Fionnuala McCormack will headline an Irish squad stacked with European championship experience which has been selected for the 29th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships which take place in Brussels on December 10th 2023.
Brussels 2023 will mark McCormack’s 18th European Cross Country Championships where she will be joined on an experienced Irish senior women’s team by Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise AC), Fionnula Ross (Armagh AC), and recent national champion Fiona Everard (Bandon AC).
The senior men’s team includes newly crowned national cross country champion Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) who will be ably supported by Irish 5,000m record holder Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock), Hugh Armstrong (Ballina AC), Keelan Kilrehill (Mov Valley AC), Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC), and a resurgent Kevin Mulcaire (Ennis Track Club).
The U23 teams will see the return of Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers) who led Ireland home in the U23 race year, while the U23 men’s team will see Dean Casey (Ennis Track Club) graduate from the U20 category following following last year’s brilliant bronze medal performance.
Last year’s U20 silver medallist Nick Griggs (Candour Track Club) will spearhead a strong looking U20 men’s team as he look to go in search of more European success, while recent national champion Anna Gardiner (East Down AC) will head to Brussels buoyed by her impressive win in Gowran last Sunday.
The SPAR European Cross Country Championships is one of the main seasonal appointments of the European Athletics calendar. Brussels 2023 follows last year’s championships in Piemonte, Italy which saw Ireland claim a record 5 medals which resulted in Ireland finishing in second place on the overall medal table alongside Spain and France, bettering the 3 medals won at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships which were hosted in Fingal-Dublin.
SELECTIONS:
Event | Athlete | Club | Coach |
Anna Gardiner | East Down AC | Peter Morgan | |
U20 Women | Amy Greene | Finn Valley | Helen McCready |
U20 Women | Kirsty Maher | Moy Valley | Andy Bibby & Phillip Finnerty |
U20 Women | Maebh Richardson | Kilkenny City Harriers | Ian Solof/Niamh Richardson/Noel Richardson |
U20 Women | Avril Millerick | Youghal AC | Noel Curtin & Joe Ryan |
U20 Women | Hannah Kehoe | Kilkenny City Harriers | Niamh Richardson |
U20 Men | Niall Murphy | Ennis Track Club | Pat Hogan |
U20 Men | Jonas Stafford | UCD AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
U20 Men | Harry Colbert | Waterford AC | Des Colbert |
U20 Men | Seamus Robinson | City of Derry Spartans AC | Martin Robinson |
U20 Men | Nick Griggs | CNDR Track Club | Mark Kirk |
U20 Men | Shane Brosnan | An Riocht | Alexander Gibby |
U23 Women | Danielle Donegan | Tullamore Harriers | Emmett Dunleavy |
U23 Women | Aoife Coffey | Lucan Harriers | Niamh & Eoin Fitzgerald |
U23 Women | Eimear Maher | Dundrum South Dublin AC | Donal Hennigan |
U23 Women | Aoife O'Cuill | St Cocas | Joe Ryan |
U23 Women | Ava O'Connor | Tullamore Harriers | Damon Martin |
U23 Women | Anika Thompson | Leevale AC | Shalane Flanagan / Ken Nason |
U23 Men | Oisin Spillane | Ennis Track Club | Rory Chesser |
U23 Men | Callum Morgan | CNDR Track Club | Mark Kirk |
U23 Men | Matthew Lavery | North Belfast Harriers | Jim McGuinness |
U23 Men | Abdel Laadjel | Donore Harriers | Ray Treacy |
U23 Men | Michael Morgan | Sligo AC | Ray Treacy |
U23 Men | Dean Casey | Ennis Track Club | Sean Carlson |
Senior Women | Fiona Everard | Bandon AC | Matt Lockett |
Senior Women | Mary Mulhare | Portlaoise AC | Michael Mulhare |
Senior Women | Fionnuala Ross | Armagh AC | No Coach |
Senior Women | Fionnuala McCormack | Kilcoole AC | Alan McCormack |
Senior Women | Eilish Flanagan | Finn Valley | Damon Martin |
Senior Women | Roisin Flanagan | Finn Valley | Damon Martin |
Senior Men | Cormac Dalton | Mullingar Harriers | Joe Ryan |
Senior Men | Kevin Mulcaire | Ennis Track Club | Pat Hogan |
Senior Men | Hugh Armstrong | Ballina AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
Senior Men | Keelan Kilrehill | Mov Valley AC | Emmett Dunleavy |
Senior Men | Brian Fay | Raheny Shamrock AC | Feidhlim Kelly |
Senior Men | Fearghal Curtin | Youghal AC | James Thie |
Athletics Ireland would like to congratulate all of our athletes and their coaches who have been selected for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships on December 10th. We are very proud of you all and look forward to cheering you on as you represent us once more.
We must also acknowledge the great work and effort our members, coaches, volunteers, and the wider athletics community has put in to support our athletes in attaining selection for these championships. We all look forward to roaring on #TeamGreen as the first races commence on December 10th.