3ROC News 30th December 2016

Happy New Year to you all!

We had a big turnout (more than 200) at the Christmas Score Event on Three Rock on St Stephen’s Day, so thank you to all the helpers: Planner Eoin Dunne, Organiser John McCullough, on the day Monica Nowlan, Jean Mullen, Brian Lawless, Brian Hollinshead, Trina Cleary, Áine Uí Shúilleabháin, Emma McAuley, control placers and collectors Eoin McCullough, Brendan McGrath, Michael McAuliffe, Colm Moran, and anyone else I may have left out. Well done – as we said in the Facebook report, we had a few anxious moments when the forest barrier was only opened at 10 am: there was a big queue of orienteers’, mountain bikers’ and walkers’ cars outside when it finally opened. The results are up on the IOA web page and the Results page of the 3ROC site here. You will see that the results say that there were 25 controls on the Long and 14 on the Short course, but don’t worry if you think you missed one – the “extra” control was for the extra points you got if you ran in fancy dress. Our own Colm Moran took top spot on the Long course, with 3ROC father and son Justin and Oisín May sharing the spoils on the Short course and Clíona McCullough the highest placed lady on the Long course, in 10th place overall.

Orienteering takes a short rest now until the night series starts with our event in the Phoenix Park on Saturday 14th January. Start times 6 to 7 pm; two courses. Parking is at the Camogie car park across the main road from the Polo Grounds, on the left about 300 metres past the first roundabout as you come from Parkgate Street. Planner/Organiser is John McCullough so please contact 3rockoc@gmail.com if you can help.

We had a few at the annual Christmas Day run up Three Rock this year – conditions were very windy but there were lots of other people out walking, biking and running: a marked contrast to when we started doing it all of 40 years ago when there were only the orienteers up there! Anyone who went to the top of Fairy Castle was blown off the hill.

Leinster fixtures are gradually percolating through to the IOA Fixtures List, so keep an eye out for new events filling in the gaps here.

Reminder – if you are thinking of going to the Jan Kjellstrom O-Festival (“the JK”) in the south of England at Easter, the cheapest entry closes on 29th January – see details here.

See you soon!