User:joanneoflynnDate:01/07/2011Time:14:48:35Edition:30/12/2006ScratchEditionSpareSportPagesPage:50Color:

EVENING ECHO, Saturday, December 30, 200650 SPORTEE - V0

EVENING ECHO, Saturday, December 30, 2006 SPORT 51EE - V0

Blazing saddles

Cork’s Katie Conway riding Nico has the ball for her side.

Aimee Keogh from Carrickmines prepares to raquet Cork’s Mike Murphy.

JUNIORS: Chloe Loane looks for a pass from her team mate as Ellen Fitzgerald triesto intercept.

B grade player Padraig Edwards from Douglas riding Archers.

PLAYERS at the Tipperary PolocrosseTourament might have started off wet andmiserable but the weather soon improvedand temperatures soared to 25 degrees onthe second day of the event.

Teams from all over Ireland participated in the popu-lar Clonmel competition, with the two polocrossepitches holding up extremely well after some torrentialdownpours the day before it all kicked off.In the new grade E, which is entry level, the Cork

team — consisting of Cliff O’Mahony, Tanya Loane andCaoibhleann O’Leary — claimed top honours, withWicklow Bay in second place.Emma O’Hagan from Wicklow Bay was named best

player in her grade and her horse also won best horse.In Juniors, the Carrickmines team — Daniel Keogh,

Abbey Hamill and Ella Quinlan — came first, withCork in second — Emma Good, Karla Butler and KatieConway. Chloe Loane from Cork was on the winningCarrickmines team. Ellen Fitzgerald from Cork playedfor the Wicklow Bay team. Karla’s horse Kramer wasnamed Best Horse, and Daniel Keogh was named BestPlayer.In D grade, two Tipperary teams claimed first and

second place, with Wicklow Bay in third. Ed Flahertyfrom Tipperary was named Best Player and EoinParker’s horse won Best Horse.In C grade, the Wicklow Bay C team continue their

winning streak with another win in Clonmel, withBirr/Tipp in second place, and Carrickmines in third.Cork player Tom Bolger played with the Birr/Tippteam. Steven Nuzum from Wicklow Bay was namedBest Player and Emma Errity’s horse Cosmo wasnamed Best Horse.In B grade, the Tipperary team had every reason to

smile with another first place to their name, with twoCarrickmines teams in second and third place. BestPlayer went to Tipp’s Sharon Kennedy and JacquiKeogh’s horse Corona was deservedly named BestHorse.In A grade, players from the Carrickmines, Hore-

town and Tipperary clubs were mixed, with TeamJoanne — Joanne Lavery, Aidan McDonagh and PaulO’Leary — winning first place. Karl Hearn won BestPlayer. BJ Byrne’s horse Penelope was named BestHorse.

Cork Polocrosse Club chairman Tom Bolger said: “Itwas a very successful weekend for the Cork PolocrosseClub at the Tipperary Polocrosse Tournament. We hadplayers finishing in first and second place in differentgrades. The results are testament to the players’ dedic-ation to training and passion for polocrosse, I’m veryproud of them all. Chloe Loane played with a Carrick-mines team and her team finished first in their grade.Emma Good, Karla Butler and Katie Conway finishedsecond. They are a great team and that’s a fantasticachievement. I’ll be expecting all players to build onthis success and I’m sure we’ll do even better at thenext tournament this weekend at Barryscourt Castlein Carrigtwohill. Some of the players’ young horses areshowing good promise and with school exams over andlong summer days to practice, I’m sure we improve onthese results.”

Players from two Tipperary teams battle it out for the ball in D grade.

Cork E grade players Cliff O’Mahony and Tanya Loane in the line-out ready for the ball.

Karla Butler from St Lukes riding Kramer.

Cork’s Mike Murphy gets a raquet in the face fromCarrickmine’s Donal Courtney as he goes for theball in a B grade game. Also pictured is, from left,Richie Crockett, Jacqui Keogh and Tom O’Malley.

Cork players EmmaGood and ChloeLoane on differentteams at theTipperary PolocrosseTournament battlehard to get the ball.

By JOANNE O’FLYNN

The 2011 Carrigtwohill's Medieval Festivaland Country Fair in Barryscourt Castle,Carrigtwohill this weekend will bring thetraditions of the Irish countryside to life. Setin the magical surroundings of BarryscourtCastle, the excitement of days past will bepresented in the Medieval Village. Livinghistory exhibitions and displays will includethe re-enactment of Second World War battles.For the first time, spectators will get to seepolocrosse played at the event. It’s a fast pacedgame and Cork Polocrosse Club chairman TomBolger is confident it will be a hit at thefestival: “Once people see polocrosse beingplayed they are hooked. It’s such a fast gameand in Ireland it’s called hurling on horseback. The horses are the true athletes, forsomeone who hasn’t witnessed polocrossebefore it’s amazing to see the way the horsescan twist and turn, go from full gallop to asliding stop. It’s one of the most excitingspectator sports in my opinion.”

CARRIGFEST