Waterford Athletes selected for European Cross Country Championships

Waterford AC's Ruth Heery and Micheál Power from West Waterford have made the Ireland under 23 teams, following good displays at the weekend in Dublin by Ruth and in Florida by Micheál.

Sarah Healy (UCD AC) will lead the charge for U23 team and Ruth will be joined by Aoife O'Cuill (St Coca’s AC), Danielle Donegan (UCD AC), and DCH pair Lauren Tinkler (Dublin City Harriers AC) and Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers AC).

On Micheál's men’s U23 team is the classy Darragh McElhinney (UCD AC), and the Bandon athlete will be joined by Keelan Kilrehill (Moyvalley AC), Thomas McStay (Galway City Harriers), Thomas Devaney (Castlebar AC), and Donal Devane (Ennis Track AC).

Senior Teams

Fionnuala McCormack (Kilcoole AC) heads an Irish squad stacked with Olympic and European championship experience which has been selected for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships set for the Sport Ireland Campus in Fingal-Dublin on December 12th 2021.

McCormack is joined in the squad by fellow Tokyo Olympians, Ciara Mageean (City of Lisburn AC), Sarah Healy (UCD AC), Eilish Flanagan (Finn Valley AC), Aoife Cooke (Eagle AC), Andrew Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC), and yesterday’s Irish Life Health National Cross Country champion Michelle Finn (Leevale AC).

The senior women’s team will see McCormack, Mageean, Flanagan, and Cooke, joined by Roisin Flanagan (Finn Valley AC) and Aiobhe Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers), both of whom put it impressive performances at yesterday’s national championships to finish 3rd and 4th respectively.

The senior men’s team will include Hiko Tonosa (Dundrum South Dublin) who looked ultra-smooth in taking the men’s national cross country title within the last 24 hours. Tonsa will be joined by clubmates Paul O'Donnell (Dundrum South Dublin) and Emmet Jennings (Dundrum South Dublin), adding further celebration for DSD who claimed the national club title yesterday.

Ryan Forsyth (Newcastle and District A.C.) will offer previous European cross country experience, while the pair of Brian Fay (Raheny Shamrock AC) and Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers AC) will return from action stateside following superb performances at the NCAAs.

Athletics Ireland, National Endurance Co-ordinator, Matt Locket said:

“We must acknowledge the outstanding work from athletes to put themselves in contention for selection at these home championships. The depth in the Nationals Cross Country championships was fabulous to see, and is a testament to the work of coaches around the country. We have a great history when it comes to European cross country competition and we are in no doubt those who have been selected are primed to take on the best in Europe in just a few weeks’ time.”