Six Donegal athletes set for European Masters in Italy

World medallists Kay Byrne, Kathryn McDevitt and Catriona Devine will look to add European nuggets to their sideboards this week when they take to Pescara, Italy, for the European Masters Athletics Championships.

At the World Indoors earlier in the year, Letterkenny AC woman McDevitt and Finn Valley AC’s Devine medalled on the track with Byrne, also of Finn Valley, winning a cross country gold at the same championships.

Byrne, McDevitt and Devine will be joined in Italy by Tir Chonaill AC’s Shane Toolan, Garvin Boyce of Finn Valley AC and Brian Boyce, a native of Milford attached to the An Riocht club in Kerry.

McDevitt has been a regular medal winner of late.

In pictures and results: Secondary schools cross country at Finn Valley AC

Around 400 students took part in the secondary schools cross country event held at Finn Valley AC on Wednesday afternoon

In July, she clocked championship best performances to win the 200m (27.32 seconds) and 400m (62.03 seconds) at the Scottish Masters.

At World Masters Indoor Championships in Poland, McDevitt and Ireland were the bronze medalists in the 4x200m relay having helped Ireland to gold in the W40 4x100m and 4x400m at the 2022 World Masters Athletics Championship in Finland.

McDevitt will go in both the 400m and 200m in Italy.

Byrne won gold over 8km in a cross country in Poland back in March. The Finn Valley AC stalwart will go over the same distance in Italy and will also take part in the 10km road race.

Devine took bronze in the 1500m at Arena Toruń when finishing in 5:06.95. The Castlefin woman competes again in the 1500m in Pescara.

Toolan will go to the blocks for the M65 100m and 200m. Gavin Boyce is entered for the M50 1500 with Brian Boyce - a brother of Olympic race walker Brendan - competing in the M45 400m.