Offaly trio to battle for cross country glory in Turin
Three Offaly athletes are preparing to compete in the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Turin this Sunday.
Laura Money from Cappincur, a member of Tullamore Harriers AC, and her first cousin from Tullamore, Danielle Donegan, are part of the Ireland U-23 women's team. Danielle, who has won numerous honours with Tullamore Harriers, now runs with University College Dublin AC.
In addition, Mucklagh native Ann Marie McGlynn (née Larkin), who is now a member of Letterkenny AC, is on the Ireland senior women's team.
Danielle earned her place following a superb run and second place finish in the National U23 Cross Country Championships in Donegal just over weeks ago. She is in the final year of her scholarship at UCD.
Laura, who is on a scholarship in Providence College in Rhode Island, USA, also had a great run in Downings, Co. Donegal and was an automatic selection following her third place finish.
Both girls wore the Irish singlet last year on home soil when Ireland hosted the championships in Santry. Danielle was on the U-23 team while Laura raced on the U-20 team.
The girls are joined in this year's U-23 team by Sarah Healy, Aoife Ó Cuill, Jodie McCann and Niamh O'Mahoney.
Ann Marie McGlynn, who finished fourth after a splendid run in the National Senior Cross Country Championships, is teamed up with Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Michelle Finn, Aoibhe Richardson and the Flanagan sisters, Roisin and Eilish of Finn Valley AC. Eilish replaces the very accomplished Ciara Mageean, who had to withdraw from the championships due to illness.
Turin holds a special place in the annals of Tullamore Harriers because it was there that Pauline Curley won a bronze medal with the Irish team at the World Cross Country Championships 25 years ago. The race was won by Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) and Paula Radcliffe (GB) was second. Catherina McKiernan led the Irish team home in 7th place, with Sonia O’Sullivan in 9th. They were joined by Valerie Vaughan, Una English, Maureen Harrington and Curley, taking Ireland’s first ever team medals at the World Cross Country Championships.
"It was magnificent to see Pauline take her place on the podium that day along with her teammates and the Ethiopian and Kenyan teams. Twenty-five years on it remains the most prestigious medal ever won by an athlete from Tullamore Harriers," said a spokesperson for Tullamore Harriers.
All involved with Tullamore Harriers will be hoping that the ladies can add to that honour on Sunday, and the club has wished the best of luck Danielle, Laura and Ann Marie and to the entire Irish squad competing on Sunday.
The European Cross Country Championships are being hosted by Italy for the fourth time this year. The championships will take place at La Mandria Park, near Turin, in the region of Piemonte, on Sunday, December 11.
An exciting Irish team of 40 athletes will join over 550 competitors from 40 countries who are set to battle it out for European cross country honours. The quality of athlete on show at Piemonte 2022 will make the race for this year’s team and individual medals as competitive as ever on Sunday morning.
The 28th edition of the European Athletics Cross Country Championships will be broadcast live on RTE2 (senior races) and on the RTE Player. Action will also be streamed live on the European Athletics YouTube Channel.
Irish fans will be hoping to relive some of the magical memories from last year’s sold-out European Cross Country Championships which took place at the Sport Ireland Campus. Ireland claimed three medals (two team and one individual) on that historic occasion, resulting in Ireland finishing as third nation overall on the points table.
Team Ireland athletes for this Sunday's European championships and the race times are listed below.
Senior Women
Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Damon Martin (coach).
Michelle Finn (Leevale AC), Feidhlim Kelly
Ann Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny AC), Emmett Dunleavy
Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Michael Mulhare
Aoibhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers), Julia Lucas
Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Damon Martin.
Senior Men
Hiko Tonosa Haso (Dundrum South Dublin), Feidhlim Kelly (coach).
Peter Lynch (Kilkenny City Harriers), Taylor Gulley
Pierre Murchan (Dublin City Harriers), Mary McKenna
Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock), Andy Powell
Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers), Taylor Gulley
Barry Keane (Waterford AC), Matt Roe.
U-23 Women
Sarah Healy (UCD AC), Eoghan Marnell (coach).
Danielle Donegan (UCD AC), Emmett Dunleavy
Laura Mooney (Tullamore Harriers), Ray Treacy
Aoife Ó Cuill (St Coca’s AC), Joe Ryan
Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers), Clark McCann
Niamh O'Mahoney (An Ríocht AC), Ray Treacy.
U-23 Men
Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC), Emmett Dunleavy (coach).
Efrem Gidey (Clonliffe Harriers), Peter McDermott
Keelan Kilrehill (Moy Valley AC), Emmett Dunleavy
Jamie Battle (Mullingar Harriers), Joe Ryan
Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers), Matt Lockett
Shay McEvoy (Kilkenny City Harriers), Taylor Gulley.
U-20 Women
Anika Thompson (Leevale AC), Ken Nason & Shalane Flanagan (coaches)
Anna Gardiner (East Down AC), Peter Morgan
Róise Roberts (North Belfast Harriers), Jim McGuinness & Joe Ryan
Hannah Kehoe (Kilkenny City Harriers), Niamh Richardson
Jane Buckley (Leevale AC), Ray Treacy
Fiona Hawkins (Dublin City Harriers), Damon Martin.
U-20 Men
Nicholas Griggs (Mid Ulster AC), Mark Kirk (coach).
Dean Casey (Ennis Track AC), Pat Hogan
Jonas Stafford (Ashford AC), Feidhlim Kelly
Mark Hanrahan (Ennis Track AC), Pat Hogan
Callum Morgan (St. Malachy's AC), Mark Kirk
Sean McGinley (Finn Valley AC), John Rogan.
Mixed Relay
Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), Feidhlim Kelly (coach)
Luke McCann (UCD AC), Thomas Dreissigacker & Clark McCann
Georgie Hartigan (Dundrum South Dublin), Bev Hartigan
Nadia Power (Dublin City Harriers), Matt Yates.
Race times (Irish times)
08:35am: U20 Men Race (6000m)
09:03am: U20 Women Race (4000m)
09:30am: Mixed Relay (4 x 1500m)
10:30am: U23 Men Race (8000m)
11:03am: U23 Women Race (6000m)
11:33am: Senior Women Race (8000m)
12:10pm: Senior Men Race (10.000m)