Ireland’s fastest woman lived up to her billing with a brilliant performance at the Irish Universities Athletics Championships in Athlone on Saturday.

Ciara Mageean will go to next week’s European Indoor Championships in Glasgow as a strong medal contender in the 1500m after a highly impressive victory at the national indoor arena on Saturday, the 26-year-old coasting to the Irish 3000m title in 9:02.57.

They may have relinquished their hold on the team title, but there was ample consolation for East Cork Athletic Club as Tim O’Donoghue powered his way to an impressive victory at the Cork County senior cross-country championships at White’s Cross.

Medal hopes Thomas Barr and Ciara Mageean gave themselves the perfect send-off for next week’s European Championships in Berlin with foot-perfect performances at the Irish Life Health National Championships in Santry yesterday.

She ran her heart out, just like always, but as has increasingly been the case for Fionnuala McCormack at the European Cross Country, it just wasn’t enough.

Team Ireland have enjoyed an impressive fifth place finish in the men's relay event at the European Cross Country Championships in Slovakia.

Canada’s Crystal Emmanuel shone brightest at the 66th edition of the Cork City Sports last night, the 25-year-old blasting to a national record of 22.50 in a race in which Bandon’s Phil Healy broke new ground with a huge personal best of 23.32.

It may be slightly thin on top-level Irish talent, but the 66th edition of the Cork City Sports is once again loaded with such a rich of cast of world-class athletes that few will even notice.

Leevale Athletic Club will officially open its new high-performance facility later this summer, and club chairman Donal Murnane is understandably proud of their new training centre.

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.

Fionnuala McCormack will have to overcome her Turkish nemesis at the European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy, tomorrow.

There was never any doubt that Thomas Barr would win the athlete of the year award at the Irish Life Health National Athletics Awards yesterday.

Fionnuala McCormack will again lead Irish hopes at the European Cross Country Championships in Chia, Italy on December 11.

Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey and UCD’s Ciara Mageean will be two of the leading lights at the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus tomorrow.

You've nothing else to do today, have you?

Your one-stop guide to all the Olympic action featuring Irish athletes.

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

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.

GloHealth All-Ireland Schools Track and Field Championships

Leevale AC retained their women’s title at the Glohealth National Road Relays, in Dublin, yesterday, while hosts, Raheny, won the men’s race.

“Once an Olympian, always an Olympian.”

Around 8,500 runners pounded the streets around Cork City yesterday for the Evening Echo Mini Marathon, with more smiles than grimaces in evidence as they poured across the finishing line.

There was no joy for the Irish women on the third day of the IAAF World Championships in Beijing with Tori Pena, Michelle Finn, Sara Treacy and Kerry O’Flaherty missing out on qualification in their respective events.

Robert Heffernan believes he is in with a “fighting chance” of defending his World 50km Race Walk title when he toes the line at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing next week.

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.

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.

There was double joy for Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) at the 50km race walk in Dudince, Slovakia on Saturday where he finished fourth in 3:48:44 to qualify for the World Championships in Beijing this summer and a record fifth Olympic Games.

Fionnuala Britton had an encouraging second place at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in challenging conditions at Holyrood Park on Saturday.

ATHLETICS: Fionnuala Britton opens her 2015 competition schedule at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country as part of Team Europe in Holyrood Park today.

A surprise, but welcome, women’s team bronze medal brightened up a mixed day of Irish performances in Borovets as Fionnuala Britton battled to a sixth place finish at the European Cross Country Championships yesterday.

Fionnuala Britton led Ireland women’s team to bronze at today’s European cross country championships in Samokova, Bulgaria.

Fionnuala Britton will earn her 31st international cap at next month’s European cross country championships in Bulgaria.

Athletics: Fionnuala Britton romped to her fifth GloHealth Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships title in Dundalk yesterday while Paul Pollock defended his crown in a thrilling three-way sprint finish.

Fionnuala Britton stole the show at Sunday’s GloHealth Inter County cross country championship and declared her aim to win a third European cross country title.

Fionnuala Britton raced to her second consecutive Glo Health Inter-Counties cross-country title and declared she was ready for a third European cross country title.