The Laois Senior Cross Country Championships took place on Sunday, December 21, at a new venue in Spink, using the grounds of Paddy McDonald’s Farm and Mac’s Valley clay pigeon shooting range. Ballyroan/Abbeyleix & District AC hosted the event after winning last year’s senior ladies’ title, and provided a challenging, technical course featuring heavy ground, hills and tight turns. READ A FULL REPORT BELOW THE PICTURE.
The senior ladies’ race opened the day, with competitors facing two and a half demanding laps. Mary Mulhare produced a commanding performance, taking control early and maintaining the lead through to the finish. She was followed home by Kate McDonald in second and Breda McDonald in third, while Niamh McDonald placed fourth to help secure the team title for Ballyroan/Abbeyleix.
Lucy Deegan was the first St Abban’s athlete to finish, making the race part of her Christmas visit home. She was followed by Siobhán Burke and Claire Phelan, with Audrey Byrne completing the scoring team. Nikki Philips also ran well in support. When the team scores were calculated, Ballyroan/Abbeyleix claimed gold, St Abban’s took silver and St Michael’s AC completed the podium.
The senior men’s race covered close to 10km over almost five laps of the testing circuit. With athletes coming into the event from a mix of cross-country and road backgrounds, the field was competitive from the outset. Ballyfin’s Colin Maher set a strong pace early on and gradually asserted himself as the race progressed. He was closely followed by Jack McMahon and Eoghan Whelan of Ballyroan/Abbeyleix, along with Brian Kelly and David Mulhare.
Maher eventually broke clear of the field to claim the Laois Senior men’s title. Jack McMahon finished second, with Eoghan Whelan taking third place.
Stephen Hunter was the leading St Abban’s finisher, placing fourth after being involved in the battle for podium positions for much of the race. He was followed by Brian Kelly in fifth and Colin Coyne in sixth. David McEvoy finished ninth, with Billy Ramsbottom close behind in tenth, and Dermot Ayers completed the scoring team. St Abban’s secured the senior men’s team title, placing six athletes inside the top twelve.
Additional competitors on the day included Thomas Fitzgerald, Stephen Lawler, Chris Fraser, Liam Byrne and James Nolan, all of whom delivered solid performances on the demanding course.
A successful Laois Senior Cross Country Championships means that St Abban’s will host the event in 2026. The championships marked the conclusion of the 2025 cross-country season in Laois, with clubs now turning their attention toward the indoor season in 2026.
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