Ireland eighth at halfway stage in European Team event in Estonia

Paul Robinson won a tactical 1500m race in Estonia

Thomas Barr, Paul Robinson and Brian Gregan clinched individual wins as Ireland ended the opening day of the European Team Championship First League meeting in Estonia in eighth place.

Barr maintained his recent great form by winning the 400m hurdles in 48.90 with Gregan [46.54] taking the 400m.

Robinson won a tactical 1500m with Kevin Batt third in the men's 5,000m.

Amy Foster [11.59] was fifth over 100m with Kerry O'Flaherty an impressive fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase.

O'Flaherty's time of 9:53.18 was just outside her personal best and Northern Ireland record set recently while another Northern Ireland athlete Christine McMahon was sixth in the women's 400m hurdles in 59.24.

Robinson, fresh from his 3:54 mile at the recent Bislett Games, kicked hard in the final 100m to win the 1500m in 3:51.05 while Australian native Batt, on his Irish debut, clocked 14:17.35 in the 5000m.

Lifford AC athlete Anne Marie McGlynn produced a great run to take fourth in the 3,000m in 9:21.19 while Rose-Anne Galligan earned useful points with a fifth place in the women's 800m in 2:05.97.

Tori Pena picked up good points for her fourth place in the women's pole vault but will have been disappointed with her best mark of 3.95m.

Hammer thrower Dempsey McGuigan, who like Foster, McMahon and O'Flaherty will compete in the Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland, took eighth place on his Ireland senior debut with a best throw of 62.71m.

Another Northern Ireland athlete Adam McMullen was 10th in the men's long jump with 7.39m.

David Hynes finished ninth in the men's 100m in 10.56 and was later in action for a 4x100m squad which took seventh in 40.18.

Foster was an absentee from the women's relay squad who placed fifth in 45.02.

Competition will continue in Tallinn on Sunday when Mark English, Fionnuala Britton, Ben Reynolds and Sarah Lavin will be among the Irish athletes in action.