There was plenty of Orwell action across the plains of Meath and the hills of Carlow at the weekend, with Valdis Andersons winning a bunch sprint for 2nd, Tom Blennerhassett in the mix again, and a great showing for the women with Aideen Keenan, Monica Marconi and Claire McEntee all taking home prizes. Read on!

On the same day that Marcel Kittel sprinted to victory in Belfast, our own Bernard English did the same a little further south. Mark Mulcahy and Eamon Finn also placed at Dunsany, while earlier in the week Claire McEntee chalked up a superb time in Dundalk to take the Leinster 10TT title.

It was a week for the testers, as the Club 10TT Champs clashed with the Nationals, with some outstanding results in both - Dick O'Brien dominating the former, and Claire McEntee setting a blistering time in the latter. Corkagh Park saw first a Horan haul, then an Orwell clean sweep, while three of the men completed the National Road Race Champs on Sunday.

The results are in from the annual hamper race, with Conor Murnane capping a very successful 2014 by bringing home a basket full of fine goods. Freddie Stevens won the Devil race, while Ann Horan topped the costume competition! Full results and report inside!

Róisin Kennedy once again topped the TT results for the StickyBottle.com Women’s Crit League, but when the dust settled, it was Sandra Fitzgerald who took the overall, while Eimear O’Reilly claimed the B title.

Last weekend in Donore, two riders from different ends of the spectrum both got themselves on the podium. Ciara Kinch continued her winning streak with silver in the women's race, while Garry Blair matched her result to take his first ever open points! Read on for the details from both riders...

With today being the date of the very open Women's Commission AGM, it seems a fitting occasion to publish this one from the drafts folder! For at least the fourth year running, Orwell fielded a strong team in the An Post Rás na mBan. With four club members in Aideen Keenan, Ciara Kinch, Ann Horan and Claire McEntee, and a guest rider Lydia Gurley, the team took home the Top Irish Team prize, 9th overall, 2nd and 3rd county riders and a combativity award! (Photos to follow!)

On the women's open scene, Monica Marconi scored an emphatic victory in Wexford for the final round of the National League, while Ciara Kinch came home a fine 5th. Kinch then went on to notch up Gold in the Leinster Hill Climb Champs, with Aideen Keenan in silver a mere 7" behind her. And Orla Hendron displayed rude form at the Track Champs to take home two national medals, while Rachel Glendon also won silver in the National Middle Distance Triathlon Champs.
Update: now with hill climb podium pic, and news of Naoise Sheridan's track league medal!