Clare Senior Cross Country Title 1973
"Last Sunday at Miltown, Tulla in one of the finest Clare senior championship races in living memory Marian AC (BLE) scored a dramatic victory over their old-time rivals, Tulla AC by the narrow margin, of 49 points to 53 and in doing so broke Tulla's 12-year monopoly in this grade and ended their own 20-year quest for the premier title.
Tulla as usual put everything they had into this race and indeed it would be no exaggeration to say that one of the fifty-odd athletes on the field ran as if his life depended on the result. Corbett took the individual title. At no stage of the race was there more than 6 points between Marian and Tulla, while the combined forces of Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Kilnaboy returned a final score well within striking distance of victory.
At the end of the first mile, Joe Lynch (Tulla); Mickey Foundation and P.J. Corbett, Marian shared the lead about 20 yards clear of the rest of the main field. At three miles Corbett had opened up a lead of 25 yards on Foundation with Ml Minogue (Tulla) moving up to third place and Tadgh Twomey (Marian) and Bro. Cusack coming up to 4th and 5th, and Joe Lynch 6th. At this stage of the race the score was Marian 55, Tulla 59, and Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy 67. At 5 miles Corbett was 100 yards clear of Foundation who was 150 yards clear of Minogue, while Lynch had come up again to 4th position ahead of Twomey and Cusack with Dan Mungovan, Kilmurry-Ib. moving well in 7th. At this stage a bare two points separated Marian and Tulla (53 to 55) with Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy 68.
Excitement mounted as the runners entered the final circuit and now all depended on the fifth and sixth scoring men on each of the three teams. In this last time round Tulla gained 4 points as their sixth scoring man Tom Kennedy came up from 17th to 14th. Not to be outdone, Marian likewise gained 4 points as their fifth scoring man John McNamara moved up from 18th to 17th and their sixth, Matt O'Connor, from 20th to 18th, while Martin McCarthy, Kilmurry-Ib., and his clubmate, Liam Hogan, dropped from 14th to 15th and from 15th to 16th.
In winning the individual championship, P.J. Corbett set up a new record of 35 min. 30 sec. for the 7½ miles, 5 seconds better than the existing record set by Jack Kennedy, last year's winner." (extract from a newspaper article of the time)
Clare Senior 7½ mile - 1. P.J. Corbett, Marian 35.30; 2. Ml Foundation, Marian, 35.44; 3. Ml Minogue, Tulla, 36.00; 4. Joe Lynch, Tulla; 5. Tadgh Twomey, Marian; 6. Bro. Cusack, Marian; 7. Dan Mungovan, Kilmurry-Ib; 8. Colm Vaughan, Tulla; 9. Ml O'Brien, Kilmurry-Ib; 10. Pat Hehir, Kilmurry-Ib; 11. Pat Firth, Tulla; 12. Cyril Donlon, Kilmurry-Ib.
Teams -
1. Marian (1. P.J. Corbett; 2. Ml Foundation; 5. Tadgh Twomey; 6. Bro. Cusack; 17. John McNamara; 18. Matt O'Connor) 49 points.
2. Tulla (3. Ml Minogue; 4. Joe Lynch; 8. Colm Vaughan; 11. Pat Firth; 13. John Danagher; 14. Tom Kennedy) 53 points.
3. Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy (7. Dan Mungovan; 9. Ml O'Brien; 10. Pat Hehir; 12. Cyril Donlon; 15 Martin McCarthy; 16. Liam Hogan) 69 points.
Tulla as usual put everything they had into this race and indeed it would be no exaggeration to say that one of the fifty-odd athletes on the field ran as if his life depended on the result. Corbett took the individual title. At no stage of the race was there more than 6 points between Marian and Tulla, while the combined forces of Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Kilnaboy returned a final score well within striking distance of victory.
At the end of the first mile, Joe Lynch (Tulla); Mickey Foundation and P.J. Corbett, Marian shared the lead about 20 yards clear of the rest of the main field. At three miles Corbett had opened up a lead of 25 yards on Foundation with Ml Minogue (Tulla) moving up to third place and Tadgh Twomey (Marian) and Bro. Cusack coming up to 4th and 5th, and Joe Lynch 6th. At this stage of the race the score was Marian 55, Tulla 59, and Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy 67. At 5 miles Corbett was 100 yards clear of Foundation who was 150 yards clear of Minogue, while Lynch had come up again to 4th position ahead of Twomey and Cusack with Dan Mungovan, Kilmurry-Ib. moving well in 7th. At this stage a bare two points separated Marian and Tulla (53 to 55) with Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy 68.
Excitement mounted as the runners entered the final circuit and now all depended on the fifth and sixth scoring men on each of the three teams. In this last time round Tulla gained 4 points as their sixth scoring man Tom Kennedy came up from 17th to 14th. Not to be outdone, Marian likewise gained 4 points as their fifth scoring man John McNamara moved up from 18th to 17th and their sixth, Matt O'Connor, from 20th to 18th, while Martin McCarthy, Kilmurry-Ib., and his clubmate, Liam Hogan, dropped from 14th to 15th and from 15th to 16th.
In winning the individual championship, P.J. Corbett set up a new record of 35 min. 30 sec. for the 7½ miles, 5 seconds better than the existing record set by Jack Kennedy, last year's winner." (extract from a newspaper article of the time)
Clare Senior 7½ mile - 1. P.J. Corbett, Marian 35.30; 2. Ml Foundation, Marian, 35.44; 3. Ml Minogue, Tulla, 36.00; 4. Joe Lynch, Tulla; 5. Tadgh Twomey, Marian; 6. Bro. Cusack, Marian; 7. Dan Mungovan, Kilmurry-Ib; 8. Colm Vaughan, Tulla; 9. Ml O'Brien, Kilmurry-Ib; 10. Pat Hehir, Kilmurry-Ib; 11. Pat Firth, Tulla; 12. Cyril Donlon, Kilmurry-Ib.
Teams -
1. Marian (1. P.J. Corbett; 2. Ml Foundation; 5. Tadgh Twomey; 6. Bro. Cusack; 17. John McNamara; 18. Matt O'Connor) 49 points.
2. Tulla (3. Ml Minogue; 4. Joe Lynch; 8. Colm Vaughan; 11. Pat Firth; 13. John Danagher; 14. Tom Kennedy) 53 points.
3. Kilmurry-Ib./Kilnaboy (7. Dan Mungovan; 9. Ml O'Brien; 10. Pat Hehir; 12. Cyril Donlon; 15 Martin McCarthy; 16. Liam Hogan) 69 points.
