Graham makes it fifth time lucky on Annaverna
More photos:
Wednesday August 04 2010
DOWN'S Graham Clarke was King of the Mountain for the first time after claiming the overall title in the M Donnelly All-Ireland Poc Fada competition in dry but windy conditions at the Annaverna Mountain in Cooley, Co. Louth yesterday. In the best weather conditions witnessed at the venue in many years, Clarke took honours ahead of Clare's Brendan McNamara, finishing the five kilometre course in 51 pocs. Just half a puck separated the pair entering the final straight, but the Down Senior goalkeeper drove some spectacular shots towards the end to see him with four pucks to spare at the finish.
Clarke, a regular competitor in this event; had double cause for celebration, on a day which saw Down footballers upset the odds against Kerry at Croke Park.
However, the 'Comortais Beirte' title failed to go the Down custodian's way, as Clarke and Tipperary's Eoin Kelly had to be content with second spot in the pairs event.
Last year's overall winner Gerry Fallon claimed a stake in the pairs title for the second year-in-a-row, as the Roscommon Senior hurling captain teamed up with Galway's James Skehill to claim the title with 113 pucks, with 21 to spare over second placed Clarke and Kelly (134).
Meanwhile, Waterford's Patricia Jackman won the Senior Camogie title in 28 pucks.
Jackman, in her fifth year in the competition again proved impressive; finishing inside the top two for the fifth time; as she claimed back-to-back honours.
Down's Fionnuala Carr, daughter of former Senior football manager Ross; claimed second spot with 29 pucks.
Galway's Owen Treacy was the Under 16 boys winner, after he claimed the title in 26 pucks; two ahead of Munster Champion, and Lismore, Waterford clubman Sean Barry.
Results
SENIOR 1st Graham Clarke (Down) 51pocs 27m; 2nd Brendan McNamara (Clare) 55pocs 76m; 3rd James Skehil (Galway) 55pocs 68m; 4th Eoin Reilly (Laois) 58pocs 68m; 5th Gerry Fallon (Roscommon) 58pocs 66m; 6th Neil Hackett (Meath) 58pocs 48m; 7th Seamus Coffey (Cork) 59pocs 8m; 8th Karol Keating (Down) 60pocs 13m; 9th Donal O'Brien (Mayo) 61pocs 2m; 10th Eoin Kelly (Tipperary) 62pocs 42m; 11th James McGarry (Kilkenny) 63pocs 9m; 12th Stephen Smith (Louth) 64pocs 0m. COMORTAIS BEIRTE 1st Gerry Fallon & James Skehil 113pocs 134m; 2nd Graham Clarke & Eoin Kelly 113pocs 69m; 3rd Brendan McNamara & Seamus Coffey 114pocs 84m; 4th Eoin Reilly& Karol Keating 118pocs 81m; 5th James McGarry & Neil Hackett 121pocs 57m; 6th Stephen Smith & Donal O'Brien 125pocs 2m. CAMOGIE 1st Patricia Jackman (Waterford) 28pocs 27m; 2nd Fionnuala Carr (Down) 29pocs 27m; 3rd Voureen Quigley (Louth) 30pocs 6m; 4th Bernie Murray (Armagh) 33pocs 45m; 5th Stephanie Gannon (Galway) 33pocs 43.5m; 6th Jacqui O Connor (Tipperary) 34pocs 5m; 7th Catriona
Cantwell (Louth) 38pocs 7m.
