Offaly athlete makes the cut for European championships in Rome

Offaly's Laura Mooney has been selected by Athletics Ireland for the upcoming European Athletics Championships which take place in Rome from June 7-12.

The Tullamore Harriers athlete will compete in the 10,000 metres on Tuesday, June 11 in the Stadio Olimpico in the Italian capital.

The Cappincur native ran a new personal best for the distance of 33:00.20 in April at the Raleigh Relays in North Carolina.

Mooney was initially included among the provisional list of athletes to represent Ireland in Rome, but her place has since been confirmed.

Laura studies at Providence College in Rhode Island in the United States of America, where she is guided by world renowned distance coach Ray Treacy.

She has progressed steadily through the ranks having finished sixth in the 5000m at European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia in 2021.

Laura also represented Ireland at European Cross Country Championships in both 2021 and 2022.

These are exciting times for Tullamore Harriers AC, with Laura the third club member to get a senior international in the last twelve months. Tullamore's Danielle Donegan raced in the World Cross Country Championships in Serbia, while Mountmellick native Ava O’Connor competed at the European Athletics Team Championships in Poland.