James Nolan will be entrusted with a vital role when Ireland seek to justify their inclusion in Division One of the Europa Cup in Lahti in Finland over the next two days.

After deliberating for some time on how best to deploy their forces, team managers Patsy McGonigle and Michael Quinlan have decided that Nolan should run in the 1,500 metres today with James McIlroy being kept in reserve for tomorrow's 800 metres event.

Traditionally, 1,500 metres races in this competition are won by big finishers and the hope is that Nolan can kick sufficiently well off a steady pace, to secure vital points.

In allowing McIlroy to compete at his specialist distance, the managers believe that the talented Lisburn athlete will be strong enough over the last 200 metres to finish second to Norway's Olympic champion Vebjoern Rodal and win points that could prove crucial in the final calculations.

Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Holland, Norway, Belarus, Sweden and the Ukraine make up the men's programme with Denmark replacing Norway in the women's competition. And the expectation is that the Irish, without the services of Sonia O'Sullivan, Catherina McKiernan and Mark Carroll, will do well to finish in the first six.

Niall Bruton, convincing on his day, is given the task of replacing Carroll in the 3,000 metres with two of the American-based representatives in the team, Peter Coghlan and Tom McGuirk, running in the hurdles races.

To survive, Ireland need their top field events athletes at their best. Nick Sweeney and Terry McHugh are not short of experience in the discus and javelin events respectively and much interest will also attach to the former British high jumper, Brendan Reilly who will be making his first senior appearance for Ireland.

Susan Smith-Walsh, who competes in no fewer than four events over the two days, will hold the key to a good Irish performance in the women's programme in which Sinead Delahunty and Karen Shinkins will also be expected to score well.

On the domestic front, the finals of the Nestle Irish Schools championships at Tullamore today will, as ever, be enlightening as the cognoscenti take stock of the emerging talent from an original entry of more than 16,000.

Emily Maher's decision to decline an invitation to travel with the national squad to Finland, is almost certain to be rewarded with a sprint double and others who should do well are Derval O'Rourke, Conor Sweeney, Mark Kenneally and Michael Wilcox.