A STRONG TEAM of 16 athletes has been chosen to represent Ireland at next month’s European Indoor Athletics Championships, which takes place in Glasgow from 1-3 March next month.

Star names including Phil Healy (400m), Thomas Barr (400m), Ciara Mageean (1,500m) and Mark English (800m) will lead the Irish team hoping to build on what was an outstanding calendar year in 2018 for Athletics Ireland.

Cork native Healy became the first Irish athlete in 40 years to hold the 100m and 200m records at the same time, while also representing her country in Berlin at the European Championships — where she placed 7th in her 100m semi-final at the Olympic Stadium.

She got 2019 off the perfect start at the end of January by winning the 400m event at the Vienna International Indoor Meet. 

Mageean will tackle the 1,500m event in Scotland having enjoyed success last week at the Irish Life National Indoor Championships, winning the women’s 3,000m event on Saturday having smashed her own national indoor record for the 1,500m three days beforehand.

2015 European indoor silver medallist Mark English won his 6th national indoor title yesterday. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Ferrybank Olympian Barr, who won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Germany, endured a frustrating evening in Abbotstown yesterday. 

The Waterford native dropped out of the 400m final after being knocked off balance following a coming together with Andrew Mellon.

“This is a strong Irish team that is primed to put in a performance at this championship,” said High Performance Director Paul McNamara. “Our more high profile athletes have had stellar seasons to date. This will be a good championships for Irish athletics.”

There will also be senior debuts for Molly Scott (SLOT) and Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn) in the 60m, Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s) in the 400m and Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley) in the high jump.

Irish team for Glasgow

Women

60m

• Molly Scott (SLOT), Lauren Roy (City of Lisburn), Ciara Neville (Emerald)

400m

• Phil Healy (Bandon), Sophie Becker (St Joseph’s)

800m

• Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (DSD)

1500m

• Ciara Mageean (UCD)

High jump

• Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley)

Men

60m

• Joseph Ojewumi (Tallaght)

400m

• Thomas Barr (Ferrybank), Cillin Greene (Galway City Harriers)

800m

• Mark English (UCD), Zak Curran (DSD), Conall Kirk (Annadale Striders)

3,000m

• John Travers (Donore Harriers), Sean Tobin (Clonmel)

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