Results and Reports for September 8 - 9, 2001

Ireland

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Collins/ Christle Classic

Kilmessan, Co. Meath, September 8, 2001

By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent/Evening Herald/Sunday Independent

One of the final cycling events on the Irish domestic calendar was sharing equal billing in the newspapers yesterday with the Guinness All Ireland Hurling Final listed for Croke Park, Dublin. Needless to say who came out on top but the cycling fraternity were equally at home with the modest number of spectators who turned up to watch the action in the village off Kilmessan, Co. Meath.

Croke Park had 70.000 in the ground and thousands of people across the globe watching or listening to the action between the two main protagonists Tipperary and Galway. It was a game to savour with the final outcome in doubt right up to end of the 70-minute encounter. In the end it was Tipperary who triumphed and it would not surprise me if the man himself Sean Kelly was present.

Back to the action of the cycling, yet again it was Paul Healion of the Usher Irish Road Club who turned up trumps to win his sixth open race of the season. For a time he made heavy work of his task but towards the end of the 100 kilometres Collins/ Christle Classic he literally upped the pace and went away to register a solo victory.

In the runner-up position was Timmy Barry from the Douglas in Cork.

It has to be said at the outset of the season Barry was virtually an unknown quantity but with some decent results to his credit this season he'll be the one to pencil into the notebook for next season. He was a fairly useful underage competitor but drifted out of the sport for six years before making his senior debut this season. His overall win in the Tour of Ulster Three day set him aside for selection on a number of Irish teams and he also represented his province Munster on numerous occasions during the season. Fortunately he is well respected in his job for the Murphy Brewery outlet in Cork city that were the original sponsors of the Irish Road race Championship.

Last weekend, Paul was the supreme champion at the National Track Championships, and evidently he is equally at home on a track or road machine. Unfortunately the domestic season is drawing to a close, which was curtailed for a month back in March because of the Foot and Mouth Disease. It would be ideal if some of the races lost could be re-scheduled to facilitate the large number of competitors who are anxious for competition on the evidence of yesterday's turnout.

Results - 100km

Men
 
1 Paul Healion (Usher IRC)                              2:38.12
2 Tim Barry (Douglas)                                      0.05
3 Greg Swinard (Usher IRC)                                 0.22
4 Philip Cassidy (Cycleways)                               0.24
5 Thomas Hogan (VC Plancoet)                               0.39
6 Denis Lynch (Kanturk Credit Union)
7 Denis Easton (Maryland CC)
8 Colm Bracken (Usher IRC) 

1st B Sean Lacy Tralee CC

Junior Stephen Enright (Usher IRC)

Veteran Norman Campbell 

Women's Louise Moriarty (Dublin Skip)

Leinster Underage Championships

U12 Chris Jensen (IMBRC)

U14 Thomas Jensen (Sorrento0

U16 Keith Daly (Drogheda Whl)

Previous results from Ireland