Strong Portlaoise connection to Mark English’s historic European gold

THERE was a strong Laois connection to one of the greatest moments in Irish athletics history this week as Mark English stormed to a sensational European 800m title in Birmingham.

The Donegal athlete produced a stunning late burst to win Thursday night's final in 1:45.26, becoming the first Irish man ever to claim an individual gold medal at the European Athletics Championships.

While English is synonymous with Letterkenny, where he was born and raised, the newly crowned European champion has deep family roots in Portlaoise.

His mother, Brigid English (née Burns), is originally from Main Street in the town and comes from the well-known Burns family, who operated the Slieve Bloom Bar for many years, where Apache Pizza is now located. 

Brigid is one of three daughters of the late Brendan and Mary "Mai" Burns, alongside sisters Mary and Margaret. The family lived on Main Street, where Brendan was proprietor of the popular local pub.

When Brendan Burns passed away in 2017, his death notice listed his daughters Brigid, Mary and Margaret, as well as his grandchildren, including Mark English.

Brigid later settled in Donegal, where she worked as a schoolteacher. It was there that her son developed into one of Ireland's finest middle-distance runners and, ultimately, one of the country's greatest athletics champions.

English's triumph in Birmingham capped more than a decade competing at the highest level. He had previously secured European outdoor bronze medals in 2014 and 2022 but, at the age of 33, finally captured the major championship title that had long eluded him.

There had been clear signs of his exceptional form in the semi-final, where he clocked a blistering 1:43.49 to break a European Championships record that had stood since 1978.

In the final, English once again delivered when it mattered most. Timing his challenge perfectly, he surged past Croatia's Marino Bloudek in the closing stages to secure a memorable victory.

Bloudek took silver in 1:45.62, while Spain's Mohamed Attaoui claimed bronze in 1:45.71.

The emotion of the achievement was evident afterwards, with English revealing that relief was the overwhelming feeling after years of striving for a major championship gold medal.

His father, Joe, described the success as the product of a "lifetime of work."

For the Burns family, and for those who remember the Slieve Bloom Bar on Main Street, English's historic victory adds a special Portlaoise chapter to one of the most significant achievements in Irish sporting history.