This year's Irish Championships was combined with Day 2 of the Shamrock O-Ringen and also incorporated an IOF Ranking Event, making for a complex mix of orienteering in West Cork and Kerry on the last weekend in June.

The influx of foreign competitors which has characterised the Shamrock since its inception was even more marked this year despite the inclusion of the Irish Championships which, one might think, would attract the home crowd.

The quintessential Shamrock race, on Friday evening, was at Gugan Barra, the source of the River Lee, near Ballingeary in West Cork. A Swiss-style start (orienteers like a line of colourful ants snaking up a steep mountainside to start in the evening sunshine among the highest crags) led to a slalom course planned as usual by Bernard Creedon, zig-zagging downhill to the finish in the forest. An injury prevented me from running but there were the usual tales of "if only ...".

Crohane, near Glenflesk, was the scene of the action for the Irish Championships. The area, used for last year's World Cup, is the usual mix of curled contours and rock-studded open mountain. The start was pretty much the same as one of the World Cup races last year but having run on the area before was little help, at least to me. James Logue (NWOC) was a popular winner of the Men's Elite lass, taking his first Irish Championships open title, with Marcus Pinker second and Charlie Adams (SYO) third. In the women's race, Liz Campbell (WAROC) again won the course but the Irish title wend to second-placed Toni O'Donovan, with LOC's Charlotte Somers-Cocks third. Early rain and wind generated the worst conditions I have experienced at an Irish Championships in 24 years (maybe with the exception of snow in '93 at Carlingford) but later starters merely had to cope with mist and drizzle. At least the soup kitchen, raising money for the Juniors, did a roaring trade.

The event, planned by Justin May and controlled by a hobbling-on-a stick Trina Cleary, used SportIdent electronic punching and gave instant results at the finish. (This is perhaps just as well, since we're still waiting for the official results almost three months later. But I digress ...) Creedon's Hotel in Inchigeela again served as the event centre: no eyebrows raised here at muddied runners (shoes or people) in the lobby.

Back to Crohane Lake for Day 3 (not Inchigeela as indicated in the entry form) for another gallop on Marcus Pinker's excellent map, planned by Rick Austin and Justin May. Orienteering reaches the places other sports can't, bringing us to things like the spectacular views over Crohane Lake. In my case I had a good run today: maybe if I'd run on Friday evening I would have been more clued-in to the map for the Irish Champs? Ah, if only ...

1 Logue James 97:10

2 Pinker Marcus 100:50

3 Adams Charlie 101:24

4 Rothery Colm 102:37

6 Feehan John 105:32

7 Seddon Mark 108:43

8 Linton Steven 109:42

9 Edwards William 112:05

10 Emelius John 113:45

Womens Elite 7.210 km 340 m

1 Campbell Liz 75:37 WAROC

2 O'Donovan Toni 77:13

3 Somers-Cocks Charlotte 80:55

4 Austin Aislinn 84:56

5 Pattinson Sarah 87:50

6 Grob Brigitte 89:44

7 Koivu Tuuli 90:06

8 Spillar Michelle 95:39

9 Loughman Eileen 98:29

10 Higgins Nuala 99:12

M20 Heppenstall Chris

MLong Schlatter Stefan

M 35 Bromley Gardner Charles

6 Walshe John CorkO

M18 McCarthy Ewan INVOC

3 Burke Darren CorkO

M40 Liukkonen Juha Delta

3 O'Boyle Senan CNOC

MShort Turner Graham Australia

M45 Reidy Denis AJAX

M50 218 Gorvett Peter SYO

3 Henderson Colin LVO

W20 Feehan Anne BVOC

W Long Basire Susan SYO

2 Feehan Miriam BVOC

W 35 Pelly Dorothy SYO

2 Blair RuthNWOC

W40 Spalinger Lotti OLG Switzerland

5 Fyffe Marella FERMO

W45 Peter Malfa UTOE Switzerland

2 Finlay Teresa FERMO

M55 Shaw Brian SYO Yorkshire

2 Feehan Ted BVOC

M60 Heardman Jim ESOC

5 Martindale Frank 3ROC

W50 O'Neill Jean FIN

W55 Hughes AnnDevon

W60 Bolland Margo MAROC

5 White Faith SET

WShort Simpson Julia MDOC

2 McDonnell Roisin GEN

W18 Dennehy Caroline BOC

M16 Van Rossum Tom AIRE

2 Healy David GEN

W16 O'Boyle Niamh CNOC

W14 Stevenson Zara NWOC

M14 Gould Brendan Devon

2 Cotter Thomas BOC

M NoviceCryan Brendan 3ROC

WNoviceKairamo Kristiina Finland

W10 Jones Helena FIN

W12 Duley Eleanor GO

3 Foley-Fisher Erinna MNAV

M12 Quinn Niall SET

M10 Short Rory CNOC