It is, in many ways, a make-or-break weekend for Ireland at the IAAF World Championships in London, with seven of the 11-strong team taking to the track or roads in the English capital over the next two days.

For many months now, Irish athletes have been striking the same chord when talking about the IAAF World Championships, which get under way in London tomorrow evening.

Less than two weeks out from the World Championships in London, this was always going to be a fact-finding mission for Ciara Mageean, Mark English, Brian Gregan, and Thomas Barr, and though each of them faced a test of differing degrees of difficulty, they all passed with flying colours.

Four athletes – no matter which way you dress it up, is a number that should cause concern.

Brian Gregan had been flagged as a potential star ever since his early teens, but the Dubliner became the forgotten man of Irish athletics in recent years after a series of interruptions. However, he roared back to life at the Morton Games in Santry this month, smashing his 400m personal best to win in 45.26. Ahead of his tilt at the World Championships in London, he will compete at the Irish Senior Championships in Santry this weekend

Brian Gregan stole Ciara Mageean’s thunder as he set a new personal best at the Morton games as Mageean missed the two-minute mark.

Ireland lie seventh after the middle day of the European Athletics Team Championships in the northern Finnish city of Vaasa, with Brian Gregan scoring the only Irish victory of day two, alongside eleven top-six finishes.

Bandon’s Phil Healy gets Irish interest underway at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade today and she, like the rest of the Irish team, will need to be at her best to advance past the first round.

Ireland has one realistic medal chance as 567 athletes from 49 countries line up for the 34th European Indoor Championships, which start tomorrow in Belgrade.

Ciara Neville (Emerald) kept her cool to clinch gold after a poor start in the women’s 60m while Phil Healy (Bandon) secured the European standard for the 400m on a weekend full of back stories and close finishes at the Irish Life Health National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown, Dublin.

A host of international stars are set to take on some of Ireland’s best athletes at the Athlone International Grand Prix this evening.

Three years ago, Ciara Mageean was unable to run, beset with injuries and staring down the barrel of career-threatening surgery.

Thomas Barr came out strongly in support of Irish teammate Fionnuala McCormack at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam last night, calling on athletics authorities to heed the advice of the Wicklow runner.

It may have taken seven years, but Olive Loughnane can finally call herself a world champion, and what’s more, she now has the medal to prove it.

Many times in her career, Fionnuala McCormack has had to grin and bear as she dealt with the bitter taste of fourth place at a major championships, but this time it was clear she had enough.

For Olympic hopefuls, Mark English and Thomas Barr, the last few months had been nothing short of a nightmare, but the two great hopes for Irish athletics are now daring to dream once again.

Robert Heffernan finished a fighting fifth in the men’s 50km race walk in 3:44:17 in a brave bid to defend his world title at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, while Ireland’s men’s 4x400m relay team set a national record.

Thomas Barr is targeting a final berth in the 400m hurdles at his maiden World Athletics Championships in Beijing at the end of this month.

Rob Heffernan walked away from the Morton Stadium frustrated as he saw a mid-afternoon red card in the men’s 10,000 metres walk.

Lizzie Lee produced a front-running performance to win the national half marathon championships in 73 minutes and 27 seconds on the streets of Dublin yesterday.

August’s World Championships in Beijing may be the summer priority but Mark English has also earmarked the Monaco Diamond League meet in mid-July for a crack at David Matthews’ 20-year old Irish 800m record.

Ireland are well positioned in fifth place after the opening day of the European Athletics Team Championships (1st League) in Heraklion, Greece, as they bid for promotion to the Super League for 2016.

Thomas Barr was in scintillating form at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational Meet in Florida on Friday, winning the 400m hurdles in 49.08 seconds — a world championship qualifying time.

The Irish Sports Council has committed over €1.5m in funding for the International Carding Scheme for 2015. The money will be invested in 75 athletes across 14 sports.

Dara Kervick’s immediate focus may be on this week’s European Indoor Athletics Championship in Prague, but the Pilltown 400m runner’s long-term goal is very much outdoors where he aims to emulate David Gillick by breaking the 45-second barrier.

Kelly Proper bagged long-jump gold and her 17th national indoor title at day one of the Glo Health National Indoor Championships.

Athletics Ireland put up a spirited challenge in the men’s distance medley relay at the Armory Invitational, going under the old world record but having to be content with second in 9:25.37 behind a dominant US outfit in 9:19.93.

The Irish distance medley relay team broke the world record in New York last night - but it wasn’t enough to gain a win at the Armory international.

It was bittersweet for the Irish on the final day of the European championships in Zurich as Paul Robinson and Ciarán Ó Lionáird had two conflicting reasons to rue the 1500m final while the men’s 4x400m relay ran another national record of 3:01.67 to place fifth.

A bittersweet final day for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich saw fourth and fifth places achieved, with another national record taken – but so much more was possible.

Daniele Meucci has won the men's marathon for Italy at the European Athletics Championships ahead of Yared Shegumo of Poland and Aleksey Reunkov of Russia.

Two new national records were set by Irish relay teams on the penultimate day of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Mark English put to bed a glum night for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich, by qualifying for Friday ngiht’s final of the men’s 800 metres – but it was a close-run thing.

A morning of rain contributed to possibly the most eventful race of Christine McMahon’s career.

Thomas Barr comfortably cruised into Wednesday’s semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles on the opening morning of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Thomas Barr comfortably cruised into today’s semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles on the opening morning of the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

It's been a mixed day so far for the Irish at the European Championships in Zurich.

Sonia O’Sullivan believes Ireland’s athletes must grasp the opportunity to make their mark on the senior international stage at the European Track and Field Championships starting in Zurich this morning.

Athletics Ireland high performance manager Kevin Ankrom is hanging his hopes on Robert Heffernan winning a medal in the 50km race walk at the European Championships in Zurich.

Rob Heffernan will lead an Irish team of 25 athlete’s to Zurich for next months Europeans, which take place from August 12 – 17.

Ciaran O’Lionard shot to victory at today’s Glo Health national senior track and field championships taking 1500-metre gold and a European championship slot.

GloHealth and Athletics Ireland today announced GloHealth’s sponsorship of athletics in Ireland.