Ireland signed off a record-breaking 2025 athletics season with a performance of depth, confidence and intent at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, finishing fourth on the overall medals table with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze.
The standout performance of the championships came from Nick Griggs, who delivered a commanding display to secure individual U23 gold.
Still just 20 years of age, the Tyrone athlete ran a composed and tactically mature race before making a decisive move on the final lap to pull clear of the field and take Ireland’s first individual European U23 cross country title.
“It’s unreal,” said Griggs. “I’ve wanted this for so long, and to finally put it together today is so special. To win individual gold is something I’ve dreamed about for years.”
Griggs’s victory set the platform for an equally impressive team gold, with Ireland producing a dominant collective performance. Callum Morgan finished eighth and Niall Murphy 10th, ensuring Ireland amassed just 19 points to top the standings comfortably, ahead of France and Spain.
The result represented not only a championship triumph but a clear signal of Ireland’s growing depth and competitiveness in this version of the sport.
“That’s what makes it so special,” Griggs added. “I’m so proud of myself, and I’m so proud of the lads beside me.”
While the U23 success provided the defining image of the championships, it was complemented by a long-awaited breakthrough in the senior ranks.
Ireland’s senior men’s team claimed silver, the country’s first medal in the category in 25 years. Jack O’Leary led the Irish finishers in fifth, supported by Brian Fay (10th), Cormac Dalton (11th), Darragh McElhinney (16th) and Efrem Gidey (19th), as Ireland finished just 10 points behind champions Spain.
“Seeing the U23s do what they did gave us huge confidence,” said O’Leary. “It’s great to be back on the podium, and hopefully we can stay there for a long time.”
Ireland’s medal tally was completed by another moment of underage promise in the women’s U20 race, where 16-year-old Emma Hickey claimed bronze, becoming the first Irish athlete to medal in the event.
“I didn’t think it would be possible,” said Hickey. “This is my first proper season, so to come away with a medal is amazing.”
There were further solid performances across the programme, including a career-best 10th place for Fiona Everard in the senior women’s race, a seventh-place finish for the women’s U23 team, and a sixth-place mixed relay result.
The U23 double gold represented a clear return on long-term investment in athlete development and coaching structures, while the senior men’s silver demonstrated that this progress is beginning to translate at the highest level.
Finishing fourth on the medals table, Ireland closed 2025 not just with medals, but with tangible evidence of a system producing results across generations.
Image Credit: Athletics Ireland and Sam Barnes, Sportsfile
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