The selection of Catherina McKiernan provided the big talking point when the members of the Irish team to compete in the European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon on December 14th were named yesterday.
Just days after announcing that the European race did not figure in her programme, McKiernan arrived back from Barcelona, where she won another road race at the weekend, to discover that her name had been included in the travel party.
By doing so, the selectors were being careful to be seen making every effort to encourage her to run in Lisbon. However, the reality is that she had no intention of straying from her original decision to postpone her debut in cross country competition this season until Durham on January 3rd.
"I made it clear some time ago that my programme did not include the European championship and to that extent, I was surprised to find that I had been selected," she said.
"Nothing has changed from my point of view, however, and I will not have my first cross country race until I get to Durham. After that, I have a few options which I will be looking at in the New Year."
After successes in the Berlin marathon and a 15-kilometre race in Amsterdam, McKiernan illustrated her remarkable versatility by winning a road race over a hilly 3,500 metres in Barcelona last Sunday. Now, she may run again on the road in Europe in the coming weeks, before going to Durham.
Shortly after McKiernan had reaffirmed her short-term plans, the Irish selectors withdrew her name from the Lisbon squad, replacing it with that of Dublin runner Annette Kealy, who finished third in the National Inter Counties Championship at Tinryland at the weekend.
Teresa Duffy, so impressive in winning that race, leads the team, which also includes Maureen Harrington of Kerry and Blarney woman Valerie Vaughan, who is now living in California.
Colm De Burca, the talented Dubliner, who finished fifth in the inter counties championship, is the only newcomer in the men's team. Seamus Power, now running at the top of his form, is named in the top position with Peter Matthews, Noel Cullen and David Burke also selected to travel.
