Ireland have won a silver medal in the men's team event at the European Cross Country Championships in Portugal, the first time they have finished on the podium in 25 years.
Brian Fay, Efrem Gidey, Cormac Dalton, Jack O'Leary and Darragh McElhinney helped Ireland finish ten points behind Spain in the team event.
O'Leary was a superb fifth individually, moving through from 27th position in the first lap. Fay and Dalton worked together finishing tenth and 11th respectively.
Thierry Ndikumwenayo led the Spanish team home to victory claiming the individual title from pre-race favourite Jimmy Gressier, who stumbled coming into the final corner.
Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland was given the nod for bronze after a photo finish was required to separate him and Scott Beattie of Great Britain.
Ireland came home with four medals overall, including gold for Nick Griggs in the U23 race.
The Tyrone native became the first Irishman to win a title at a European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, pushing on in the final lap to break away from Aurelien Radja of France who took silver.
Radja's team-mate Pierre Boudy claimed bronze.
Yes!!
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 14, 2025
After going so close before, Nick Griggs is the U23 European Cross Country Champion! 🥇🇮🇪
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Griggs' training partner Callum Morgan was next home, finishing in eighth position, his best-ever finish at the championships. Niall Murphy was close behind in 11th.
The U23 men won the team race by 14 points from France, with a total score of 19.
Griggs, Murphy and Jonas Stafford were part of the U20 squad that claimed gold in Brussels two years ago and return to the top of the team podium in Lagoa.
The 20-year-old first won gold at European level in 2021 and said he is "proud" to be back to the top of the podium after silver and bronze at the championships the previous two years.
"It's unreal. I haven't cried in a long time, there's a few tears been shed already and probably a few more when I see my coach. I can't describe this I have wanted it for so long and to put it together on the day is so special," Griggs said after the race.
"To win individual gold, I have been dreaming of it for a long time. I said last time that I was a nearly man at these champs. Finally after four and a half years I will be back on the top of the podium.
"I'm so proud of myself and the lads stood beside me. Two of them I train with on a weekly basis... They are two of my best mates."
Emma Hickey secured bronze in the women's U20 race on a memorable day for Irish athletics.
The race was won by Innes Fitzgerald of Great Britain who completed her hat-trick of titles in the event.
Anna Gardiner was also inside the top ten, finishing sixth.
Fiona Everard was the highest finisher in the senior women's race, placing a career-high tenth place. The Cork woman started conservatively sitting in 40th position on the first lap, before working her way into the top ten.
Niamh Allen was next home in 23rd and Danielle Donegan was 36th. Mary Mulhare and Emily Haggard-Kearney completed the team for an eighth-place finish.
Earlier in the day, Kirsty Maher was the top Irish finisher in the women's U23 race.
There was another Irish top-ten finish for Noah Harris in the men's U20 race. Cormac Dixon was just three places behind in 13th. Caolan McFadden completed the scorers for the team in crossing in 36th place. They finished in fifth place in the team race, some 13 points adrift of the medals.
In the unique mixed 4x1500m relay the team of Eimear Maher, Cian McPhillips, Laura Nicholson and Andrew Coscoran crossed the line in sixth. Maher got the team off to a strong start in her first senior event passing to McPhillips in third place but a mishap on the second change that resulted in Nicholson hitting the deck saw them slip to seventh.
Coscoran made up five seconds on his final leg but ended up ten seconds behind long-time leaders Italy.
