Results of the Emer Casey 10k road race – Sun 20th May 2012
The full results can be seen HERE

This was the sixth running of the Emer Casey 10k road race in Youghal and it was blue skies and sunshine yet again. A record 484 runners took part this year, an increase of 26% on the figure of 383 in 2011.

The mens race was won by Sergiu Ciobanu of Clonliffe Harriers who retained his 2011 title with a time of 30:06. Sergiu had raced just two days earlier when he won the 10k race in Sixmilebridge in Co.Clare. In second place was James McCarthy of East Cork AC in 32:18 while Danny Smith of Ballynonty AC was third in 33:34.

The womens race was won by Lizzie Lee of Leevale AC in a time of 35:39. Helen Leonard of Rathfarnham-WSAF AC was second in 37:55 while Geraldine O’Shea of St.Finbarr’s AC was third with 39:38.

The full results can be seen HERE

Info: http://irelandrunning.blogspot.com/2012/05/emer-casey-10k-road-racesun-20th-may.html

Video footage of the 2011 annual Emer Casey Foundation Memorial 10K run in Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland. Film: Michael Hussey | Edit: Bobby Whyte | Email: news@youghalonline.com | www.YoughalOnline.com

Below is a Movie Clip of the Emer Casey Memorial 10k 2010

The annual race/walk will take place at Pobalscoil Na Tríonóide, Youghal, on Sunday, May 20th 2012 at 1.30pm.

The course will take participants through the historic town of Youghal and finish at the Front Strand where buses will transport you back to the school. Refreshments and musical entertainment provided. Numerous spot prizes to the value of €600. Free t-shirt to all finishers!

Further details and entry forms will be available shortly at www.emercaseyfoundation.com. All proceeds will go to the Emer Casey Foundation which funds research into ovarian/uterine cancer. Join us and take part in this annual event while enjoying the breathtaking scenery of Ireland’s Riviera.

The Quality Hotel, Redbarn, Youghal, are offering special rates during the weekend of the run. They are as follows: B&B (€39 pps), holiday Homes (€109; sleeps up to 6 people) and apartments (€99; sleeps 4). To avail of these rates, please call 1850 40 9000.

Below is Video footage of the 2011 Emer Casey Foundation Memorial 10K run in Youghal

DIRECTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS.
1. Race H.Q. is at Pobalscoil na Trionoide, Frogmore, Youghal, Co.Cork
2. Pobalscoil na Trionoide is located off N25. Travelling from Cork take the 2nd exit for Youghal and follow signs
Travelling on N25 from Waterford to Cork take the first exit for Youghal on the left
3. Numbers may be collected on Saturday May 19th from 12-2p.m.or on Sunday May20th from 11a.m at Pobalscoil na Trionoide
4. On line registration will close on Tuesday, May 15th at 4pm
4 Parking is available at the school and on grounds adjacent to the school. Please do not park on the road outside the school as this is part of the race route
5. The start line is at the water tower to the left of the school and the finish line is at the front strand
6. Walkers should line up behind the runners. Please do not start before the runners for health and safety reasons
6. Courtesy buses for transport back to the school will be parked at Tides car park located 100metres approx. from the finish line. The bus will make several transfers.  You may therefore need to wait a short time for a returning bus
7. A free draw with numerous spot prizes will take place in the school after the race. Just write your name on the back of your race number and place it into the entry box which will be located in the gym hall in the school where registration took place
8. There will be 3 water stations and pre and post massage available at Pobalscoil na Trionoide
9. Please keep to the left at all times during the race and be guided by the race stewards who are there for your health and safety
10 Unfortunately no dogs are allowed for health and safety reasons
10. Refreshments and showers are available in the school after the race together with a free T-shirt for all finishers
All proceeds to Ovarian/Uterine/Endometrial Cancer Research

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information.

Enjoy the day!
The Emer Casey Foundation

Below is a Movie Clip of the Emer Casey Memorial 10k 2010 in Youghal

 

5th Emer Casey Memorial Melbourne Fun Run and Walk

The 5th Emer Casey Memorial Melbourne fun run and walk will take place on Sunday May 27th 2012 at 12pm. Registration starts at Clayton Campus Monash University Melbourne at 8.30am.

The Emer Casey Foundation is funding Professor Campbell and his team based at Peter MacAllum Centre Melbourne.

This centre is unique within Australia’s public health system in that it is the only hospital solely dedicated to cancer research.

All money raised by the Melbourne run goes to support two cancer genetics programmes which focus on research into familial breast and ovarian cancer.

The Emer Casey Melbourne runs have contributed €48,000 to these programmes.

Sonia O’Sullivan former world champion and Olympic silver medallist will again participate this year to show her support for this worthy cause.

It promises to be a great day with lots of prizes, music, spot prizes and celebrations.

For further information log on to run4ec.com.au  or www.emercaseyfoundation.com and follow the link for the Melbourne run.

Please pass this information to your friends and relatives in Melbourne.

