In pictures: Finn Valley AC honour national medalists at juvenile awards

Click on the arrows to go through the images by Brian McElhinney

Finn Valley AC marked another successful season for the club’s juvenile athletes on Sunday evening.

A big crowd of athletes, coaches, parents and club members attended the juvenile awards night at the Finn Valley Centre.

The club has honoured its national championship medalists from 2023. They included Amy Greene, who the previous weekend won silver at the national U20 cross country in Kilkenny. Greene is now ready to compete on the Ireland U20 team at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels in December.

Odhran McBrearty, the national U16 cross country silver medallist and the club’s U14 team silver medalists - Andrea Reid, Darci Clarke, Aimee McElchar and Niamh McGlinchey (41st) - from Growran Park were also among those honoured.

Finn Valley AC Chairperson Dermot McGranaghan paid tribute to the hard work of the athletes and coaches.

“We have to keep working hard to keep Finn Valley AC competitive and among the medal winners at national level,” he said. “It has been a successful year as we can see from the number of national medal winners we have to honour in 2023.

“We are fortunate to have so many dedicated coaches working at all levels of the club. Without their input, it would not be possible for the club to have the impact on the community it has.

“If I, with the help of everyone in the club, does a tenth of what Patsy McGonagle has done for this club over the next few years we will have done well.”

Finn Valley AC founder member and former Irish athletics team manager Patsy McGonagle also addressed the large audience on the night.

Those athletes who received recognition for winning national medals this season were: Evie Gallagher, Caola McGlinchey, Body McMenamin, Peter Gallagher, Darci Clarke, Caoimhe McElhinney, Jasmine Barrett-Doherty, Abbie Lyons, Abi McGeehan, Riona Doherty, Amy Timoney, Niamh McGlinchey, Andrea Reid, Odhran McBrearty. Aoibhinn McElhinney, Aimee McElchar, Sally McMenamin, Nia Byrne, Adriana McGlinchey, Stephen Slevin, Oisin Thompson, Amy Greene, Ciaran McCarroll, Eimear McCarroll, Hannah Murray, Katie Gallagher, Molly Gallagher, Saorla Gilligan, Liam McCay.