Excellent results for FermO members at the Irish Championships weekend in Waterford.
A small contingent of experienced members of the club travelled on the bank holiday weekend to Waterford to compete in a variety of classes in the Sprint, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Relay Irish Championships. The club members attending were Eibhlin, Ciara and Paddy Largey; Robbie Bryson, Billy Fyffe, Enda Hume, Teresa and Raymond Finlay.
The weather was favourable with not much rain and relatively warm temperatures even on the exposed and difficult mountainsides used for the Middle and Long events on Saturday and Sunday. The Sprint was held on the Waterford Institute of Technology campus on the Friday evening. The Relay on Monday returned to more traditional forest terrain beside Lismore the stately home of the Duke of Devonshire.
The outstanding performance was from Teresa Finlay who became W65 Irish Champion at all three distances and was also in the Club’s Women’s Relay Team who came second in the Elite class competition. Ciara Largey now working in Scotland returned to compete in the Elite class at Middle, Long and Relay. She was on the podium in all three with respectively, a second, third, and second (with Teresa and her sister Eibhlin).
Robbie Bryson for the men came 1st in the M50 class; I believe his first Irish Championship win in Orienteering (?) to add to his many successes in other sports. Raymond Finlay was on the podium on 3 of the 4 races in M65 class with a second in the Sprint, a third in the Middle Distance and a second in a mixed-club Relay Team in the very competitive and popular H12 class.
The Waterford Orienteering Club are to be congratulated on the herculean effort needed to host a very well organised and challenging event of a very high standard expected of the National Championships in all four disciplines. Well done to them!
The McGoldricks continue to win in Sligo, this time at Temple House on Sunday. Philip won the Long course while Odhran easily won the Short.
At the Leinster Champs on Carrick Hill, Raymond won his age class M65 and Teresa came second in W65.
Fermanagh Orienteers 