Irish travel with high hopes

ATHLETICS: Eighteen years after her first selection Anne Keenan-Buckley will lead the Irish challenge at the World Cross Country Championships which take place in Lausanne in just under a fortnight's time.

Athletics Ireland decided earlier this year to only enter teams in the 4km short course race, in which a year ago in Leopardstown the senior women won bronze medals.

Keenan-Buckley finished 10th in that race and will travel to Switzerland with similar ambitions. The short course race takes place on the second day, March 30th.

Keenan-Buckley's selection was originally secured when winning the national senior title in Rathdrum this month, and she then reinforced her dominance by winning the short course trials in Dunleer on Sunday.

At the age of 41 her career continues to inspire Irish athletics, and she seems only now to be peaking - long after her 93rd place finish in the 1985 championships in Lisbon.

Only Dublin's Deidre Nagle, who ran in 13 world cross country championships up to late 1980s, has earned more Irish selections in the event.

Maria McCambridge of Dundrum, who took second in Rathdrum and just failed to make the final of the 3,000 metres at last weekend's World Indoor Championships, is also in form for a high finish in Lausanne.

Also named in the squad, as expected, is Valerie Vaughan, who was the second Irish finisher in Dunleer and thus secured a place. Niamh Beirne and Una English, who were next home in Dunleer, were also named, while US-based Breeda Denehy-Willis completes the team.

On the men's side, both Robert Connolly of Dublin and Dermot Donnolly of Belfast were selected on the back of their one-two finish in Dunleer. Martin McCarthy, the national champion, also earned his place in Rathdrum. Fellow Cork athlete Cathal Lombard, second to McCarthy, has decided not to travel.

Already out through illness and injury were Seamus Power and Peter Mathews - the two most consistent Irishmen of recent years - so the remaining three places go to Gary Murray of Belfast, and Dubliners Nigel Brunton and Noel Berkeley.

Murray and Brunton took seventh and eighth respectively in Dunleer, while the 38-year-old Berkeley was named on the back of his third place finish in the national championships.

Part of the thinking behind entering the Irish men's team into the short course was that US-based Alistair Cragg and Mark Carroll might be available - both of whom are well suited to the 4km race. Cragg, however, has committed to his university at Arkansas until May, while Carroll had originally intended on running next month's Boston Marathon.

However a hip muscle injury has forced him to cancel those plans for Boston.

That combination of factors will make it difficult for the Irish team to make an impression in Lausanne. Sligo's Tristan Druet and Clare's Dermot Galvin were named as the two reserves.

Irish Team, World Cross Country: Men - Senior: R Connolly (Dundrum South Dublin), D Donnolly (Annadale Striders), M McCarthy (Leevale), G Murray (St Malachy's), N Brunton (Clonliffe Harriers), N Berkeley (Dundrum South Dublin). Junior: M Christie (Mullingar Harriers). Women - Senior: A Keenan-Buckley (North Laois), M McCambridge (Dundrum South Dublin), V Vaughan (Blarney Inniscarra), N Beirne (Lucan Harriers), U English (Dublin City Harriers), B Dennehy Willis (Bandon); Junior: F Britton (Slí Chuláinn); Manager - J Kiernan; Coaches - T McDaid, J Davis.