Touraneena remembers a remarkable lady this Friday evening.

This Friday evening, the Annual Touraneena 5K Road race takes place in Touraneena. This is part of the Ger Wyley Summer Series of races held at different venues around Co Waterford.

At just 5k or just over 3 miles, the race in Touraneena is the shortest in the series. For a number of years when the Annual Race started (now in its 18^th year), the race was held on a Sunday evening. However, this was to move to the Bank Holiday Monday in June and has with the past few years now taken part on the Friday before the Bank Holiday Monday and continues to draw good attendances to the small village off the Main Dungarvan to Clonmel as well as the main Youghal to Clonmel roads.

When the race began it was a fundraiser for the Naomh Brid Juvenile G.A.A. Club but was then organized by the local Racquetball Club.

When the race began, one of the first people that could be called on to help out with whatever had to be done was local lady Ann Power.

Ann was a Waterford City woman. However after she married and came to live in the area, she became a fully fledged Touraneena Person. No matter what group or club needed a hand with something they were organizing, one person they could always depend upon was Ann.

In later life she did not enjoy the best of times – health wise. For a long number of years she battled with Cancer. But despite all her suffering, she lived life to the full.

After Ann died, a lot of thought went into how best to remember an extraordinary woman. It was eventually decided to put a plaque up in her name and each year before the Touraneena 5k as many people as wanted were asked to walk a designated course before the road race began.

The walk quickly came established and numbers taking part each year have grown. In the last few years, in the region of one hundred people have taken part. With the weather expected to be good on Friday evening, it is hoped that this year the walk might attract a record number of competitors.

Each participant is asked to pay €5. They are asked to estimate the time it will take them to walk the course. The winner of the shield each year is not necessary the person that finishes first. It’s possible that the last person to come home could be the winner.

The winner is the person that comes closest to the time they predicted without completing the course in a faster time. Those that finish the course in a faster time than they predicted are eliminated.

Ideally, people should do the run without wearing a watch, but this is not enforced. Of course, some of the younger people taking part, once they get outside the village break into a run or a jog, but again nothing is said to them as the competition is a fun one, but those that usually run or jog come in ahead of the time that they predict and are eliminated, meaning their efforts to ensure that they come home in a quick as possible time are all in vein.

This years Ann Power Memorial Walk on Friday evening has a 7-30pm start outside the Community Centre.

The Touraneena 5K Road Race gets under way at 8pm with registration taking place in the community centre from 7-15pm.

This year’s follow’s its usual course. Beginning at the Car Park at the back of the Church, the race turns right on entering the village and continues for just over half a mile before turning right.

On entering the Main Dungarvan to Clonmel Road the race turns right and after a further 2k, it turns right once more and then another right before coming into the village.

The race is often very close inside the last Km with little separating the leaders, but having run down hill hitting a very short flat area before beginning a short steep climb, its often in this section the ‘Men from the Boys, and even the Women from the Girls’ are sorted.

A full array of the usual Senior and Masters prizes will be on offer for both men and women on the night.

The first three senior ladies and men will be awarded cash prizes.1st Male finishers in Junior-40-45-50-60 and Ladies in Junior-35-40-45-50.

The presentation of prizes will take place after the race at the community centre. The current course records are held by David McCarthy of West Waterford AC (14.26) and Vanessa Molloy (17.41).

The Touraneena 5k Run is open to all that are open to all that are over the age of 16, while for the Ann Power Memorial Walk, there are no age restrictions. Both events are open to both the able bodied and the disabled, and even in the past have attracted participants that have taken part in international events, most notably International race walker Kate Veale and International runner – local man David McCarthy.

 

A Déise Legend calls it a day at International Level.

You are fortunate enough to win a place on the TV quiz show ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire?”.

You have worked your way successfully to the final question. One Million Pounds lies on the answer you give, but you have no lives left.

The Programme’s host Chris Tarrant looks you in the eye before you asking you the question that could pocket you one million pounds and wishes you well. The question pops up in Chris Tarrant’s screen. He remembers the little chat you had with him before the first question was asked. Remind me he says, where did you say you come from? Waterford you remind the hosts and he asks ‘Does anyone remember Judith Keppel appearing in this show?’

Keppel appeared on the show in November 2000. She was a grand-daughter of the ninth earl of Albermarle. Her Great-Grandfather was a brother in law of Alice Keppel, the mistress of King Edward VII, a great grand-Uncle of the Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Prince Charles. Her family connections can be traced back to Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II.

At the time there was speculation that the programme in which she appeared was fixed. ITV put it against the popular BBC Programme ‘One Foot in the Grave’ which was airing for the last time.

She had worked her way through the questions and reached the one million pound question. Up pops the question on Chris Tarrant’s screen. ‘Which King was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine? A). Henry I.  B). Henry II.  C). Richard I. D). Henry V.

Imagine her surprise at getting asked a question about one of her own relations from the past. There in lies the end of the history lesson, and back to the show in which you are taking part in.

‘What Waterford person has won the most caps for the Republic of Ireland?’ Your eyes light up straight away. Chris Tarrant asks you before giving the four choices of answers if you know the answer, and you reply you do. Who is it Tarrant asks. John O’Shea you replay. Let’s see if he is there Tarrant says, and begins to read out the four choices. A). John O’Shea. B). Jim Beglin. C) Stephen Hunt. D) Ciara Grant. Get the question right, you become a millionaire, get it wrong you drop back to 32,000 or 50,000 depends if you are playing the fifteen or twelve question version of the game.

