In pictures: Erin Friel honoured after winning EYOF bronze medal

Click on the arrows to go through the photos from the function

Erin Friel with coach Kathryn McDevitt and Letterkenny AC team-mates

European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) 400m bronze medalist Erin Friel was officially welcomed back to Letterkenny on Monday evening.

Letterkenny AC’s Friel won the 400m bronze in Macedonia when clocking a new personal best, 54.02 seconds, in the final.

The Newtowncunningham native was joined by family, friends, club-mates and some local athletics royalty at Arena 7 for a function to mark her achievement.

“I just can’t believe that it’s all over,” the 17-year-old Loreto Secondary School student said. “I had the best week away. The experience was just so good.

“I went into the race with no thoughts about time at all. When I realised I had a medal, then I looked up and saw I had a PB; that was just the icing on the cake.”

Friel was also part of an Irish girls’ medley relay team which landed a new national recored, 2:07.06, to finish fourth in Saturday’s final.

Friel had a special word for her coach, Kathryn McDevitt: “It’s all down Kathryn. I just show up and train. Kathryn plans it out and tells me what to do. She had me so well prepared.” 

Letterkenny AC’s double Olympian Danny McDaid, who competed in the marathon at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and the 1976 Games in Montreal was in attendance.

There too was Patsy McGonagle from Finn Valley AC who managed the Irish athletics team across a vast swathe of international events, including four Olympic Games; in 2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016.

LAC team-mates from McDevitt’s ever-quickening sprints group were in attendance together with Physio Mark Foley from JT Physio, LAC  Chairman Raymond Birch and Vice Chairman Michael Galvin.

MC for the function Mr Galvin said: “Erin should be very proud of herself. The world is her oyster now. 

“What struck me about her performance in the final was that she ran a championship race. The 400m is a very challenging discipline and you’ve got to be there at the end. 

“There might have been a temptation for Erin to chase down the gold, but she realised with 150m to go that there was a medal there. She kept her form and achieved the bronze medal; it was a very mature decision.”

Mr Galvin hailed the support of Erin’s parents, Barry and Vanessa, who were also among the attendees, saying: “It starts at home and Barry and Vanessa are two amazing parents who have supported her immensely in the last few years, financially and every other way. They’re hard workers and this doesn’t come easy to parents.”