Finn Valley AC trio on European charge in Brussels

A large crowd of Finn Valley AC supporters are travelling to Brussels this weekend for Sunday’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships.

Finn Valley AC athletes Amy Greene and the Flanagan twins, Eilish and Roisin, are part of the Irish squad that will toe the line at Laeken Park.

The Flanagan sisters are part of the senior women’s team with Greene lining up with the U20 women’s team.

They will be buoyed by a big group from Finn Valley AC who will shout on their club-mates.

Last year, the Flanagans finished 11th and 12th respectively to help the Ireland senior women to team bronze medals in Turin.

Another Finn Valley AC athlete, Sean McGinley, helped Ireland’s junior men to silver medals last year, but misses out this time around.

The Flanagan twins are joined on the senior women’s team by Kilcoole AC’s Fionnuala McCormick, who has been selected for a remarkable 18th time and this week qualified for her fifth Olympic Games when clocking 2:26:19 at the Valencia Marathon.

Mary Mulhare (Portlaoise), Fionnula Roggs (Armagh) and Fiona Everard (Bandon) complete the senior team.

The Flanagans will jet in from their Colorado base for this weekend and will be key to the Irish medal charge.

Greene is on the U20 women’s team alongside Anna Gardiner (East Down), Kirsty Maher (Moy Valley), Maebh Richardson (Kilkenny City Harriers), Avril Millerick (Youghal) and Hannah Kehoe (Kilkenny City Harriers).

Greene was the National U20 silver medalist with only Gardiner ahead of the Rosses native at Gowran Park. Greene, a DCU student who is coached by Helen McCready and this year won the Ulster Novice Cross Country Championship.