough momentum to take her through to the top 6.
The day belonged to Luke in his debut on the Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield and it caps off a great season of cross-country running. He won medals for the club team in the Dublin Novice (silver) and in the Dublin Intermediate (gold) as well as a fine run in the National Novice 2 weeks previously. It was another thrilling St Stephen’s Day duel!
2019 Waterhouse Byrne Baird Shield Results
26th December Start Time 11 a.m. Scratch athlete off at 11.35 a.m. handicap is from Scratch Athlete
Incorporating the Tommy Hayward Trophy for fastest 10 mile time of the Day.
Position Name Race Time Handicap 10 mile Time Notables
1st Luke Boland 94’10” 2 min 61’10” Winner
2nd Julia Hackett 94’18” 24 min 83’18” 2nd
3rd Gavin Keogh 94’51” 3 min 62’51” 3rd
4th Tony Griffin 94’52” 17 min 76’52”
5th Niall Lynch 95’03” 1 min 61’03” Winner Tommy Hayward
6th Catherine McKeon 95’29” 35 mins 95’29”
7th Neil Hand 95’47” 8 mins 95’29”
8th Ken Nugent 95’57” 1 min 61’57”
9th Donal Iremonger 96’04” 9 min 30s 70’34”
10th Audrey Gahan 96’47” 13 min 74’47”
11th Sinead Lambe 97’41” 6 min 68’41” Fastest lady
12th Alan Farrell 98’42” 6 min 69’’42”
13th Stephen Dawson 98’52” 11 min 74’52”
14th Ariana Ball 99’01” 14 min 78’01”
15th Anne Curley 99’24” 9 min 73’24”
16th Tom Fagan 100’01” 13 min 78’01”
17th Ian Redican 100’06” 15 min 80’06”
18th Peter Sweeney 100’10” Scratch 65’10”
19th Lou Mac Curtain 100’29” 19 min 84’29”
DNF:
Patrick O’farrell 8 miles
Dana Mackey
Barry Potts
Angela Eustace