St Michael's College rounded off another hugely successful cross-country season with a very commendable fifth place finish in the senior boy's team event at the Kit-Kat All-Ireland Schools' Cross Country finals in Dublin on Saturday.

Held on a pancake flat course, which proved more challenging due to the heavy rains of the previous day and the gusting winds, these championships were hugely competitive as always, with all the finest, young, distance talents on the island striving for the coveted Irish schools medals on offer.

Highlight of the St Michael's senior display was the performance of Year 11 athlete Gerard Britton, who will be eligible for this event until 2010 and who, in a remarkable demonstration of potential, led home the St Michael's team, finishing one position higher than he did when helping the junior team to a bronze medal 12 months ago.

He was followed home by Darah Keown, Darren Martin and Michael Slevin, who completed the scoring, with Niall McGoldrick and another Year 11 pupil Philip McQuaid completing the squad.

Fifth spot at Irish level is a fine conclusion for this bunch of athletes, particularly given the absence of leading Ulster schools finisher Emmett Lindsay, Colm Monaghan and James Broyan due to an unfortunate spate of injuries.

Elsewhere in the junior boys, James Speight, of Erne Integrated, ran impressively to take 23rd in a classy U-15 event while there was disappointment for Niall Cullen in the intermediate race when a recurrence of a calf injury, sustained during the week, forced him out when lying in the top 15 with a lap of the 5km race remaining.

This was a satisfying conclusion to a season in which Fermanagh's young athletes have acquitted themselves admirably at District, Ulster and Irish level with the promise of significant success to come in 2008.