Today Ireland announced it’s delegation for the upcoming European Championships. The three gymnast delegation will be led by London 2012 Olympian Kieran Behan and will consist of 2 WAG; Ellis O’Reilly and Tara Donnelly.
Despite being Irish gymnasts and competing within the Gymnastics Ireland system, the three gymnasts also compete within the British Gymnastics system with Behan training in Tolworth Gymnastics Club and O’Reilly in Europa. Ellis is the current senior Irish All Around, Vault and Bars Champion having won the titles in 2014. Donnelly, originally having competed for the Isle of Man, was training in Manx Gymnastics up until 2014, now trains in Ellan Vannin Gymnastics and is affiliated with DP Gymnastics Club in Dublin.
This will be Kieran Behan’s second international competition of 2015 having competing at the Ljubliana Challenge Cup last weekend where he competed on Floor and Rings . Behan is expected to compete in the All Around competition in Montpellier.
2015 will be Ellis’ second year competing at Europeans for Ireland. Her most recent international outing for Ireland was at the Cottbus Cup in March where she competed on Bars, Beam and Floor. Meanwhile the European Championships will be Donnelly’s first outing for Ireland. Tara and her team mates made history for the Isle of Man at the 2014 Commonwealth Games competing as the first females for their nation. The team placed 10th and she ranked as first reserve for the All Around final.
