A record 78 teams competed at the championships from 22-25 July, with players facing temperatures of over 30°C throughout the four-day tournament.
The Ireland Men's Open arrived in France among Europe's leading teams after reaching the previous two European finals and the quarter-finals of the 2024 World Cup. After an opening defeat to Scotland, Ireland responded superbly, winning seven of their nine remaining round robin games to secure another final against defending champions England.
The gold medal match lived up to expectations, with the sides producing one of the games of the tournament. Ireland led on several occasions with scores from Rory Fulton (2), Luke de Renzy, Mark Phelan, Kiran Byrne (2) and Joe Ballance, but England edged a thrilling contest 8-7 with a late winning score.
Despite the disappointment, Head Coach John Ennis was immensely proud of his players.
"This campaign was our most comprehensive to date in terms of preparation and logistics. I've never been prouder of a group of players. We didn't need to be perfect on day one - we just needed to improve every game, and that's exactly what happened. People only see the games; they don't see the work, commitment and sacrifices made just to wear an Ireland jersey."
Ireland's Women's Open also enjoyed a landmark tournament. After finishing third in the round-robin stage with victories over Scotland and the Euro Select team, they faced Scotland again in the bronze medal match. Having shared the two earlier meetings between the sides, Ireland produced an outstanding performance to win 11-6, with Cara Summerbell and Katie Harmon both scoring hat-tricks.
The victory secured Ireland's first ever Women's Open medal at a European Championships. Captain Lianna Prizeman praised the team's resilience after welcoming eight debutants into the squad.
"I'm incredibly proud of what this team has achieved. Winning our first Women's Open medal makes all the hard work of the past five years worthwhile. Every player embraced the challenge and gave everything for this jersey."
The Men's 30s were another of Ireland's success stories. Despite fielding a largely new squad with seven debutants, they finished third in the ten-team round robin before producing a memorable 7-6 semi-final victory over hosts France, sealed by Stefan Fletcher's late try. England proved too strong in the final, but Ireland's silver medal matched their achievement from the 2022 European Championships.
Vice-captain Darren Broderick, the only player remaining from that 2022 squad, praised the team's adaptability throughout the tournament.
"Plans changed, tactics evolved and everyone stepped up when it mattered. That collective effort earned us our place in the final, and I believe we've built real momentum for the future."
Ireland's remaining teams also produced encouraging performances. The youthful Mixed Open side, with an average age of just 20, finished sixth from 13 teams after victories over the Netherlands, Scotland, Jersey and Italy. Many of the squad will now represent Ireland at next month's European Junior Championships.
The Women's 35s came agonisingly close to adding another medal. After qualifying for the bronze medal match, they led hosts France 3-2 at half-time before eventually falling 6-4. Head Coach Paul Brown also celebrated receiving his 150th Ireland cap during the tournament.
The Men's 40s finished seventh despite injuries to key players Alex Hunter and Andy Langford, while the Men's 50s placed sixth in an 11-team competition.
Ireland was also represented by four referees - Isabelle Tierney, Sana Tansey, Jamie Pearson-Evans and Siobhán Daly, with Daly receiving her Level 4 refereeing badge during the championships.
Ireland Men's Open: Sam Bewley, Flynn Leaver, Kiran Byrne, Rory Fulton, James O'Donnell, Seán Ballance, Kyle Leaver, Luke de Renzy, Tighe Brennan, Joe Ballance, Seán O'Sullivan, Cillian Daly (captain), Ben Layden, William Hickey, Andrew Mays, Mark Phelan.
Head Coach: John Ennis
Team Manager: Noel Cuddy
Top Scorer: Kiran Byrne (21 tries)
Ireland Women's Open: Aisling Gill, Caitlin Gill, Cara Summerbell, Charlotte Nagle, Éimear Murphy, Georgia Codyre, Katie Harmon, Katie Jelfs, Lianna Prizeman (captain), Niamh Summerbell, Shannon Gill, Allie Flynn, Kelsi McGrath, Rachel Duggan, Maebh Browne, Victoria Barrow.
Head Coach: Billy Ngawini
Team Manager: Edward Day
Top Scorer: Cara Summerbell (9 tries)
Ireland Mixed Open: Serge Broughton, Noah O'Neill, Rory Leaver, Tim Hogan, Cathal MacGearailt (captain), Alex Cassidy, Isaac Young, Elliott Ghent, Darren Curran, Arthur Forrest, Xanthe Lord, Airmid Devitt O'Byrne, Niamh Purtill, Sloane Rangitaawa, Amelie Birrell, Amelie Chan.
Head Coach: Tania Rosser
Team Manager: Amelie Birrell
Top Scorer: Niamh Purtill (10 tries)
Ireland Men's 30s: Michael Kearney, Andrew Shaw, Conor McNamara, Nigel Burke, Darren Broderick, Brian Leveau, Stefan Fletcher, Patrick Leeson, Jack McCarthy, Jamey Kingston, Stephen Troy (captain), Toby Venning, Alan Doyle, Tom Hopkins-Flanagan, Michael Kelly, Garry Ennett.
Head Coach: Matt Richards
Team Manager: Faiz Anand
Top Scorer: Stephen Troy (18 tries)
Ireland Women's 35s: Cróine Treacy, Emer O'Malley, Emma Horan, Laura Gaffney, Jennifer McHugo, Michelle Mulcahy, Karen Howard, Tania Verzanova Downing, Anthea Newton, Lisa Crossey, Lexi Garvey, Lorraine McKenna, Tracey Moran, Kerri Edwards, Aoife Tyrrell, Harriet Gibson.
Head Coach: Paul Brown
Team Manager: Carol Quinn
Top Scorers: Lisa Crossey, Kerri Edwards and Emer O'Malley (4 tries each)
Ireland Men's 40s: Andy Langford, Ian O'Malley, Stephen Kavanagh, Paul Gavin, Jono Jones, Alex Hunter, Nick McCavery, Nigel So, Stephen Sloan, Federico Black, Devin Greene, Ed Binham, Jonathan Fletcher, James Smith, Eric Negro, Aidan Toher.
Head Coach: James Smith
Team Manager: Nathan Cassidy
Top Scorer: Paul Gavin (10 tries)
Ireland Men's 50s: André Miranda, Andrew Wallace, Tonka Selby, Paddy O'Sullivan, Barry Keogh, Damien McAllister, Rory Hickey, Jason Harris, David Dowling, Jason Keane, Ger Attree, Frank Ennis, Anthony Nolan, Gerry Walsh, Salim Temtem, Gerald Pelosi.
Head Coach: Peter Ashe Browne
Team Manager: Rory Hickey
Top Scorer: Paddy O'Sullivan (10 tries)