ATHLETICS Athletics Ireland begin countdown to SPAR European Cross Country Championships

Athletics Ireland has begun the countdown to the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, which will take place in Santry Demesne, Dublin, on the 13th of December. The tickets for the event went on sale today through Ticketmaster outlets nationwide and www.ticketmaster.ie.

Two of Ireland's most promising young athletes, Charlotte and Rebecca Ffrench O'Carroll, were on hand to launch the sale of tickets for the event in Dublin today. This will be the first time that Ireland has hosted the SPAR European Cross Country Championships and it marks the 30th anniversary of when John Treacy famously won the World Cross Country title in Limerick.

Tickets for the event are priced at €20 for adults and €10 for U-16, while a special family ticket which will admit two adults and a maximum of four children is available at a price of €40.

Ireland has had some excellent results at the European Cross Country Championships in recent years. In 2006 Fionnuala Britton took silver in the U-23 event, while last December Mary Cullen was within seconds of taking bronze in the senior event. Cullen subsequently went on to take bronze at the European Indoor Championships proving herself as one of Europe's top middle distance athletes.

Liam Hennessy, President of Athletics Ireland, believes this is a momentous occasion for Irish athletics. "This is the first time we have had the honour of hosted a European Athletics Championships and to be able to host such a prestigious event is a great honour and challenge for us. This will be a huge boost to athletes across the country and with our proud tradition in cross country running through the likes of Catherina, John and Sonia it gives Irish athletics the opportunity to take centre stage again on the 13th of December," Hennessy said.

Anne Keenan Buckley, Athletics Ireland Team manager for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, is confident the Irish team will give the home fans plenty to cheer about. "To have the European Cross Country Championships in Ireland could not have come at a better time for our athletes. We will have top class runners in each of the groups, including the likes of Mary Cullen, Fionnuala Britton, Martin Fagan, Alistair Cragg and the Ffrench O'Carroll twins. It is a long time since Ireland had such a great range of athletes in cross country and it will provide very exciting viewing for everyone at Santry Demesne in December," Keenan Buckley said today.

Athletics Ireland is supported nationally in running this event by the Irish Sports Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, RTة and Clonliffe Harriers.

The 16th SPAR European Cross Country Championships take place on the 13th of December in Santry Demesne, Dublin. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets nationwide or through www.ticketmaster.ie. More information on the event can be found on www.dublin2009.ie