There was a lacklustre start for Ireland at today's European Cross Country Championships.

Fionnuala Britton triumphed in convincing fashion at the Woodie’s DIY National Inter-County Cross-Country championships at Santry Demesne yesterday, while Paul Pollock dominated the men’s race and declared himself a contender for the European championships in December.

“I couldn’t leave that one go,” admitted senior boy’s winner Sean Tobin of his last chance at glory in Saturday’s Aviva All-Ireland Schools’ and Universities’ Cross Country Championships at University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

Four-time world cross country silver medallist Catherina McKiernan has urged the future distance running stars “to enjoy” the Aviva Irish Schools’ Cross Country Championships that take place tomorrow in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown if they are to succeed.

It’s a busy weekend for young Irish athletes with the annual AVIVA Tailteann Irish Schools Interprovincial Track & Field meeting taking place at the Morton Stadium, Santry today, followed tomorrow by the Irish Junior & U23 Championships in Tullamore.

Irish athletics chiefs and competitors last night played down the poor performances at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

Eddie McGinley (Annadale Striders) yesterday won his first Irish senior cross country title after leading from the gun in the Woodie’s DIY Inter Clubs Cross Country Championships in Santry.

EUROPE’S top cross-country runner, Fionnuala Britton will be one of the favourites for the gold medal when she leads the Irish women’s team into next month’s European cross-country championships in Slovenia.

BEN KIELY (Ferrybank AC) produced another sensational, record-breaking performance in the final of the boys’ 400m hurdles to claim a second gold medal for Ireland at the European Youth Olympics in Trabzon, Turkey, yesterday.

RUAIRI FINNEGAN (Letterkenny AC), a finalist at the world youths championships a couple of weeks ago, claimed the gold medal in the 1,500m at the European Youth Olympics in Trabzon, Turkey, yesterday.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE (Loughrea AC) had to settle for the silver medal in the 20km event at yesterday’s Athletics Ireland International Grand Prix of Race Walking in the Phoenix Park.

A BRILLIANT day of athletics was illuminated by electrifying performances from two of Ireland’s brightest young talents, Ciara Mageean (Assumption, Ballinahinch) and Siofra Cleirigh Buttner (Coláiste Iosagain), at the Woodies DIY Irish Schools Championships in Tullamore on Saturday.

LAST year, Ciara Mageean (Assumption, Ballinahinch) took her career to a new level when she broke Sonia O’Sullivan’s long standing national junior 800m record at the Irish schools track and field championships.