Meeting
The club will hold its next meeting in Rathkeale on Friday week, August 29th , at 8.30 p.m. The Munster Half Marathon and the Cross-Country season are the main topics up for discussion. Joe Chawke believes that we could field a strong team in the Munster race and we hope to select a panel of runners. In the cross country events we have been taking second place to Limerick AC in recent years and it will take full commitment to alter this situation. The women’s squad looks very good on paper but we need to see the form in September before raising too many hopes. Bímis ag traenáil.

Cross Country
At a recent session Joe Chawke, club coach, reminded athletes that now is the time to think of the cross country season. Not hard to do with the present weather conditions!

October and November are the months to mark on the calendar. Get in the distance on the grass straight away.

Sympathy
The club extends its sympathy to a former great runner and member of our club, John Scanlan, Cappagh, on the death of his mother. The burial took place on Friday last.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.

Dublin Report
Aislinn Nic Dhomhnaill and her brother, Aogán, competed in a Business Houses 2 Mile race in Raheny last Thursday night. Their times were 12.20 and 10.20 respectively. Maith sibh. The West Limerick club is getting recognition in the capital!

Rathkeale Church Gate
The club wishes to express it’s gratitude for the support given at the recent Rathkeale Church Gate Collection and also to those who stood at the tables representing West Limerick Athletic Club. We are glad to say that membership has increased in recent years and we encourage walkers and runners in our region to keep active.

Nationals
All club members taking part in the National Track & Field events in Santry at the weekend are wished a ‘fair wind’. Pat Mc Cartan, running to form, should be there or thereabouts in the 1500m. Pat ran another 3.53 for the distance last week.

Limerick City Sports Partnership Seeks Volunteers
Volunteers are the heart of sport and without their unselfish commitment many clubs and organisations would not be up and running today. Limerick City Sports Partnership is recruiting for volunteers to help and support their programmes especially the Sport Inclusion Disability Programme. Without volunteers many programmes are unsustainable and participants are turned away.

Join our team in our aim to increase participation of sport and physical for all. Every volunteer recruited will receive training and support.

For more information or an application form contact Siobhàn at 061 468542 or see the website

Dromcollogher Four Mile Race
Next Monday evening, July 7th, walkers will set out on the Dromcollogher Festival 4 mile event at 7.30 p.m. and the main race begins at 7.45 p.m. The local hall will be the meeting place for entries and prizegiving. We hope that support will be evident on the night. Races such as this, incorporatd into a local festival, were once the mainstay of summer running but unfortunately many festivals have gone.

Bígí ann agus beidh craic againn.

Dromcollogher Festival Race
Leaflets promoting the Dromcologher Festival race on July 7th were distributed at last evenings training session in UL. Joe Chawke has a great following at these sessions which start sharp at 7.00 p.m. each Tuesday. There is no need to be a club member in order to attend and all levels of fitness are catered for. Fáilte romhat.

Sympathy
The club heard last week of the frightful tragedy which struck the O’Shea family when both parents, Seán and Josephine, were killed in a car accident near Coolanoran. One of the family, John, is an active member of our club. It was he who who first made the connection between the triathlon and our running tradition. Many more have followed him. The club offers John, Terence, Myra, Sadie, Geraldine and Pauline our sincerest sympathies. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anam.

Wedding Bells
Congratulations to Juliette Frost and John Reilly on their wedding last Friday, 20th June – Juliette is a member of West Limerick AC and her husband, John Reilly is a member of Limerick Masters Swimming Club. They are shortly going to North America on honeymoon and we wish them the best in their married life together.

Ger Mullane Memorial 10K
There should be a big attendance at the Bilboa event on this Friday evening, June 20th. West Limerick will be putting out a strong team. Feicfimid ann sibh.
Looking at last years results, Ger Mullane (RIP) achieved a time of 36'51, a great time for over 50.

Dromcollogher Festival Race
Leaflets promoting the Dromcologher race on July 7th are being distributed at the moment. Members are asked to spread the word at every opportunity. All races in our catchment area are to be welcomed.

1500m
Pat Mc Cartan took part in the Watford Track and Field Invitational last weekend but his time held at 3.53 in the 1500m event. He placed third and the aim now is to knock off the seconds and hopefully break the 3.50 barrier. Limerick’s Liam Reale took part in a separate 1500m race and also finished third. Liam, who has spent recent years on an athletics scholarship in the U.S.A., clocked 3.43. He had hoped to compete in the Olympics but he will find it difficult to meet the qualifying standards in the time left

Triathlon
Many of our members are also triathletes and the Triathlon Club in Limerick is seeking volunteers for an upcoming major fixture. There is always a good day out involved. Contact Mark Dempsey at 087 2158573.

