Northern Ireland and Ulster Athletes Form Significant Contingent for Ireland at European Cross Country Championships

Nick Griggs is one of 12 athletes from Northern Ireland and Ulster who will represent Ireland at the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya on Sunday. The highly skilled Nick Griggs will again aim for success at the European Cross Country Championship, but he is not the sole Northern Ireland athlete participating in Turkey. Notably, one-third of the 36-member Ireland squad chosen for the competitions in Antalya originate from Northern Ireland/Ulster. With the exception of Ann-Marie McGlynn, the Strabane-based national senior women’s champion from three weeks prior, all will compete in the under-20 and under-23 events in the resort city, which is seen as a positive indicator for future prospects. The weekend is anticipated to be especially significant for former Irish international Paddy McGrath, as his son Frank will participate in the men’s under-20 competition. Furthermore, McGrath coaches Eva Bartlett, a member of the women’s under-20 team, who, like Frank, resides in England but is affiliated with Belfast’s Lagan Valley club. “I’ve lived in England for nearly 40 years but I’m still a home boy,” Paddy, a native of Belfast, informed BBC Sport Northern Ireland. He added, “I knew Frank would make an Ireland team one day but this year has been massive for him. It’s a big deal for our whole family.” Frank’s mother, Peta Bee, a health journalist and frequent contributor to Athletics Weekly, is also an athletics coach, suggesting the 19-year-old possesses strong genetic predispositions for running. After a college period in the USA that proved unsuccessful, Frank has now re-established his athletic progress since relocating to St Mary’s University in Teddington. Consequently, Paddy holds considerable optimism for his son’s future in running. “Frank is going to be a very good runner. He just needed to get the right environment and they have fantastic running facilities and with Mick Woods doing a brilliant job with his coaching there as well.” Frank will need to achieve significant feats to rival his father’s athletic versatility, as the elder McGrath’s career achievements encompassed times ranging from a 4:01 mile to a 64-minute half marathon, in addition to securing a Northern Ireland Cross Country title in 1988, during a period when the event was exceptionally competitive. Lughaidh Mallon, a UCD-based athlete, will join McGrath in the Ireland men’s under-20 team. Mallon is currently coached by Mark Kirk, having previously received guidance early in his career from the esteemed Jim McKeown at his local Lagan Valley club. The women’s under-20 squad features East Down athlete Anna Gardiner, who is presently being mentored by Ray Treacy, the respected running expert at Providence College. Gardiner is the most recent in a series of Irish athletes to secure scholarships to the American university. Gardiner, whose coach at East Down is Peter Morgan, will be accompanied in the women’s under-20 team by Lucy Foster of Willowfield Harriers and Annabel Morrison from Enniskillen Running Club. Foster and Morrison secured the top two positions at the recent Irish Cross Country Championships held in county Fermanagh. Foster is part of a group of skilled running siblings who receive coaching at Willowfield from their father, Davy. Meanwhile, Tommy Farrell was instrumental in guiding Morrison to qualify for the Irish team participating this weekend. Anna Gardiner, an East Down athlete, will journey from her athletics scholarship at the prestigious Providence College in the US to represent Ireland in the under-20 women’s event in Antalya. Kirk, a former Great Britain 800m international, coaches three athletes from the Candour club who are competing at the under-23 level: Griggs and his training partner Callum Morgan in the men’s race, and Roise Roberts, formerly of North Belfast, in the women’s under-23 race. At the Irish trials, Griggs, 19, initially appeared poised to contend for gold against eventual victor Keelan Kilrehill in the senior race, but ultimately placed seventh. Nevertheless, the Tyrone native’s resilience in overcoming periodic setbacks has been a hallmark of his nascent career. Therefore, it would not be unexpected for him to vie for another individual medal at the European Cross Country Championships, having secured second and third places in the under-20 races in the preceding two years. Completing the Ulster representation in Ireland’s under-23 selections are Amy Greene of Finn Valley and Matthew Lavery from North Belfast Harriers. Lavery, a cross country specialist, has received coaching since his early teenage years from Jim McGuinness, who maintains the Northern Ireland mile record with his notable time of 3:55.00, achieved in July 1977, placing him seventh in the world rankings for that year. “Matthew loves the