Portlaoise gymnast set to represent Ireland at European Championships

Lauren Kelly from Dysart, Portlaoise, will compete for Ireland at the Junior European Gymnastics Championships, which get underway this week in Croatia. The championships will run from August 13-23.

Lauren is 15 years old and, up to two years ago, was a member of Portlaoise Gymnastics Club, where she was coached by Denis Donoghue. Lauren became National Champion in her age group in 2024 at the age of 13 and, as a result, was selected onto the National Development Squad (NDS), becoming the first female gymnast from Portlaoise to achieve the feat.

“I knew Lauren was a special talent and it was fantastic to win the Nationals and be selected on the National Development Squad. I also knew that I could only give her 12 hrs a week coaching, which would not be enough if she was to make it onto the International stage. After having a chat with Lauren’s parents, Rosie and John, we contacted Excel Gymnastics Club in Dublin to see if they had a place for Lauren. Excel have members on the Irish squads so we knew it would be a good environment for her to train,” Donoghue said.

Excel were more than happy to offer Lauren membership of their club. Her training increased from 12 hours a week to 23 hours a week under the watchful eye of Nicole Cassidy, who is also a coach involved with the National Squad programme. This was only possible because of the huge commitment made by Lauren's parents, Rosie and John.

In April 2025, Lauren was selected to represent Ireland at the Oslo International, her first international competition. She qualified for the finals, finishing in the top eight, on vault and beam, where she placed fourth on vault and fifth on beam. The following month, Lauren competed in the National Championships in the Junior competition against the best juniors in the country, achieving bronze in the All-Around and bronze on beam.

Lauren followed this up by competing in the Oct National series, where she achieved silver on floor exercise and was a member of the team that took National Silver.

As a result of her performances, Lauren was selected to represent Ireland at the Caledonia Cup in Scotland against gymnasts from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. There, she produced an outstanding beam routine to not only finish first in the qualification but also claim gold in the final, becoming the only Irish gymnast to medal.

The National Championships in May of this year also served as a trial for gymnasts hoping to be selected for the European Championships. Lauren had an unbelievable competition, finishing with All-Around bronze as well as bronze on beam, vault and floor.

Regardless of their placings, the gymnasts had to achieve a very high benchmark score set down by Gymnastics Ireland. Only three gymnasts achieved that score, with Lauren among them, securing her selection for the European Championships in Croatia.

In preparation for the upcoming European Championships, Lauren competed for Ireland in Slovenia in June, where her team took gold.

“Lauren's achievements are a testament to her hard work and dedication at such a young age. She has sacrificed so much to achieve her goals. I’m so happy for her and her family. I’m also very proud knowing that Portlaoise Gymnastics Club set the foundation for everything that has followed.

“I judge for Ireland on the International stage every year, at European and World Championships, so when she was leaving the Portlaoise Club, we made a deal that someday she would be a gymnast competing at a major international, and I would be a judge at the same competition, and only two years later, here we are. Well done, Lauren,” Donoghue concluded.