Dartmouth & Brown
Dartmouth and Brown have two excellent athletics teams, and these performed with distinction in this year's Heptagonals (Ivy League championships).
The best of a combined Dartmouth/Brown team will compete with a UL selection in the Arena, starting at 13.00 H Saturday June 14th
The UL selection is excellent, and every event will be of a high standard. (Certainly it will rank only after the Cork City Sports and our National Championships in an order of merit for performance excellence this year.)
The meet is being sponsored by EborEnergy/Eboroil.

Hell's Helpers
Our comrades in the Limerick Triathlon Club are looking for extra volunteers for the Hell-of-the-West Triathlon on June 28th. If you are available please email the race director Christy.power@dghotels.com and he will assign a role to suit you on the day! You can also vist their website.

Czech It Out!
This month sees two of our athlethes head to the Czech Republic. On Sunday May 11th, Rory O’Neill will compete in the Prague Marathon, arguably one of the world’s top ten events and on Sunday the 18th, Brian Jenkins will compete Brno Triathlon, a European Cup Event. Go n-eiri an t-adh leat!

WLAC Newsletter
NEW! We have a new mailing list. If you wish to subscribe to receive club news, fixtures, results and more, then add your name!

Irish Runner Magazine
It was nice to see the praise given to our coach, Joe Chawke, in this month’s Irish Runner magazine. Rosemary Ryan, Bilboa, is hoping to achieve qualifying standard for the Olympics and she acknowledged the help and advice given by Joe at his Tuesday evening training sessions in UL. We wish Rosemary well in her efforts to reach Beijing

National 10K
Runners taking part in the National 10k Championships in Athenry next Sunday should enter on the day if representing the club. It was decided at the recent club meeting that a lot of money was wasted with unnecessary pre-entries.
We are looking for a large club attendance, particularly from our female members. Ní bhíonn meas ar an aonphort!

Dromcollogher
The traditional road race in Dromcollogher is set to continue this year and the date scheduled is Monday, July 7th. Cuirigí sa dialann é.

County Road Championships
The County Road championships take place on May 10th at the Country Club. The race starts at 7PM on Saturday evening. Bígi ag ullmhú.

Charity Race
On April 27th there will be a charity race in the Country Club at 2.00 p.m. One of the people behind the venture is Mark Massey and we look forward to good support on the day.

Volunteers
We need someone to update two sports sites with our race details. Any volunteers?

Registration Deadline
The rules regarding club registration at national level mean that the club registrar has to send off the club members list early in January. Apart from entry into championship events the insurance regarding each individual athlete is guaranteed. At the club meeting in Rathkeale on Friday last it was noted that there is still a considerable number of athletes who have not paid the club fee of €20. It is very important that this be rectified immediately. Any committee member such as Joe Chawke, Liam Healy, Tom Brouder, Willie Costello, Carmel Mac Domhnaill, Ger Guinea or Seamus Cawley will be happy to deal with this. Otherwise it can be sent to the secretary, Willie Costello, Adare, Co. Limerick

Race Review
At Friday’s club meeting the 10 K race in Adare was reviewed and suggestions for improvement were taken on board. The number of female entries, 65, and the high level of competition in the women’s race is a source of satisfaction. The course, as with every other road race, has become more dangerous in recent years with increasing volumes of traffic to contend with. One immediate point has to be the number of stewards. Perhaps a leaf could be taken from the tri-athletes’ organisation which requires that each member either takes a position on the day or else nominates a replacement. Safety must be the number one priority. This is something that all members and friends should consider ahead of next year’s event.

National 10K
Get ready for the national 10k in Athenry, Galway. We are looking for a large club attendance, particularly from our female members. Ní bhíonn meas ar an aonphort!

National 10K
Get your tackies ready for the national 10k in Athenry, Galway. We are looking for a large club attendance, particularly from our female members. Ní bhíonn meas ar an aonphort!

Volunteers
If you are a West Limerick AC member or are just an avid reader of our newsletter, we’d like your help. We need photo’s, stories, race reports, training blogs to populate our newsletter and website. We have lots of new members and the more information we can distribute, the better. Go raibh maith agat!

Club Race
Willie Costello, secretary, speaking after the Adare 10k Road Race said that the club was very much indebted to all our sponsors especially the main sponsor, Rathkeale and District Credit Union. Races cannot charge spectators and are very much at the mercy of the business community. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.

