Athletics possible qualifiers:
Men's 800m:
Mark English - he is the highest ranked athlete without the automatic time and occupies 36th position out of a possible 48 quotas. He looks totally safe.
Men's 1500m:
We have a great chance of adding one or two alongside auto qualified Andrew Coscoran but it's going to go down to the wire!
Cathal Doyle currently occupies a quota position (44/45)
Luke McCann and Nick Griggs are both currently just on the outside of the quota places 47th and 48th. But as always there are opportunities for reallocations. We know Dutch athlete Niels Laros is out injured for the Games. Also the Irish athletes have every chance of climbing inside the quota places on their own merit.
I would reckon at least one of Doyle, McCann or Griggs makes it and would put a reasonable bet on 2 of those qualifying.
Men's 400m Hurdles:
Thomas Barr has it all to do to get inside the quotas places. However, a good European championships would give him every chance of making it.
He is currently ranked 59th out of a total of 40 possible quotas. He has just got a ranking for the first time last week and has a lot of scope to rocket up the ranks with some low scores to discount. I think a good European champs and he will make it (with maybe another one or two decent times at other meets). A bad Euros result and I don't think he makes it.
He may still be part of the mixed relay team though that will be competitive with only 2 invites on the men's side.
Men's Long Jump:
Reece Ademola is on the bubble, currently occupying a quota spot (31/32).
However, he is out injured currently and I think he needs another couple of good performances to make the team.
I am going to predict he won't make it unfortunately.
Men's Shot Put:
Eric Favors is currently relatively comfortably in a quota spot (26/32).
I think even if he doesn't further improve his points ranking, he is likely to still hang on.
Women's 200m:
Phil Healy is getting back to form this year but is still quite a way outside the quotas places (ranked 60th from a total quota of 48).
However, I do see her improving further but would still guess she will end up below the line.
Phil is likely to be part of the women's 4x400m relay squad anyway so this won't affect our numbers.
Women's 400m:
Sophie Becker is on track to earn an individual quota as she has rocked up the rankings this year and is now sitting in 42/48 in the rankings.
I would bet on Sophie improving her ranking further and cementing her place.
Again, Becker would likely be part of our relay squads so this won't affect our numbers.
Women's 800m:
Louise Shanahan has slipped outside of the quota places after a bad season thus far.
She is currently just outside the cut-off (51st from 48 total qualifiers).
On current form she is likely to slip further back and miss out on qualifying. Hoping she can turn things around in the next weeks.
Women's 5000m:
Roisin Flangan is currently outside of the quota places at 52nd place in the rankings (42 quotas).
She has the opportunity to improve a few places but I would hazzard a guess that she falls short.
Women's Hammer:
Nicola Tuthill is improving week-on-week and she has now leapt up to 34th in the rankings, just 2 places shy of the 32 quota places.
I think Nicola will improve more and I would bet she just scrapes into the quota places at the close of the rankings!
Women's Heptathlon:
Kate O'Connor is in free-fall in the rankings and is currently perilously placed 23/24 in the race to Paris.
She won't be at the Europeans and without one more really good result in heptathlon then I don't she has a chance in hell in making the Olympics which would be devastating given it would be almost a carbon-copy of her Tokyo qualification disaster. I fear she must be struggling with injuries this season and I would have to say I don't see her making the Games
There are others still with outside chances (for example, Dave Kenny in men's 20km walk, Michele Finn in the women's 3000m steeplechase and Elizabeth Ndudi in the women's long jump) but I think they have too much to do in too short a period. Elizabeth Ndudi would be a sort of wildcard as she has the ability to make a big improvement and hit an auto Q whereas the others I can't see it happening. Though that even seems too much to hope for with Ndudi this early in her career.
My prediction for who will qualify:
Mark English (Men's 800m)
Two from Luke McCann, Cathal Doyle and Nick Griggs in the men's 1500m (in that order as well)
Eric Favors (Men's Shot Put)
Sophie Becker (Women's 400m)
Nicola Tuthill (Women's Hammer)
I'm 50:50 on Thomas Barr. Let's be optimistic and assume he makes it. Discounting the fact Becker will likely be part of the relay squad, that gives us around 6 new qualifiers.