The talent at the 2003 Donegal Primary Schools Athletics who did amazing things

Finn Valley Athletic Club have shared memories of the 2003 Donegal Primary Schools Athletics Challenge, where a host of local competitors have gone onto great things.

On the day Mark English gets ready to line up in the men’s 800m semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Paris, a host of those who took part in the event hosted by Finn Valley AC have excelled in their various sporting lives.

"At the Donegal Primary Schools Athletics Challenge on June 5, 2003 at the Finn Valley Centre, the very same Mark English - a pupil then at Woodlands NS - won the 600m," they posted.

"An interesting aside is that Amber Barrett, now a Republic of Ireland senior international playing for Standard Liege, won a 60m the same day, and future Irish rugby international Laura Feely won shot put and ball throw medals.

"On that June Thursday, among the other medal winners were future Donegal senior Gaelic footballers Caolan Ward and Eamonn Doherty; Brian McGroary, who spent time at Wolves and later featured for Finn Harps; Jonathan Carlin who played League of Ireland and now on the Wicklow senior football panel; Gavin Carlin who went to West Brom and now a successful coach in the US; Ashling Cunningham who would play senior football for Donegal; and Emily Greenan who represented Ireland in modern pentathlon at the 2010 World Youth Olympics. A lesson here for everyone. . ."