West Limerick club as they came in: Pat Mc Cartan, 31.59; Ger Guinea, 33.34; Dermot Kearns, 34.54; Eddie Vereker, 36.42; Gary Madden, 38.33; Sam Hand, 38.34; Liz Hussey, 38.48; Derek Mackessy; Wilie Brosnan; Dave Hand; Davey Condon; Juliette Frost; Emmett O Brien; Mike Aherne; Noel Kennedy

Croom 6k
The Croom 6km Road Race takes place on Monday next, 17th March at 2.00 pm. The prizes are very generous and we hope our members will be on the starting line to fight for the laurels.

Munster Roads
Next Sunday, March 16th, the Munster Road Championships will take place in Ennis. Pat Mc Cartan leads a strong West Limerick team across the Shannon. Beir bua.

Adare 10K on Sunday
The Adare 10 km Road Race is scheduled for Sunday next, March 2nd. The fun walk begins at 1.30 p.m. and the race starts at 2.00 p.m. There are lots of prizes for all categories and as usual the refreshments will be available in the Village Hall. The secretary and race organiser, Willie Costello, thanked all the sponsors with a particular ‘Go raibh maith agaibh’ for the Rathkeale and Districk Credit Union, main sponsors.

Big Entry
Many top athletes in Munster and further afield have confirmed their intention of competing. The bonus prize for a new course record is alluring but who can hope to beat Seamus Power’s 30:34 or Veronica Colleran’s 34:33? Both are Clare athletes. Can we wrest the prize across the Shannon? Sin an cheist.

Meeting
At the club meeting in Rathkeale on Friday night the many tasks on the day of the race were allocated. Chairman, Seamus Cawley, and Assistant Secretary, Ger Guinea, said that there is still a need for volunteers to stand at junctions and monitor the finish line. Please contact Willie Costello ar any club member if available. The race is the biggest organisational event of the club year and can only be a success with your help.

Adare Race Meeting
There is an important meeting in Rathkeale on this Friday night, February 22nd, at 8.30 p.m. The Adare 10k Road Race on March 2nd is almost upon us and there is a huge amount of organisational work to be done. Every helping hand will be appreciated. Former runners and friends of athletics are asked to show their support. Ní neart go cur le chéile.

Fee
It is vital that all athletes and officials pay the €20 registration fee immediately to any committee member. Issues such as insurance and eligibility arise if the entry is not dealt with. Club coach, Joe Chawke, is willing to deal with entries at training in UL.

AGM
The AGM of the club was held in the Community Games hall in Rathkeale on Friday last. Our thanks to the Community Games for this facility.
The president, Mike Wright, presided over the election of the new committee.
Officers elected: Chairman, Seamus Cawley; Vice Chair, John Scanlan; Secretary, Willie Costello; Ass. Sec. Ger Guinea; Treasurer, Kathleen Brouder; Registrar, Tom Brouder; PRO, Mike Mac Domhnaill; Coach, Joe Chawke.

A successful year was reviewed and the huge intake of members was attributed to the Tuesday sessions in UL organised by Joe Chawke. These atract up to 50 runners of all levels. Joe, however, stressed the need to foster young talent as many clubs have mushroomed like ours and then shrunk away. Liaison with young athletes and coaches in West Limerick has to be the next main focus. Ní féidir linn luí ar na maidí.

Clubman of Year
There was unanimous approval for this year’s choice of Clubman 2007. Finbarr Murphy has shown great commitment in competitions, particularly long distance races. It is Finbarr who set up a very attractive web site for the club and helps maintain it on a weekly basis. Tá buíochas tuillte aige ó luthchleasaithe Iarthar Luimnigh.

AGM
The club holds its AGM this Friday, February 1st in Rathkeale in the Community Games Hall (opposite the Garda Station). Members are requested to be present at 8.45 p.m. There will be a review of the year and election of officers. Then we look ahead to a busy year of athletics. If lost, please contact Liam Healy on 087 7725 941

Tá obair mhór romhainn, mar sin!

GSTrail Training
For some time now members have been meeting in Abbeyfeale on Sunday mornings to train on the resurfaced rail-line towards Templeglantine. This wonderful amenity has now been upgraded in Newcastle West and the section to Ardagh has a smooth and well-drained surface. Already there are walkers and joggers making use of the traffic-free bóithrín. The entrance is just beside the Recycling Centre on Station Road. Níl leithscéal ar bith agat anois.

Can someone email with further details so that I can post it? Thanks

Church Gate Collection
The club wishes to thank most sincerely the generous contributions made at the Newcastle Church Gate Collection just befrore Christmas. Thanks also to those who stood at the tables on befalf of the club. Nár laga Dia sibh.

Please click here for 2007 news