Tarrant asks if you are going to answer the question or stick with half a million pounds. I’m going to answer you say. What’s your answer Tarrant replies. Feeling cocky you tell him A – John O’Shea. Your asked if its your final answer and without hesitation you clearly say yes.

A phrase used by Captain Alberto Bertorelli in the BBC comedy Allo, Allo immediately comes to mind. "What a mistake-a to make-a!"

The former Manchester United and current Sunderland player may have won 87 caps and is closing in on the amount of caps won by those above him namely Tony Cascarino (88 Caps), Niall Quinn (91), Damien Duff (100), Stephen Staunton (102), Kevin Kilbane (110), Robbie Keane (123) and Robbie Keane (125), but he is not Waterford’s most capped player.

When Ciara Grant announced that she was to retire from international soccer recently, many may have been somewhat surprised to learn that the former Benfica, St Patrick’s Athletic and current Arsenal player has 105 caps for the national’s senior side.

Since joining Arsenal in 1998, the soon to be thirty five year old has achieved success that most can only dream about.

Since joining the Gunner’s or should that be Gunnerette’s she has help the side to win the UEFA Women’s Cup Winners Cup in 2007, two Super League titles, nine Premier League titles, two FA Women’s Super League Continental Cups, eight FA Cups, six Premier League Cups and five Charity Shield’s.

She announced her retirement from International Soccer in February 2013. In addition to winning a record breaking (for the women’s game) 105 caps she hit the net eleven times in her glorious seventeen year career in a green shirt.

She made her debut as teenager in a 3-1 win over the Faroe Islands. Her last appearance in an Ireland jersey was the 2-0 victory away to Israel in a Euro 2013 qualifier last September. Since 2000 she has captained the senior ladies team. Her 100 cap came against Scotland in April 2012, a game played at Tynecastle, the home of Heart of Midlothian, a game which was shown live on TV.

Despite calling a day to her International Career, the Waterford lady plans to continue playing for Arsenal for whom she works on a full time basis for some time to come.

She was part of the Arsenal’s Ladies team that bowed out of the Champions League recently, going under 2-1 away to German side Wolfsburg having lost the lost the first leg of the round 2-0 at Arsenal’s home ground Meadow Park (the home ground of Boreham Wood F.C) a game that Ciara Grant missed because of suspension. The defeat was the third consecutive year that Arsenal exited the competition at the penultimate round of games stage. Coincidently, it was Ciara Grant that got Arsenal’s goal in that game.  

No doubt plenty of more titles will come the way of the Waterford lady before she retires full from the game. However, the greatest pity is that she has not been recognized more within her own native county for what she has achieved, but for a woman to gain the true recognition that they deserve in most areas of Ireland, they really have to stand out.

Calling those involved in ladies sports

This is something I have been thinking about with a while, and have decided to give it a go.

It has been pointed out to me that the amount of coverage that women’s sports gets compared to men’s is a little disappointing and I have to tend to agree with those who make such statements.

However, there is only a certain amount a local radio station can get into a two or three minute sports segment after its hourly news bulletin or for a news paper editor can get into his or her paper. The cost of printing does not come cheap and editors have been forced to make cuts to the amount of pages they put in their paper each week in order to keep the paper priced within the limits of their readers. When they don’t include items its wrong to blame the editing that must be done, and more over they can’t be blamed when they are not told about an event.

However, in recent years, clubs and groups have been afforded different ways of getting their message out to their supporters and perspective supporters.

More and more clubs have set up Twitter and Facebook pages, but to be honest more clubs could get engaged in such ways of promoting what is happening in their club and in their sport.

Another way of getting news of what is happening is by websites, but to some these can be expensive. There is ways of getting around this by selling advertising on the webpages but in the economic climate that we live in many that those that advertised in the past can no longer afford to do so.

After some thinking about it I have decided to give those involved in women’s sport the chance to get their message out, and it is free.

It does not matter to me if it is a team sport or an individual sport, to me sport is sport. I am currently receiving regular information from the Waterford Camogie and Ladies Football County Boards which I use for another site I run http://deiseabu.blogspot.ie/ and from time to time use what they provide me with and also use some of what they provide me with on my twitter account  https://twitter.com/ThomasKeane1973

However for this site in addition to Camogie and Ladies Football, I would love to hear from more people and from more sports. Basketball, Hockey, Rugby, Boxing, Swimming, Soccer, you name it, if it’s a sport that women are involved in, I am going to try and give it some coverage.

I will be able to pick some bits and pieces up fro people I know involved in different sports, but I won’t be able to pick up on everything. I will get a certain amount from the radio, I will get a certain amount from the local papers, but if this site is to work, I need your help. Can I also ask you to give me as much information as possible?  

A lot of people have my mobile number; you can let me know what is happening that way. I won’t give it out here. My email address is on this page, you can email me your info. If emailing me info for the site, why not even include a photo or two to let us see the team or individual that we are talking about.

It’s my intention to update the site a few times a week. If you are making going to forward something to me for it, please try and give me a few days notice in case I don’t get around to putting up something that might be happening later in the day that you contact me.

Here’s hoping to be hearing from you all in the near future.