The Leinster Star Awards
for 2011 were presented at a Gala Function in the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow
on Saturday 7th January. The awards are based on results in Leinster Championships in 2011 and as previously reported, the
very worthy recipients for Westmeath were Paddy Kelly (Senior Award), Linda Conroy (Juvenile Girl), Padraig
Moran (Juvenile Boy) and Edel Glennon
who received the new Award of exceptional performance in race walking. All the award winners were well supported on the night
by Club officials and family and friends. Linda faced the unusual challenge of having to rush from Dublin Airport on the evening,
having just arrived home from International duty in Edinburgh, but made the awards ceremony in time and was delighted to be
present to receive her award in person. All four of the Club's award winners had an excellent year of competition in 2011
and fully justified these awards from Athletics Leinster, which should spur them on to even greater things in 2012.
In addition to the individual awards, various cups and shield were also presented, among them the Jimmy
Morrissey Memorial Cup for the best Juvenile cross country Club in
Leinster, which was presented to Mullingar Harriers for an amazing eleventh year
in a row. Westmeath also received the Rosemary
Foley Memorial Cup for the best juvenile cross country County in Leinster,
making this four years in a row. As only Mullingar Harriers athletes competed on Westmeath
teams in 2011, we can rightly regard this as a double award for the Club. Congratulations
to all our Juvenile cross country athletes on their tremendous performances in 2011, which sees Mullingar Harriers retain
these cups. Of note is that Mullingar was joint-second for the Euro Tab Cup for juvenile track and field (under 16 to
19), so perhaps this is one to target for 2012?
The Club continues to go from strength to strength and we expect 2012 to be another terrific
year of competition and it will be interesting to see if we retain these Cups and maybe win some more. Congratulations to
Paddy Kelly, Linda Conroy, Padraig Moran and Edel
Glennon on their Awards and to all our juvenile athletes on helping Mullingar to retain two
Cups at the Leinster Star Awards for 2011.
Of interest, among the recipients of an Outstanding Service Award was Sean Lynch,
a retired teacher and who most of us know through his long association with Kilkenny City Harriers. However, Sean actually
hails originally from Westmeath, from Castletown-Finnea in the north of the County to be precise. It’s going back a
good few years, but some might remember Sean as he grew up in Westmeath? Kilkenny is his home now and he was delighted to
be honoured by Athletics Leinster for his contribution to athletics in Kilkenny.
