Waterford athlete Barr, ranked third in Europe going into these Championships, was rarely troubled in a heat where the first four would qualify automatically.

Instead, he used his traditionally strong finish to make sure there would be no worries at all, winning in 49.79 seconds, having half a second to spare over Germany’s Felix Franz.

Barr knows he will have to quicken up in the semis, after Russia’s Denis Kudryatsev won his heat in a storming 49.05.

Jason Harvey bowed out of the same event by finishing seventh in his heat in 51.91.

Both Irish competitors progressed in the men’s 400m, with Brian Gregan going through automatically and Richard Morrissey hanging on as a fastest loser.

Gregan finished third in a tough heat in 46.33 seconds, with Morrissey progressing as a fastest loser by finishing sixth in a personal best 46.20 seconds.

Amy Foster had to wait before making it into the semi-finals of the women’s 100m, going through as a fastest loser.

The City of Lisburn sprinter was looking good for an automatic place in the next round until she was pipped on the line for fourth by bronze-medallist at the last Europeans, Lina Grincikaite of Lithuania.

The former European Under-23 champion clocked the same time as Foster, 11.51, but was given fourth with Foster fifth – the Irish athlete narrowly made it through as the fourth and last fastest loser, meaning Phil Healy of Bandon missed out by two-hundredths, finishing sixth in her heat in 11.53.

Limerick hurdler Sarah Lavin was denied in the women’s 100m hurdles through, as she came through in eighth in 13.35 seconds.

Later tonight, Mark English and Declan Murray compete in the men’s 800m heats, while Fionnuala Britton kicks off her marathon week with a medal chance in the women’s 10000m final.