Day Four Report – 2023 Irish Age Group Championships

The curtain was brought down this evening on a remarkable 2023 Irish Age Group Championships in Limerick. Nearly 700 swimmers from 100 clubs came through the doors of the UL Sport Area over the four day competition, many of whom competing on the national stage for the first time vying for national medals throughout the weekend.

Much like the previous three days of competition, the morning session included relay events, offering the first opportunity for medals. The Girls 200 Medley Relay was the first event up with Trojan clocking a combined 2:27.96 on their way to the 12 yrs gold, Dolphin (2:37.52) took the silver while Glenalbyn finished third in a time of 2:40.01. In the boys 12 yrs event, Blackrock clocked 2:29.22 to finish in first place with Glenalbyn in second (2:31.07).

The Girls 13-14 yrs was won by Tallaght in 4:47.82 to take home the gold, while Banbridge came in at a combined time of 4:49.28 to finish second, Dolphin went 4:51.13 on their way to third place. Trojan were victorious in the Boys 13-14 yrs in a time of 4:24.31, while Banbridge followed their teammates in the previous race to take silver (4:39.86), the final podium place went to Limerick (4:50.73).

The gruelling 1500 Freestyle took place this afternoon, with Emily Hughes of Larne claiming the Girls 14 yrs gold in a time of 19:08.04, Abby Cunningham came home at 19:13.38 to take silver, with Limerick swimmer, Sorcha Ní Riain touching in 19:24.80 in third place. The 13 yrs gold went to Julia Dziedzic (Aer Lingus) in 19:54.86, Ilaria Aylward of Breifne clocked 20:26.29 on her way to silver with Lorenna Erlacher (EBS) finishing third in 21:13.55.

The Girls 100 Freestyle got us underway for the last session of the 2023 Irish Age Group Championships. Emma Kwan (Swim Belfast) came home first to take the 12 yrs back to Belfast in a time of 1:05.30, Sian McCrohan (1:08.22) of Trojan and Cara Murphy (1:03.53) of Swilly Seals battled it out for the remaining podium places with McCrohan pipping Murphy to second. In the 13 yes, Georgia May Agnew (1:02.60) came out on top, with Victoria Lynch (1:03.59) taking silver, Gracie Mulloy joined her teammate on the podium following her third-place finish (1:03.96). The 14 yrs final was won by Hannah Coady of St. Fiacc’s in 1:01.01, Lexi Dunne (Dolphin) went stroke for stroke with Coady, eventually having silver in a time of 1:01.31, Emily Hughes (Larne) came third in 1:02.32.

Up next was the Boys 400 Freestyle with Helge Ho (Aer Lingus) claiming the 13 yrs national gold in 4:39.07, Harry McGlashan (4:49.57) claimed second and in third was Fiachra Redington (Athlone). Baltazar Allende (Trojan) and Artem Kovalenko both picked up another two commemorative medals. Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) bagged gold in the 14 yrs final in a time of 4:28.28, the silver and bronze went back to Cork with Liam O’Driscoll (4:30.80) and Thomas Bugler (4:31.95).

Moving onto the 400 IM, the girls were next up on the blocks with Neysa Connolly (Galway) taking home of the 13 yrs national gold in 5:40.74, going nine seconds quicker than this morning, Bangor’s Grace Eyre (5:48.67) also had a big drop, going eight seconds quicker on her way to silver, Gracie McNeill (Banbridge) went 5:52.10 to claim bronze. Georgina Walker (Banbridge) and Lucy O’Brien (Limerick) battled it out for top honours with Walker pulling away to take gold in 5:16.43. Caoilinn O’Connor (Sunday Wells) came home in 5:39.56 to take bronze and a commemorative medal went to Dixie Dot Turner-Moore of Lisburn.

Shea Mathers won the 13 yrs Boys 200 Butterfly in an impressive time of 2:25.37, Garvan Gillard (Blackrock) finished second in 2:42.61, while third place was claimed by Tim Kelly (Trojan) in 2:43.59. Artem Kovalenko of NAC was awarded a commemorative medal with a time of 2:42.25. There would be another gold for Blackrock, this time in the 14 yrs as Phelim Hanley came home in 2:18.19, Jia Siyuan Jason of Tallaght clocked 2:25.37 to take silver, finishing closely behind was Liam O’Driscoll of Sunday Wells (2:25.89).

Sticking with the 200 Butterfly, the girls were up next, Fiona Weng of Tallaght touched the wall in 2:48.72 on her way to the 13 yrs gold, while Scarlett Watt (Portadown) clocked 2:50.56 in second, Abi Brodick (Trojan) was next in with a time of 2:57.14. The 14 yrs national gold was claimed by Tara Kennedy of Banbridge with a time of 2:34.63, Nicole Higgins (2:41.43) of Dungannon placed second and Georgina Walker (Banbridge) finished third with a time of 2:42.67.

The Boys 200 IM brought the curtain down on the 2023 Irish Age Group Championships, Anton Nieuwoudt (Limerick) touched first in 2:24.48, Templeogue’s Dan McBride touched in 2:49.08 on her way to silver, while Simon Geraghty of Galway went to 2:49.60 to take the third podium place. Riley Brown (Ballymena) was the 13 yrs champion with a time of 2:24.27, Helge Ho (Aer Lingus) was next to the wall in 2:30.54 followed by Shea Mathers (Banbridge) in 2:31.89, Baltazar Allende of Trojan was awarded a commemorative gold.

The final gold medal up for grabs went to Phelim Hanley of Blackrock with a time of 2:18.24 in the 14 yrs event, Scott Dua (Longford) touched next in a time of 2:23.07, with the third and final place spot on the podium going to Daire Finlayson (Glenalbyn) in a time of 2:23.11.