European Prison Services Cross Country Championship - October 17th, 2024
On Saturday October 12th 2024 the European Prison Services Cross Country Championships took place in Jönköping, Sweden. This was the 25th anniversary of this event and the Swedish Prison Service team made sure they marked the occasion by hosting the biggest and most competitive races in the events history.
The Irish Prison Service Athletics team have been competing every year since the first cross country championships hosted in Portugal in 1999 and with great success, and this year was no exception. The course in Sweden was a testing, with hard ground, sand, mud and a selection of steep hills that tested every runner to their limits.

Ladies team with team Captains L to R… Claire Casey, Vanessa Geraghty, Sarah Fleming, Sinead Kelly, Olivia Staunton and Michael Dooley.
At 10:00 the ladies 5k race started covering 2 laps of this testing course. The Irish team were undaunted by the tough conditions and after lap 1 it was clear that a team podium finish was on the cards. Olivia Staunton was the first Irish lady home in 6th place, followed by Sinead Kelly in 8th, Vanessa Geraghty 12th and Sarah Fleming in 13th. A superb result which saw them taking 3rd place in then team event, ahead of a much favoured Norwegian team. Olivia Staunton also won her age category adding to her team prize.

Men’s Team L to R. Michael O’Brien, Shane McCarthy, Paul Cleary, Eugene Mohan, John Gilligan, Rory Morrissey, Alex Darby, and Bernard Quinn.
The men’s race was 10k covering 4 laps. First Irish runner home in 8th place overall was Michael O’Brien, followed by John Gilligan in 14th, Rory Morrissey 15th and Eugene Mohan in 18th to claim another podium place with a 3rd place team prize. Alex Darby was 23rd, Shane McCarthy 25th, Paul Cleary 30th and Bernard Quinn 45th. Along with the team Prize there was age category wins for Michael O’Brien and Bernard Quinn, Rory Morrissey came 2nd in his category.
The Irish team were honoured to be joined by retired member Bernard Quinn, who in 2002 took over organising the Prison Service teams for both European and domestic inter firms competitions. Bernard competed in his first European Cross Country Championships in Naples in 2000, and organised hosting the event in Ireland in 2002 and again in 2009.
Thank you Claire Casey and Michael Dooley who as in previous years organised this year’s trip, Ken Ronan and Colin Norton who drove the team to and from the Airport.
Many Thanks to the Irish Prison Service Sports and Leisure Association for their continued Support.

European Prison Services Cross Country Championship - October 17th, 2024

On Saturday October 12th 2024 the European Prison Services Cross Country Championships took place in Jönköping, Sweden. This was the 25th anniversary of this event and the Swedish Prison Service team made sure they marked the occasion by hosting the biggest and most competitive races in the events history.
The Irish Prison Service Athletics team have been competing every year since the first cross country championships hosted in Portugal in 1999 and with great success, and this year was no exception. The course in Sweden was a testing, with hard ground, sand, mud and a selection of steep hills that tested every runner to their limits.

Ladies team with team Captains L to R… Claire Casey, Vanessa Geraghty, Sarah Fleming, Sinead Kelly, Olivia Staunton and Michael Dooley.
At 10:00 the ladies 5k race started covering 2 laps of this testing course. The Irish team were undaunted by the tough conditions and after lap 1 it was clear that a team podium finish was on the cards. Olivia Staunton was the first Irish lady home in 6th place, followed by Sinead Kelly in 8th, Vanessa Geraghty 12th and Sarah Fleming in 13th. A superb result which saw them taking 3rd place in then team event, ahead of a much favoured Norwegian team. Olivia Staunton also won her age category adding to her team prize.

Men’s Team L to R. Michael O’Brien, Shane McCarthy, Paul Cleary, Eugene Mohan, John Gilligan, Rory Morrissey, Alex Darby, and Bernard Quinn.
The men’s race was 10k covering 4 laps. First Irish runner home in 8th place overall was Michael O’Brien, followed by John Gilligan in 14th, Rory Morrissey 15th and Eugene Mohan in 18th to claim another podium place with a 3rd place team prize. Alex Darby was 23rd, Shane McCarthy 25th, Paul Cleary 30th and Bernard Quinn 45th. Along with the team Prize there was age category wins for Michael O’Brien and Bernard Quinn, Rory Morrissey came 2nd in his category.
The Irish team were honoured to be joined by retired member Bernard Quinn, who in 2002 took over organising the Prison Service teams for both European and domestic inter firms competitions. Bernard competed in his first European Cross Country Championships in Naples in 2000, and organised hosting the event in Ireland in 2002 and again in 2009.
Thank you Claire Casey and Michael Dooley who as in previous years organised this year’s trip, Ken Ronan and Colin Norton who drove the team to and from the Airport.
Many Thanks to the Irish Prison Service Sports and Leisure Association for their continued Support.
European Prison Services Cross Country Championship - October 17th, 2024

On Saturday October 12th 2024 the European Prison Services Cross Country Championships took place in Jönköping, Sweden. This was the 25th anniversary of this event and the Swedish Prison Service team made sure they marked the occasion by hosting the biggest and most competitive races in the events history.
The Irish Prison Service Athletics team have been competing every year since the first cross country championships hosted in Portugal in 1999 and with great success, and this year was no exception. The course in Sweden was a testing, with hard ground, sand, mud and a selection of steep hills that tested every runner to their limits.

Ladies team with team Captains L to R… Claire Casey, Vanessa Geraghty, Sarah Fleming, Sinead Kelly, Olivia Staunton and Michael Dooley.
At 10:00 the ladies 5k race started covering 2 laps of this testing course. The Irish team were undaunted by the tough conditions and after lap 1 it was clear that a team podium finish was on the cards. Olivia Staunton was the first Irish lady home in 6th place, followed by Sinead Kelly in 8th, Vanessa Geraghty 12th and Sarah Fleming in 13th. A superb result which saw them taking 3rd place in then team event, ahead of a much favoured Norwegian team. Olivia Staunton also won her age category adding to her team prize.

Men’s Team L to R. Michael O’Brien, Shane McCarthy, Paul Cleary, Eugene Mohan, John Gilligan, Rory Morrissey, Alex Darby, and Bernard Quinn.
The men’s race was 10k covering 4 laps. First Irish runner home in 8th place overall was Michael O’Brien, followed by John Gilligan in 14th, Rory Morrissey 15th and Eugene Mohan in 18th to claim another podium place with a 3rd place team prize. Alex Darby was 23rd, Shane McCarthy 25th, Paul Cleary 30th and Bernard Quinn 45th. Along with the team Prize there was age category wins for Michael O’Brien and Bernard Quinn, Rory Morrissey came 2nd in his category.
The Irish team were honoured to be joined by retired member Bernard Quinn, who in 2002 took over organising the Prison Service teams for both European and domestic inter firms competitions. Bernard competed in his first European Cross Country Championships in Naples in 2000, and organised hosting the event in Ireland in 2002 and again in 2009.
Thank you Claire Casey and Michael Dooley who as in previous years organised this year’s trip, Ken Ronan and Colin Norton who drove the team to and from the Airport.
Many Thanks to the Irish Prison Service Sports and Leisure Association for their continued Support.