Orla and Fionnuala Mulholland

‘Sibling gymnasts aim high with help from Mary Peters Trust’

Sisters Orla and Fionnuala Mulholland are hard-working, talented young gymnasts with a keen ambition to excel in their sport. Both are multi-skilled in various sports but it’s trampoline gymnastics that has gained them funding awards from the Mary Peters Trust.

The teenagers believe it’s amazing that Lady Mary and her Trust seek to back young athletes going forward and alongside their parents are both very thankful not only for the Trust’s financial support, but also its faith in an athlete’s ability and desire to be the best they can be.

“Mary has done so much for us and is a real inspiration as she is such a successful athlete herself. She recognises what it takes to achieve your sporting goals. She has been through that journey and understands how we feel. She sees the bigger picture,” explains Fionnuala who is seventeen.

Younger sister Orla (14) agrees saying, “We really appreciate the support from the Trust. As well as travelling to competitions in countries such as England and Portugal it’s the cost of going to daily training sessions which can really mount up. My family are fantastic at driving me from school to practices – it’s a real commitment.

“And we love to give back to Mary’s Trust and have been thrilled to help out with fundraising at various events.”

Fionnuala and Orla have been involved in gymnastics since they were three and their love of it all began through their eldest sister Katie, now twenty-seven.

As a young child Katie experienced various health issues and mum Rosie decided to introduce her to gymnastics to aid flexibility. That led to brother Niall (24) taking up the sport – indeed he was part of the same boy’s squad as Paris Olympic Gold medallist Rhys McClenaghan. Younger brother Owen (22) also got involved in men’s artistic and the scene was set for Fionnuala and Orla to pick up the baton from their siblings. The sisters have another brother Aidan (19) and although he never got into gymnastics he enjoys canoeing and stand up paddleboarding; and of course, like all the family is a big supporter of Team Mulholland gymnastics.

Fionnuala is in Lower 6^th at Coláiste Chaitríona, the Irish medium stream of St Catherine’s College in Armagh and is studying A-Levels in Irish, Maths and Health & Social Care. Orla is in Year 10 at the same school, progressing to GCSEs next year, although she has already passed her GCSE in Irish.

Whilst Orla’s big focus is trampoline gymnastics, she also plays soccer and Gaelic and really enjoys the team camaraderie and says the fitness and stamina work helps her trampoline gymnastics.

In April 2025 Orla’s Gaelic team, Armagh based Wolfe Tones, won the Feile Shield. On the same day as she picked up a 3^rd placed podium in the Female 15-16 FIG trampolining at the Northern Ireland Championships Qualifier in Newtownards.

Orla trains at Phoenix Gymnastics club in Toome with coach Geraldine Quinn, and her disciplines cover individual trampoline gymnastics and DMT (Double Mini Trampolining). In terms of Olympic categories, Individual Trampoline gymnastics is currently the only Olympic Sport.

Orla also participates in Teamgym and having finished first at the British Championships Qualifier in March, she and her ‘Team’ mates are set for the Teamgym British Championships in June 2025.

Orla suffered two bad injuries in 2023 but despite this came 4^th in the 2024 British Championships qualifier. Her brother Niall is a coach at her club Phoenix and mentors Orla providing her with advice and support. One interesting claim to fame for Phoenix Gymnastics is their purchase of the vault on which young American star Simone Biles claimed one of her gold medals at Paris 2024. The vault is even in the Club’s dark blue and turquoise colours. So Mid-Ulster has a little bit of Olympic stardust which will no doubt inspire up and coming young athletes.

At 17 and 14 Fionnuala and Orla are still very young but are already giving back to the sport they love. Each has completed official British Gymnastics courses and are ‘Young Helpers’ supporting the training of primary school aged gymnasts. Fionnuala is undertaking her Level 1 WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics) coaching qualification.

Fionnuala started gymnastics at three and progressed to trampoline gymnastics when she was seven. Whilst she retains both disciplines, individual trampoline gymnastics is the big focus.

Still only 17, Fionnuala’s achievements to date are impressive. Currently a Senior on the Irish Trampolining Squad, Fionnuala is the Irish Women’s Difficulty Record Holder and has won 2 medals representing Ireland on the international circuit.

She has held the title, British Champion for DMT, in the 11-12 category and the 13-14 category and finished 4^th in the 11-12 category at the World Age Group Championships in Tokyo, 2019. She also placed second in senior Ladies DMT in the British Championships 2024 (a narrow 0.2 marks off gold) in her first year at senior level.

Fionnuala was Northern Ireland Ladies Open Trampolining Champion, DMT Champion in 15-16 category, and NI Trampolinist of the Year in 2023, and took first place in Junior ladies Trampoline in Ireland in addition to being awarded Irish Junior Female Trampolinist of the year.

Flight Gymnastics, where Fionnuala trains, has successfully achieved FIG Trampolining Team of the Year in both Northern Ireland and Ireland over the past number of years and Fionnuala has played a key role in this achievement. She’s represented GB twice in DMT at World Level and Ireland internationally in Trampoline gymnastics at seven competitions including the European Championships at Junior and Senior level, and the World Age Group Championships at Junior level.

In July 2024 Fionnuala competed in the World Cup in Guimares in Portugal – a first ever for an Irish Senior female trampolinist. And in the lead up to the 2025 British and European competitions, Fionnuala came first in the Ladies Trampoline Open and first in the Senior Ladies DMT at the NI Championships Qualifier in Newtownards during March 2025. In April, Fionnuala also finished second in Senior Ladies DMT and Fifth in Senior Ladies Trampolining at the British Championships Qualifier 1 held in Telford.

Fionnuala has already competed against GB icon Bryony Page who won Gold in individual trampolining at Paris 2024 and will do so again. Coached by the highly experienced Claire Thompson, Fionnuala has her eye on LA 2028 as a ‘big stretch’ goal and of course Brisbane 2032. Interestingly Bryony Page was 33 when she achieved Gold, so time is certainly on Fionnuala’s side.

Coach Claire Thompson (who has trained several Mary Peters Trust trampoline gymnasts over the years) explains that four Irish Seniors are training in trampoline gymnastics via Gymnastics Ireland in a bid to be selected for Los Angeles. Fionnuala trains with Laoise Cox, “Two excellent role models for very young female gymnasts to look up to,” says Claire.

Fionnuala has been supported by the Mary Peters Trust several times since 2019. “The funding awards make a massive difference to me and my family. It’s a challenging financial burden both training here locally and travelling to competitions in England, Europe and further afield. We also appreciate the ethos of the Trust, the networking opportunities and the chance to meet your peers in other sports and learn from them.”

Post A-Levels Fionnuala hopes to gain a place on a physiotherapy degree course and has pinpointed either Ulster University or Liverpool for potential applications.

“Jay Scouler has been appointed the National Performance Coach for Ireland, and he runs the Liverpool Trampoline Gymnastics Academy. It would be brilliant to study in Liverpool and go to his gymnastics academy. Whatever happens I’ll be doing my best to develop my skills and I’m so grateful to all who have helped me along the way including the Mary Peters Trust. I can’t wait to see what the next few years bring.”