Castledaly's Ally helps Ireland to success after hectic sporting week

Castledaly's Ally Duffy will certainly deserve rest in the coming days after a hectic sporting week that culminated in helping the Irish Schools cross country team claim silver at the SIAB Cross Country Championships in Wales last weekend.

Despite tired legs from playing for Moate Community School in the All-Ireland Schools Junior A football final the previous Thursday, in which she scored two points in an agonising defeat, Abby picked herself up to prove a vital scorer on the Irish team that won group silver medals in the intermediate girls race.

The underfoot conditions were challenging with some marshy conditions at points and an uneven surface in places. But Ally, in only her second international, dealt well with the challenges and can be rightly proud of her twelfth-place finish.

It wasn’t a surprise to any Irish supporters that Freya Renton would go out aggressively in the race. The fast pace she set quickly stretched out the field and after the first kilometre, a group of three had pulled clear. Ally was well placed in the chasing pack and Ireland at times looked to be in the lead in the team competition. It was only after 3,000m that Sonny Allen from England made a decisive move and surged into the lead. Freya fought on and well deserved the bronze individual medal she won.

Ally, a member of Tullamore Harriers Athletics Club and daughter of Gordon and Tanya Duffy, also plays Gaelic football with Cill Oige GAA Club.

The full list of competitors on the Irish intermediate girls team was: Freya Renton (third), Ava Colreavy (fourth), Madison Welby (eighth), Holly Renton (ninth), Ally Duffy (12th), Elizabeth Reamsbottom (13th), Lucie Cawley (17th) and Aoife Murphy (23rd).