Cairn Community Games: National medals in quiz and gymnastics
Hacketstown's U13 swim squad were Mason Murphy, Oisín Townsend, Jack Andrulenis and Lukas Andrulenis.
THE second round of Cairn Community Games National finals were held in the sumptuous surrounds of Kilkenny's Watershed on the 8th and 9th June. Saturday's events were U14 quiz and the boys' swimming finals, while Sunday was dedicated to girls' swimming finals and gymnastics.
U14 quiz is divided into two sessions, one morning and one afternoon, of eight rounds with ten questions per session. Counties can enter two teams apiece. After this mammoth brainteaser with over 40 teams in attendance, Graiguecullen's quiz team impeccably tutored by Sarah-Jane Carr finished in bronze-medal position.
In the swimming pool, the swim finals ran off on both days without a hitch, thanks to a posse of volunteers from Cairn Community Games, Swim Ireland and Kilkenny’s Watershed. Better spacing of races, as well as separation of the boys' and girls' competitions resolved the timing issues that hindered the 2023 competition. Carlow had no medal winners in swimming this year, but everyone enjoyed the competition.
Sunday was the turn of the gymnastics finals, where spectators were treated to impressive floor and beam routines. Three teams of judges faced a daunting task of selecting winners from amongst the country's top contenders displaying perfectly executed moves and shapes.
Carlow has a well-established tradition of gymnastics success and on Sunday medals were taken home to Carlow as follows:
Bronze for Tullow/Grange's Poppy Madden in U9 girls Bronze for St. Lazerians Seán Cullen in U9 boys 4th place for Burrin’s Millie O Brien in U9 girls 4th place for St. Lazerians Lill Hayden in U11 girls 4th place for Darragh Treacy from Slaney Valley in U13 boys.
Another successful weekend of events for everyone involved.
