Six Irish athletes represented Paralympics Ireland at the 2026 Para Powerlifting European Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, with strong performances across two days of competition and a podium finish for two-time Paralympian Britney Arendse.
Competing on Sunday 8 March and Monday 9 March, the Irish team featured a blend of experienced international athletes and emerging competitors building toward future Paralympic qualification.
Strong Opening Day for Fitzgerald, Buckley and Devlin
Sunday’s competition began with Meath athlete Casey Fitzgerald in the Up to 73kg category. Fitzgerald, who claimed silver at the 2025 World Championships in Cairo, opened her campaign with a lifetime best lift of 90kg. The lift was confirmed with three white lights from the judges and sparked a trademark celebration from the Irish athlete.
Fitzgerald attempted to improve on that mark with two lifts at 92kg but narrowly missed both attempts during the press sequence. Her opening lift secured fourth place overall in a highly competitive category and marked another personal milestone in her international career.
Next in action was Cork’s Niamh Buckley in the Up to 61kg category. Buckley, who also impressed at the World Championships last autumn, opened successfully with a lift of 73kg.
She attempted 76kg on her second lift but was marked down due to an uneven press sequence. Her final attempt at 79kg, which would have been a new lifetime best, was ruled unsuccessful due to the stop sequence. Buckley finished second in Group B and eighth overall after the completion of Group A.
Cork native Ruairí Devlin rounded out the first day of Irish competition in the Up to 88kg category. Devlin opened strongly with a lift of 120kg before producing a standout performance in round two.
With the bar loaded to 127kg, Devlin surpassed his previous lifetime best of 123kg set at the 2025 World Championships, celebrating emphatically after the successful lift. His final attempt at 130kg proved just out of reach, leaving him with a best lift of 127kg and a 12th place finish overall.
Personal Bests and Podium Finish on Day Two
Monday’s competition began with Dublin’s Michael O’Cearra in the Up to 80kg category. The Ballybrack Bulls wheelchair basketball player was aiming to improve on his World Championship performance where he had been unable to register a successful lift.
O’Cearra opened with 118kg before successfully lifting 122kg on his second attempt to record a new lifetime best. On his final attempt he pushed further to 126kg, and after a tense wait for the judges’ decision, three white lights confirmed another lifetime best.
His performance placed him fourth in Group B and ultimately 12th overall in a highly competitive field.
Sean Hughes followed in the Up to 97kg category and delivered one of the standout Irish performances of the championships. Hughes had previously set an Irish record and lifetime best of 160kg at the 2025 World Championships in Cairo.
He opened confidently with 158kg before surpassing his previous best with a successful lift of 161kg. Hughes then went even further on his final attempt, lifting 164kg to record another lifetime best.
The impressive performance placed Hughes sixth overall and fourth in total lift in a strong international field.
The final Irish athlete in action was two-time Paralympian Britney Arendse, competing in the Up to 86kg category. The championships marked her return to international competition following an 18-month break after finishing fourth at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Arendse opened with 118kg before successfully lifting 121kg on her second attempt. With that lift confirmed, she had secured a medal position.
In a final attempt to push for silver in the total lift standings, Arendse opted to raise the bar to 126kg following a discussion with coach Roy Guerin. The attempt ultimately proved unsuccessful, but her earlier lifts ensured a bronze medal both overall and in total lift.
Irish Results
Casey Fitzgerald – Up to 73kg: Lifetime Best 90kg, 4th place overall
Niamh Buckley – Up to 61kg: Best lift 73kg, 8th place overall
Ruairí Devlin – Up to 88kg: Lifetime Best 127kg, 12th place overall
Michael O’Cearra – Up to 80kg: Lifetime Best 126kg, 12th place overall
Sean Hughes – Up to 97kg: Lifetime Best 164kg, 6th place overall, 4th place total lift
Britney Arendse – Up to 86kg: Bronze medal overall and bronze in total lift
Ireland’s Para Powerlifters will next return to domestic competition at the Irish Invitationals on 27 June in Cork, where athletes will continue their preparations for future international events and the road toward LA 2028.
