Cormac Dalton competing in the senior men's 10000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships at Piemonte-La Mandria Park in Turin, Italy last year. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Dalton leads senior men’s team for European championships

Published:
Last updated:

Cormac Dalton leads the Irish senior men’s team at the 29th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, at Brussels on December 10.

The Mullingar Harriers runner’s coach is Joe Ryan, and his team-mates are 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).

12 December 2021; Fionnuala McCormack of Ireland on her way to finishing ninth in the Senior Women's 8000m final during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships Fingal-Dublin 2021 at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile Photo by Seb Daly / SPORTSFILE

Fionnuala McCormack will headline an Irish squad stacked with European championship experience. Brussels 2023 marks McCormack’s 18th European Cross Country Championships, and 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).

11 December 2022; Ireland's Eilish Flanagan, left, and her twin sister Roisin Flanagan cross the finish line after competing in senior women's 8000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships at Piemonte-La Mandria Park in Turin, Italy. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Photo by Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE

On the U23 teams are Danielle Donegan (Tullamore Harriers), who led Ireland home in the U23 race last year, and Dean Casey (Ennis Track Club), who graduates from the U20 category 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 goes in search of more European success, while recent national champion Anna Gardiner (East Down AC) goes to Brussels buoyed by her impressive win in Gowran last Sunday.

Athletics Ireland National Endurance co-ordinator, Mark Kenneally said: “In my short time in the role, it has been heartening to see the stellar work being put in by athletes and coaches to prepare for these championships.

“In recent years, we have enjoyed great individual and team success, and that has raised expectations, within the team and externally in the wider athletics and sporting community.

“That is, again, fantastic to see, and while the standard of distance running generally in Europe is on the rise, I am confident that our athletes are capable of rising to the challenge.”

The SPAR European Cross Country Championships are among the main seasonal appointments of the European Athletics calendar.

Brussels 2023 follows last year’s championships in Piemonte, Italy, where Ireland claimed a record five medals and finished second on the overall medal table alongside Spain and France, bettering the three medals won at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships at Fingal, Dublin.

12 December 2021; Fionnuala McCormack of Ireland competing in the Senior Women's 8000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships Fingal-Dublin 2021 at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile Photo by Seb Daly / SPORTSFILE
6 December 2022; An exciting Irish team is ready to take on the best athletes in Europe at the 28th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships which take place at La Mandria Park, on the outskirts of Turin, on Sunday December 11th 2022. Visit www.athleticsireland.ie for more information about the 40 Irish athletes set to compete this Sunday. Pictured is Brian Fay of Ireland competing in the Senior Men's 10,000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships Fingal-Dublin 2021 at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Photo by Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE
11 December 2022; Cormac Dalton of Ireland competing in the senior men's 10000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships at Piemonte-La Mandria Park in Turin, Italy. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Photo by Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE
11 December 2022; Nicholas Griggs of Ireland, left, competing in the U20 men's 6000m during the SPAR European Cross Country Championships at Piemonte-La Mandria Park in Turin, Italy. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile Photo by Sam Barnes / SPORTSFILE

Event/Athlete/Club/Coach

U20 Women/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

Published:
Last updated: