Amy Greene leads Finn Valley AC to national senior team silvers in Derry

Led by an outstanding run by Amy Greene, the Finn Valley AC senior women took team silvers at Sunday’s National Senior Cross Country Championships in Derry.

Around five laps, or 7.5km, at the Templemore Sports Complex, Greene made hay in the mud to secure the U23 silver medal and guide her team to the senior silvers - a result that qualifies Finn Valley AC for a return to the European Champion Clubs Cup Cross Country.

The Flanagan twins, Eilish and Roisin, as well as Eimear McCarroll, all jetted in from the United States as Finn Valley AC sought a return to national glory in this competition. Once upon a time, they were the dominant force, winning 10 team titles between 1993 and 2003. 

They gave it a good rattle here, but Leevale AC - whose charge was headed by runner-up Niamh Allen - retained the team title with Michelle Finn (11), Jessica Coyne (13) and Sinead O’Connor (27) all inside the top 30.

Allen was second last year in Irvinestown, just 12 weeks after giving birth to her daughter Lilly, and she was the silver medal winner here again with Bandon AC’s Fiona Everard - who also won the recent Autumn Open - moving in front in the second half of the race to take gold with Danielle Donegan from Tullamore Harriers claiming bronze.

Greene was seventh overall and the second U23 to cross the line, sealing her place on the Irish squad for the European Cross Country, which takes place in Lagoa, Portugal, in mid-December.

Pre-race, Greene might have been expected to place behind the Flanagan sisters, but the DCU scholar delivered a mature performance of real grit to come through as Finn Valley AC’s front-runner. Greene was also the silver medal winner last year and has competed in the previous two editions of the Europeans, going in Brussels in 2023 and in Antalya last year.

Greene was just ahead of Eilish Flanagan - who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in the steeplechase. The Flanagans are sited in Boulder, Colorado and jetted in for this one.

Roisin Flanagan faded in the last two laps to finish 23rd while Noeleen Scanlan rounded up the Finn Valley AC scorers in 38th after giving an aggressive and battling performance.

Dundrum South Dublin, with U23 bronze medallist Eimear Maher at the head of their pack, were the third team.

Finn Valley AC’s Eimear McCarroll, also back from the USA where she is a student at Bradley University in Illinois to compete, was seventh in the U23s, 40th overall and fifth finisher. 

The returned-to-racing Nuala Bose backed up the Finn Valley squad in 45th following an encouraging outing in the Maiden City.

Finn Valley AC’s Oisín Ó Gailín, also flying across the Atlantic from his Wyoming base, was the lead Donegal runner in the senior men’s race, the Ballybofey native placing 12th overall.

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Earlier this year, Ó Gailín competed at the European 10,000 Cup in Pace, France, setting a new Donegal record of 29:02.05 in the process.

Defending champion Keelan Kilrehill was absent here and Raheny Shamrocks’ Brian Fay held off Nick Griggs (CNDR Track) and Cormac Dalton (Mullingar Harriers) in a sprint finish for gold.