Roscommon sisters doing Ireland proud on international stage
Grace and Emily Quinn continue to prosper on the international pentathlon stage.
County Roscommon’s rising star of modern pentathlon, Grace Quinn, has been selected to represent Ireland at the European U-19 Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, between July 26th and 31st.
A proud member of Pentathlon Ireland’s Performance Development Programme, 17-year-old Grace, from Keadue in North Roscommon, has been immersed in an intensive training camp in Bath, UK — the home of Pentathlon GB — where she is fine-tuning her performance alongside fellow team-mates Martha, Paidi, Peter, Jamie, and Leo.
The camp is part of the squad’s final preparations ahead of the European championships, where athletes will compete across five gruelling disciplines — swimming, fencing, obstacle course racing (OCR), and the combined laser-run (running and shooting).
Before flying out to Lithuania, Grace will dive straight into the Senior Long Course Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin — a high-level event that underscores her athletic versatility and dedication.
Immediately after her European campaign, Grace will travel directly to Glasgow to compete at the Senior Regional Tetrathlon Championships with the Irish Pony Club squad. She’ll be met there by her younger sister and fellow athlete, Emily Quinn, who will be transporting and preparing their horse for the equestrian phase of the competition.
Emily recently returned from the U-17 European Championships in Barcelona, where she proudly represented Ireland. She now has her sights firmly set on the upcoming Olympic Hopes competition in October. It will represent a key milestone in the girls’ shared journey toward their ultimate dream — Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028.
The Quinn sisters have become a force to be reckoned with in the international pentathlon and tetrathlon scenes. They began swimming at the age of four and joined the Irish Pony Club at eight.
Their passion and relentless work ethic have taken them from rural Roscommon to the world stage. They have been funding their journey entirely out-of-pocket, as, unlike other sports, no direct state financial support is available until athletes reach Olympic level.
Their family is calling on local businesses and communities to support their path by getting involved in upcoming sponsorship and fundraising initiatives. With travel, equipment, coaching, and international competitions costing up to €15,000 per athlete each year, the sisters rely on a mix of creativity, local partnerships, and grit to continue chasing their sporting dreams.
For updates, follow their journey on Instagram or Facebook.