THE COMMITTEE OF YOUGHAL CANCER SUPPORT GROUP would like to thank all those who took part in and help run the Golf Classic in Youghal on the Thursday 10th of May 2012. The tournament was organised by Frank Yellop and his family in memory of his sister in law Susan Yellop who passed away last year after a long battle with cancer.

Frank felt it would be a fitting tribute to her memory to raise funds to help others who find themselves in a similar situation. Susans husband, Adrian Yellop, said Susan would have been delighted and proud that her name was being used to raise funds to help open a cancer support centre here in town.

The whole family are delighted with the support they received throughout the organising of this event and thanked all the local businesses in Youghal and Ardmore who sponsored prizes.
Its as if Susan was giving her seal of approval when it was announced that First place in the event was none other the Adrian Yellop and Mark Tracey. Second place went to Mick Ryan and Kieran (Mousey) Power. Third place went to Frank Yellop and Richard(Biscuit) Callaghan.

Cllr. Tara O’Connell who was invited to accept the Cheque of 455.50 euro on behalf of the Youghal Cancer Support group,said it was an honour to be present at this event not only to accept the Cheque for such a worthy cause, but also because I knew Suzie well and she is a great loss, not only to her family but to all that knew her, she was such a bubbly and vibrant person, I can still hear her very distinctive laugh, she would have been so proud of her family on this night. I know that the family want to make this an annual event and I am positive it will only grow in strength and I will help in any way I can.

Click on image to see the prizewinners

A group of amateur cyclists from Youghal, Co. Cork have chosen to compete in one of the most respected and longest running endurance-based sporting events in the world to honor the memory of a young woman from their hometown who lost her life to cancer. Their participation will also help to raise funds for cancer research.

Team Youghal, who will participate in the Race Across America (RAAM), officially began their effort with a launch in the town’s Mall Arts Centre on May 28th.

RAAM is considered to be one of the world’s top cycling events and, unlike the Tour de France, it is one continuous stage, similar to a time trial. Racers must traverse 3,005 miles across 12 states and climb over 170,000 vertical feet. This is a non-stop race across the continental United States with competitors cycling about 350-500 miles a day, racing 24 hours a day from start to finish.

This is the 30th anniversary of the race and Team Youghal will make history by being the first ever Irish squad in the eight-person Team category. The team’s members range in age from 37 to 60 and in occupation from fire officer to retired school principal. They are taking part to raise money and awareness for the Emer Casey Foundation.

Emer, who was from Youghal, in Co. Cork, was diagnosed with ovarian/uterine cancer in February 2006 when she was only 27. She died on June 10, 2006, four days after her 28th birthday. Her family established the foundation in her honor. To date The Emer Casey Foundation has raised more than €500,000 for research into ovarian and uterine cancer.

Mayor of Youghal Mary Linehan-Foley launched the event before a packed house, which included the cyclists and crew of Team Youghal. The Mayor said, “I’m very proud to be invited to this launch and proud that a team from Youghal will be the first Irish participants in this world cup race.” She went on to say, “This is a great opportunity to put Ireland, and indeed Youghal on the world map which will benefit tourism numbers in these very tough economic times.”

Team Leader Ger Flanagan (46), who works as printer, expressed his gratitude to his fellow team members and to their sponsors: “I would like to thank every member of Team Youghal for their efforts to date and I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead.” He particularly thanked Firedog, the team’s main sponsor, which has donated €20,000 to their cause. Other sponsors include Magners Irish Cider, Youghal Town Council, and Emer’s parents, Juliette and Brendan Casey.

RAAM will begin on June 18, from the Pacific Coast in Oceanside, California. Team Youghal are hoping to finish on June 26, in Annapolis, Maryland. A fundraising event is planned for June 28 at the Consulate General of Ireland in New York City. There will also be 5k run held in Central Park on June 29.

You can follow Team Youghal’s progress by visiting www.teamyoughal.com or joining the team’s Facebook page. Updates of the team’s progress will be posted hourly throughout the race. If you would like to find out more about The Emer Casey Foundation or make a donation, please log on to www.emercaseyfoundation.com.

Info:- By Brian Donohue www.irishemigrant.com

As a new year rolls up its sleeves and thoughts turn towards the 2011 fundraising events, the Emer Casey Foundation continues to make magnificent strides in its tireless efforts to support research into ovarian/uterine cancer, particularly in regard to early detection. Since the last update in August 2010, the Casey family can reveal that the three PhD research students whom it has funded over the past three years have conspired to achieve yet further milestone discoveries.

The three students are Lynda McEvoy (Developing Novel Therapeutic approaches in Chemoresistant Ovarian Cancer Patients), Mairead Murphy (Developing and Validating Diagnostic Serum Based Biomarker Panels in Ovarian Cancer) and Brendan French ( The Isolation, Characterisation and Silencing of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells.) Through the foundation, they are affiliated to the Dublin-based DISCOVARY consortium, an organisation comprised of several experts across various areas of cancer research.

