Eight Cork Athletes Selected for European Cross-Country Championships 2017
Cork Has Largest Representation on Irish Team for European Cross-Country Championships
Samorin, Slovakia
Sunday December 10th 2017
On Monday November 27th, Athletics Ireland announced the twenty eight person squad for next month's European Cross-Country Championships, in Samorin, Slovakia.
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| U20 Women | Laura Nicholson | Bandon A.C | Steve Macklin | Cork |
| U20 Women | Stephanie Cotter | West Muskerry A.C. | Cork | |
| U20 Women | Jodie McCann | Dundrum South Dublin A.C. | Clark McCann | Dublin |
| U20 Women | Fian Sweeney | Dublin City Harriers A.C. | Dublin | |
| U20 Women | Sophie Murphy | Dundrum South Dublin A.C. | Ricardo Santos | Dublin |
| U20 Women | Fiona Everard | Bandon A.C | Ronan Duggan | Cork |
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| U20 Men | Craig McMeechan | North Down A.C. | David McMeechan | Down |
| U20 Men | Brian Fay | Raheny Shamrock A.C. | Feidhlim Kelly | Dublin |
| U20 Men | Charlie O'Donovan | Leevale A.C. | Ken Nason | Cork |
| U20 Men | Fearghal Curtin | Youghal A.C. | Noel Curtain | Cork |
| U20 Men | James Edgar | City of Lisburn A.C. | Heather Ardis | Down |
| U20 Men | Darragh McElhinney | Bantry A.C. | Steve Macklin | Cork |
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| U23 Women | Bethanie Murray | Dundrum South Dublin A.C. | Kyle Bennett | Dublin |
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| U23 Men | Tom O'Keeffe | Kilkenny City Harriers | Emmet Dunleavy | Kilkenny |
| U23 Men | Eoin Strutt | Raheny Shamrock A.C. | Feidhlim Kelly | Dublin |
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| Senior Women | Shona Heaslip | An Riocht A.C. | Niamh O'Sullivan | Kerry |
| Senior Women | Kerry O'Flaherty | Newcastle & District A.C. | Richard Rodgers | Down |
| Senior Women | Michelle Finn | Leevale A.C. | Donie Walsh | Cork |
| Senior Women | Lizzie Lee | Leevale A.C. | Donie Walsh | Cork |
| Senior Women | Fionnuala Ross | Armagh A.C | Dermot Kerr | Armagh |
| Senior Women | Fionnuala McCormack | Kilcoole A.C. | Alan McCormack | Wicklow |
| Category | Athlete | Club | Coach | County |
| Senior Men | Paul Pollock | Annadale Striders A.C. | Andy Hobdell | Down |
| Senior Men | Kevin Dooney | Raheny Shamrock A.C | Jerry Kiernan | Dublin |
| Senior Men | Hugh Armstrong | Ballina A.C. | Ray Treacy | Mayo |
| Senior Men | John Travers | Donore Harriers A.C. | Jerry Kiernan | Dublin |
| Senior Men | Sean Tobin | Clonmel A.C. | Ryan Vanhoy | Tipperary |
| Senior Men | Kevin Maunsell | Clonmel A.C. | James Sullivan | Tipperary |
Cork has the largest representation of any county, with eight athletes on the panel, followed by Dublin on seven. On the Under 20 Women's team, Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) and Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC) both qualified automatically, when finishing in first and second place respectively, in last Sunday's Athletics Ireland combined Under-18/Junior Women's National Cross-Country Championship, at the National Sports Campus, in Abbottstown, Dublin. The girls are joined on the team, by Laura's clubmate Fiona Everard.
 |  |  |
| Laura Nicholson (Bandon AC) | Stephanie Cotter (West Muskerry AC) | Fiona Everard (Bandon AC) |
There are also three Cork men on the Junior Men's Team: Charlie O'Donovan (Leevale AC), who pipped Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC) for the Bronze medal, last Sunday, right on the line. The third man is Bantry AC's Darragh McElhinney. As in all of last Sunday's Junior & Senior races, there were two automatric selection places up for grabs, so competition in this event was fierce, with all three of the Cork athletes in contention for the automatic places, well into the final lap.
 |  |  |
| Charlie O'Donovan (Leevale AC) | Fearghal Curtin (Youghal AC) | Darragh McElhinney (Bantry AC) |
The two Cork Athletes on the Senior Women's Team are Michelle Finn and Lizzie Lee, both Leevale AC, who finished third and fourth respectively, on Sunday.
 |  |
| Michelle Finn (Leevale AC) | Lizzie Lee (Leevale AC) |
