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Editorial.
A lot of our energies at committee level last year went to canvassing our local councillors and politicians with the view of moving on the process of a building a running track in Bray. It has to be said that quite a lot of verbal commitments have been given to us, nevertheless we are still no further on in the process than we were 10 years ago. For those of you who read the press you will see that we have engaged in a media campaign to try and highlight the situation we are in. The articles are from the papers are reproduced in this issue. In simple terms we at Bray Runners AC are in a position to commit €100,000 to an athletic facility in the town. I doubt if any amateur sporting club in the country would be in a similar position to donate that amount of their own hard earned cash.Bray and Wicklow are starved of facilities for our young athletes and we feel that it is about time that our town planners do something about it.
The facilities we are seeking are for your children in order than they get the same opportunity to develop their athletic skills as their counterparts in other areas of the country are able to do. We have a Government Minister now in our town and we feel that he and the other politicians of all parties should get together and pool their resources and provide proper sporting facilities in the town. We ask all parents /guardians to canvass local councillors and get this over due facility built.

Committee for 2005
Chairman. Dermot Brennan
Hon.Secretary. Martin Corcoran
Hon.Treasurer. Cyril Smyth
Child Officer. Mary Hannon
Senior Captain. Eamonn Tilley
Junior Captain. Aisling Growney
Committee Members.
Sean Clifford
Gaye Enright
Adrian Hayes
John McDonald
Mary Dawson

Extract From Evening Herald 15/12/2004
SEVEN YEAR WAIT FOR BRAY TRACK
One of the black holes of Irish sport when it comes to facilities is Bray in Co Wicklow. Although the population has exploded in the past decade, there are few areas where children can play safely, let along become involved with organised sport.
For Bray Runners, founded 21 years ago, the situation is particularly drastic, with their large juvenile membership of close to 300 forced to train on the roads.
"We supply them with high visibility gear, but there is the constant risk of an accident. No one in their right minds wants children running on the streets, but our only alternative is to shut down the club for the winter," says Dermot Brennan, chairman of the club.
As long ago as 1997, the club put together a plan for a floodlit synthetic running track in the town. "The plan was to build a running track at St Killian's Community College, with a pitch for Bray Hockey Club in the middle at a cost of £700,000," says architect Sean Clifford, also a member of the club.
Because of the very tight fit of the track, the local council agreed a land swap with the adjoining Healy Hosiery. The only problem then became funding, especially after Bray Hockey Club took the option of moving to the local Loreto grounds.
"We have a property which we sold so we have a six figure sum to contribute. We know that funding is available from a variety of public sources, but negotiations have been going on for years now and although we have the support of both Labour and Green TDs in the area, that has not been enough," says Sean Clifford.
Recently Clifford designed a much-needed Community Centre for the town near the proposed site for the track. "We started building it with only half of the necessary Eu1.6m funding confirmed. But once we got started, the rest fell into place. The facility is now packed out."
Thanks to inflation, the likely cost of the track is now close to Eu2m. "At the moment, Wicklow has one of the country's largest juvenile memberships but athletics in the county is still not far away from the days of changing in a ditch," says Dermot Brennan.

Runners frustrated in fight for track
Extract From Wicklow People Thu, Jan 06 05

Bray Runners Club is calling on as much local support as possible in their efforts to secure a running track in the area.
While the search has been ongoing for a number of years, the club members have found themselves increasingly frustrated over the lack of movement.
At times when a running track looked within their grasp, the rug has been pulled out from under their feet at the last minute.
In existence for over 20 years and consisting of more than 300 members, the club is anxious to increase the scale of their lobbying activity.
While the Presentation College have offered the club the use of their grounds in the Summer and as a base for meetings, the club still find themselves homeless.
Chairperson, Dermot Brennan, has been in talks with Bray Town Council and the Club are in a position to commit a six figure sum towards the construction of an athletics track.
However, they aren't in a position to make a site available.
'The juvenile section of the club has grown increasingly bigger over the years. The vast bulk of our members would be boys and girls from eight years to 18 years of age,' he says.
Due to the lack of facilities we have to bring them out on the roads fro training. So you could have between 50 and 60 kids taking to the roads. Its not so bad during the Summer but at Winter it does present a certain risk.
'All the children are decked out in luminous training gear and every possible precaution is taken but it is an accident waiting to happen. No matter how careful you are it just takes one driver to take their eye off the road,' confides a concerned Dermot.
For the past number of years the Club were hopeful that consultation with St. Killian's Community College would prove fruitful and things looked particularly optimistic when planning permission for a running track, synthetic playing pitch and floodlighting was obtained in 2001.
However, the projects main partners, Bray Hockey Club, opted out deciding to join up with the Loreto Convent instead when they were given lottery funding for a synthetic pitch.
This caused further delays and Dermot and the club are far from hopeful that the project will ever come to fruition.
The tight fit of the site has also raised difficulties, though Bray Town Council have secured extra funds which would allow added space. Discussions with the town council have also taken place with regard to the rezoning of part of the old Bray Golf Club and associated lands.
Raised money
'We have worked hard raising money to contribute to the track and have the full backing of every club in the County. Every club has to travel up to Belfield and Santry to use their facilities, which is both costly and timely.
'The facility could be used by each running club as well as schools and other sporting clubs. It would benefit the whole of the County not just Bray Runners Club,' says Dermot.
'South County Dublin clubs have also contacted us in support and would also look forward to using the track.'
The only outdoor track currently available in the county is the old, cinder track in Arklow.
This is despite the fact that Wicklow in general has one of the largest running club memberships in the whole country and have won a number of national titles.
Despite the lack of facilities, Bray Runners Club have a proud record when it comes to producing athletes for competition at County, Provincial, National and International level.
The provision of a track would not only allow Bray athletes train locally, it would also facilitate the hosting of provincial and national events.
'We have been pushing and pushing for this development but there seems to be a lack of vision out there. Athletics instils a sense of responsibility in youngsters. It isn't really a team sport so you can't hide and is a great form of discipline.
'Plus there is the social aspect of it. None of the clubs in Wicklow are elitist. It doesn't matter how good or experienced you are or aren't. You can still join the clubs,' says Dermot with conviction.
We have received plenty of support countywide and from local politicians and councillors.'The track would prove of use to the whole of Wicklow, not just people living in Bray.'

South Dublin 4 Mile CC 15 Jan 2005
This was the first BHAA race of 2005, Martin Francis a great supporter of this league had a super run finishing in27th place in a time of 24.58mins. Paul Rice running his first race since getting injured in the Wicklow senior cross country finished in 38th spot in a time of 25.43mins.

IMRA Winter League Hellfire 02 Jan.
Martin Francis continues his early season form with a fine run in this tough race. Martin finished 11th in a time of 27.23mins

IMRA Winter League Howth 16 Jan.
Martin Francis was certainly busy in the early weeks of 2005, finishing in 2nd place in this Howth hill run in a time of 19.45.
BHAA League 22nd Jan 2005
Competition between Martin Francis and Paul Rice is continuing, with Martin Francis keeping the pressure on with another fine run over this 5 mile course organised by Dublin Bus. Martin finished in a time of 31.04mins over a minute ahead of Paul who finished in 32.15mins

Extract from Evening Herald Jan. 2005
ANOTHER WIN FOR MICHELLE
Blackrock's Michelle Lambkin made it two from two when she outsprinted
Aideen Downes of Sportsworld to win the third round of the Women's Meet
& Train Winter League at Ringsend Park, Dublin. Coming home third was
Aisling Coppinger of Clonliffe, followed by the Sportsworld pair of
Mary Finn and Rachel Morgan.

BHAA League 12/02/05
Aer Lingus 5 Miles
Martin Francis finished 36th in the Aer Lingus 5 mile league race and helped his team "Construction" to claim the top honour.

Bank Of Ireland 12/02/2005
Paul Rice regaining some of last year's form with an impressive run the Bank of Ireland race. Paul finished 4th and his team was 2nd.

Club Juv / Jun Winter League 2004
Our Club Winter league drew to a close just before the Christmas break. Once again all the athletes who competed 3 of the four events were in with a shout of claiming the honours.
In the Juvenile event Ben Milligan took first spot having improved his time over each race,followed by Isobel Owens and Ben Curran.
Junior event was a very close battle with Richard Owens just pipping Oran Harrison at the post and Bevan King took 3rd place. Medallions were presented to the first three in each catogory.