DISCOVARY comprises gynaecologists, oncologists, pathologists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians, cell biologists, surface chemists, pharmacologists and nurse specialists. It is led by Professor John O’Leary of the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Within this framework, the fellowships have focused on (a) protein signatures in early and recurrent ovarian cancer and (b) developing novel chemotherapy suitable for ovarian cancer patients.

The students’ work has been greatly augmented by the acquisition of  Ireland’s first SOLiD System Sequencing machine, purchased two years ago through the foundation’s assistance. The machine, a technological wonder, is of primary importance in the technology of genomic (gene study) analysis, including DNA research and its acquisition has placed the DISCOVARY consortium in the forefront of oncology research worldwide

Recent, important achievements

In the past year, research student Mairead Murphy “has identified a panel of over 600 proteins that can be identified in the blood of ovarian cancer patients,” says Juliette Casey of Kilcoran Road, wife of retired garda Brendan and mother of five girls of whom Emer was the youngest. Additionally, researcher Brendan French “has made a breakthrough on cancer stem cells and their capacity to generate non-stem cells,” she adds. While the technical appreciation of these achievements is complex and arguably difficult for lay people to comprehend and appreciate fully, the medical significance is, assuredly, highly potent and of global significance.

That the consortium links its research with world-leading professors in America’s George Mason University Centre for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine and with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of California, greatly increases the significance of its findings.

Australia success

Elsewhere, Melbourne’s Emer Casey Memorial 10k, which was held on May 23rd, some 12 hours after the Youghal equivalent, raised Aus$23,000. The family event was spearheaded by former Olympian runner Sonia O’Sullivan and, soon to be in its third year, is already firmly placed as a major event in Australia’s sporting and social calendar. The money raised is allotted to the city’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, which is Australia’s public hospital dedicated to cancer treatment, research and education.

Origins

The Emer Casey Foundation was established in honour of 28 year-old Emer Casey, who lost her life to uterine/ovarian cancer in 2006. Emer was known and loved as an exceptionally vibrant girl, who embraced life and left an indelible, appreciative mark on the lives of all who knew her. An extensive, adventurous traveller and an active, dedicated sports fan –particularly towards Cork hurling and Munster rugby- her energy and consideration also saw her participate in many road races of the kind which now carries her name.

Through the foundation established in her name, Emer’s family, friends and work colleagues have transformed tragedy into a campaign to save others from the deadly affliction. These dedicated volunteers fundraise through a variety of events, including three annual road walk/races in Youghal, Melbourne and London. Their cause is considerably assisted by the tireless contributions and efforts of former employers, Dublin-based solicitors Matheson Ormbsy Prentice. Their combined commitment has raised over €500,000 in four years

There are approximately 334 new cases of ovarian/uterine cancer diagnosed in Ireland every year, with an average fatality rate of two-thirds. It is the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignancy in the western world, yet Ireland still has no national risk assessment or genetic screening programme in place. It has been labelled ‘the silent killer’ as the vague symptoms often mean that by the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumour has spread beyond the ovaries. All those selflessly involved with the Emer Casey Foundation are inspired by the knowledge that a woman’s chances of surviving ovarian cancer increase from 15% to 80% with early diagnosis.

Future direction

The three-year funding agreement for two of the student fellowships has now expired, while €50,000 remains for Brendan French to continue for another year. The foundation retains the option of renewing funding for his research colleagues but is also considering making financial contribution in other areas instead. These basically aspire towards the areas of “psychological support, fertility treatments for patients with cancer and supportive care,” says Juliette. “We are also intent on raising awareness of the disease at home and abroad in the longterm,” she adds. As 2011 settles, the fight to defeat the ‘silent killer’ may diversify, but it shows no sign of diminishing.

Denis Desmond, who is originally from Youghal, now living in the U.K. had a dream.   As a member of the Epping Forest Band it was his boyhood dream to some day come back to his home town and put on a concert in St Mary’s Collegiate Church, where he had played happily with his friends as a child.   Denis himself is a cancer survivor, and his wish was that all proceeds of the concert would be donated to Cancer Research. Denise FitzGerald Reports Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

Denis decided it was time his dream a reality.  After all, the Epping Forest Brass Band have had great critical acclaim in Europe, and his hopes were that it would be an evening of music from many genres.   Thus, contact was made with the Killeagh Choir and Youghal Pipe Band, both of whom were delighted to accept the invitation to play in St Mary’s with the Epping Forest Brass band.

On Saturday last, August 29th,  all three groups of musicians and singers came together in the magnificent St Mary’s Collegiate Church where, to a packed attendance, they brought tears to many an eye with their moving and heart warming performances.

Denis Desmond had a dream, a dream that he made come true, and the fulfilment of that dream brought to the people of Youghal an enchanting evening, never to be forgotten.
Click on image to see the concert in St. Mary’s Collegiate Church Youghal