At the Woodie's DIY Senior Inter County Cross Country Championships, UCD's Joe Sweeney was an impressive winner of the men's senior race on a challenging, mucky course at the Sligo racecourse.

The Dublin man is guaranteed a place on the Irish team for the European Cross Country Championships in December, as the first two across the line in each category will be automatically selected for the team.

Coached by Gerry Kiernan, he has been progressing steadily each season, winning the Inter and Club Cross Country Championships for the first time last year.

Sweeney, who led the race from the early stages, was a clear winner in 32 minutes 7 seconds from Andrew Ledwith of Meath in 32.53, with Paul Pollock third in 32.58.

Michael Mulhare (Laois) was fourth across the line and first in the U23 category in 33.21, with Emmet Jennings (Dublin) second in 34.39 and Liam Tremble (Dublin) third in 35.05 in that age category.

In the senior women's race Sarah Louise Treacy (Meath) was the first across the line in 31.10 to take her first senior title and the U23 title for the third year in a row.

Treacy, who is studying medicine in the UK, ran a confident race and was part of the leading pack from the start, with Aoife Culhane (nee Byrne), Claire McCarty (Cork), Kerry Harty (Down), Eilish Kelly (Roscommon) and Lizzie Lee (Cork).

In the final lap Treacy and Culhane moved away from the rest of the field. Culhane, however, suffered a fall midway through that lap and didn't regain her momentum.

McCarty moved through to second, crossing the line in 31.27, with Aoife Culhane third in 31.30. Una Britton (Wicklow), sister to Fionnuala, was third for Wicklow in the U23 category in 32.27 and Lauren Scott (Derry) was third in 33.26.

In the junior men's race Jake Byrne (Westmeath) won in 20.49 from Kevin Dooney (Dublin), who was second in 20.58. Liam Brady (Offaly) was third in 21.14.

Byrne, who competed in the NCAA's on Monday, flew home on Wednesday to take part in the championships and looked strong throughout the race.

In the junior women's race European Youth Olympic track medallist Siofra Clerigh Buttner (Dublin) was a convincing winner from her club-mate Clare McCarty in 16.15.

World Youth Walk champion Kate Veale (Waterford) showed her versatility by finishing third in 16.24.

Dublin won the junior men's and women's and senior men's county titles, while Cork took the senior women's title.