Mark English delivered a swashbuckling performance to win the men’s 800m as Ireland finished eighth in the European Team Championships League 1 in Vaasa, Finland.
It was a solid performance at the biannual event, as Ireland took 238 points after 40 events on the track and field.
The women scored 124 points with the men collecting 114 - with 167 won on the track and 71 in the field.
Sweden emerged victorious with 320.5 points. They were promoted to the Super League alongside event hosts Finland and Switzerland.
English has been in supreme form of late and also anchored the men’s 4x400m relay team to a second place finish in 3:05.08, which included U20 athlete Christopher O’Donnell on the first leg, Brian Gregan and Thomas Barr.
The Irish women also finished second overall in the women's 4x400 relay in 3:32.65 with the quartet of Sinead Denny, Phil Healy, Jenna Bromell and Sharlene Mawdsley.
There were a number of good performances by athletes stepping up to the plate on international duty.
Irelands 🇮🇪 European Athletics Team rankings since 2009 - 26th, 2010 - 20th, 2011 22nd, 2013 - 19th, 2014 - 19th, 2015 - 18th, 2017 - 20th pic.twitter.com/ENgOSROvm1
— Pierce O'Callaghan (@Pierceathletics) June 25, 2017
Sarah McCarthy produced a 6.21m season’s best for fourth in the long jump which was also a European U23 A standard.
Niamh Fogarty equalled her personal best of 13.10m in the shot put with Ann-Marie McGlynn also scoring a personal best for sixth in the 5,000m in 16:03.64.
There was heartbreak for Marcus Lawler in the men’s 200m who bravely walked the final 100m after pulling his hamstring in contention around the bend.
Lawler hobbled across the line in 1:23.93 all to score valuable points for the team and maintain Ireland’s status in League 1.
Team manager Patsy McGonagle said: "The European cup is complete and I’m proud as always of our Irish athletes’ attitude. To me this team all working for each other is special."
The Irish Life Health Tailteann Games took place in Morton Stadium on Saturday with Kate O'Connor one of the star performers with a record in the javelin of 47.63m.
European Team Championships League 1, Vaasa, Finland
Women
100m: 2nd Amy Foster (City of Lisburn) 11.70 200m: 7th Phil Healy (Bandon) 24.32 400m: 5th Sinead Denny (DSD) 53.68 800m: 6th Claire Mooney (Naas) 2:07.05 1500m: 9th Emma Mitchell (Queens) 4:19.20 3000m: 4th Shona Heaslip (An Riocht) 9:15.32 (PB) 3,000m Steeplechase: 7th Kerry O’Flaherty (Newcastle) 10:11.88 5,000m: 6th Ann-Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny) 16:03.64 (PB) 100m hurdles: 8th Sarah Lavin (UCD) 13.84 400m hurdles: heats Christine McMahon (Ballymena & Antrim) 60.51 Pole vault: 12th Sarah McKeever (DSD) 3.80m High Jump: 4th Sommer Lecky (Finn Valley) 1.80m Long Jump: 4th Sarah McCarthy (Mid Sutton) 6.21m Triple Jump: 6th Saragh Buggy (St Abban’s) 12.98m Shot Put: 10th Niamh Fogarty (North Westmeath) 13.10m (PB) Discus: 11th Claire Fitzgerald (Tralee Harriers) 46.45m Javelin: 11th Grace Casey (Eire Og Corra Choill AC) 43.37m Hammer: 11th Cara Kennedy (Ferrybank) 51.82m 4x100m: 2nd Ireland (Amy Foster (City of Lisburn), Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport), Niamh Whelan (Ferrybank), Ciara Neville (Emerald)) 44.80 4x400m: 2nd Ireland (Sinead Denny (DSD), Phil Healy (Bandon), Jenna Bromell (Emerald), Sharlene Mawdsley (Newport) 3:32.65
Men
100m: heats Eanna Madden (Carrick-on-Shannon) 10.85 200m: 8th Marcus Lawler (SLOT) 1:23.93 (injury) 400m: 1st Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers) 45.83 800m: 1st Mark English (UCD) 1:49.02 1500m: 5th Paul Robinson (St Cocas’) 4:00.62 3,000m: 5th John Travers (Donore Harriers) 8:10.86 5000m: 9th Mark Christie 14:25.14 (Mullingar Harriers) 3,000m steeplechase: 11th David Flynn (Clonliffe Harriers) 9:12.70 110m Hurdles: DQ Ben Reynolds (North Down) 400m Hurdles: 5th Thomas Barr (Ferrybank) 49.73 Pole Vault: 6th Sean Roth (DSD) 4.70m High Jump: 10th Ryan Carthy Walsh (Adamstown 2.10 (PB) Long Jump: 4th Adam McMullen (Crusaders) 7.64m Triple Jump: 10th Denis Finnegan (An Riocht) 15.12m Hammer: 6th Dempsey McGuigan (Finn Valley) 65.72m Shot Put: 11th Sean Breathnach (Galway City Harriers) 16.34m Discus: Colin Quirke (Crusaders) 53.02m Javelin: 10th Stephen Rice (Clonliffe Harriers) 63.17m 4x100m: 8th Ireland (Christian Robinson (QUB), Eanna Madden (Carrick-on-Shannon), Mark Smyth (Raheny Shamrock), Marcus Lawler (St Laurence O’Toole) 40.45 4x400m: 2nd Ireland (Christopher O’Donnell (North Sligo), Brian Gregan (Clonliffe Harriers), Thomas Barr (Ferrybank), Mark English (UCD) 3:05.08
