Day Two Report – Youth & Senior Nationals

The second day of the Irish Youth and Senior National Championships took place today in the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre with another exciting day of racing.

The Women’s 1500m Freestyle took place this morning with a chance to claim national honours. Kilkenny swimmer Abby Cunningham was first home in the distance event, claiming the national gold in 18:21.79. Templeogue’s Aislinn Healy was next to touch the wall (18:49.67) in second, third and bronze went to Hannah Lynch of Enniskillen (18:53.16).

The 16yrs national gold went back across Dublin as Templeogue’s Ava Rock went 17:52.52 to touch the wall first. Eva Hand of Bangor was next home in 17:53.00, Rock’s teammate Holly McInerney was next to stop the clock in third (17:53.68). The 17yrs national title went to Kilkenny’s Nessa Godden in a time of 18:07.66. Katie Prunty of Slaney Sharks was next home (18:39.70) with bronze going to Amelie Ryan of Templeogue (18:40.18).

Rebekah Friel of Trojan dominated the 18+yrs to pick up the national gold in 17:46.27. Lisburn’s Jessika Robson was next home in 18:15.27, third went to National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Ella Carroll (18:26.25).

An Ards team including Naeve Pountney, Ellie McCartney, Charlie Eatwell and Daniel Harvey went a combined 4:07.22 to win the Mixed 400 Medley Relay. Swim Belfast were next home in 4:07.68 to pick up silver, bronze going to Limerick (4:10.99).

The Men’s 200m Backstroke got the second night of finals underway in Dublin with the 15yrs heading to the blocks first. The national gold headed back down south as Dolphin swimmer Tadgh O’Brien secured first place on the podium in 2:12.42. Leon Biss was next to stop the clock, the Swim Belfast swimmer going 2:14.38, bronze went to Levi Stafford (2:15.51) of Aer Lingus. The 16yrs gold went to Kilkenny’s Paddy Cuddihy in 2:11.61, Ards’ Mathias Pickett was next home (2:14.28) with bronze going to ESB’s Rudi Lacy (2:14.64).

Artem Chobot was first home in the 17yrs, the Titan swimmer clocked 2:08.14 on his way to gold. Bluefin’s Mark Cormican was next home to claim silver with 2:10.75, bronze went to Kieran Watterson of Galway (2:12.84).

New Ross’ Emmet Cousins went quickest in the 18yrs in a time of 2:06.09 to claim the national title. The silver medal was claimed by Dolphin man Ben Merrigan (2:16.66), next home in bronze was Dominic French (Longford) in 2:17.24. In the 19yrs+ national crown was claimed by Brandon Biss in 2:02.21. National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Neddie Irwin was next home to claim silver in 2:06.12, while third and bronze went to James Woolley (2:18.20) of Claremorris.

There was a change of ends as the Women’s 50m Freestyle took to the NAC blocks next. St Fiacc’s Hannah Coady was first to touch the wall in 27.28 to claim the 15yrs gold, Dolphin swimmer Lexi Dunne was just .02 behind in silver. Tallaght swimmer Elaine Zhang was next to touch the wall (27.68) to claim bronze.

Portmarnock swimmer Ava Jones was back on the podium, this time to pick up the 16yrs gold in 26.81. The national silver headed to Trojan was Abril Allende went 27.67 in second place, in third place was Abby Yelverton (27.73) of Limerick. Swim Belfast continued to impress as Rosie Whitten went 27.33 to claim the 17yrs gold medal. Maeve McClean of City of Derry stopped the clock on 27.69 to claim silver while bronze went to Ards’ Megan Diamond (27.29).

The 18yrs gold and silver headed to Cork, as Sundays Well swimmers Eva Harrington (27.00) and Isabel Kidney (27.12) finished in gold and silver position, respectively. Joining both swimmers on the podium was Leanne Liddane (27.19) of Ennis.

 

Sticking with the sprint events, the Men’s 50m Freestyle were up next on the blocks. Breifne swimmer Miks O’Flaherty put his hand on the wall first, going 24.85 to win the 15yrs national gold. Tadgh O’Brien took another trip to the podium as the Dolphin swimmer went 25.37 to pick up silver, third and bronze went to Coolmine’s Cameron Jackson (25.60). Rueben Agbaje of Bangor claimed top spot on the podium with a time of 24.91, picking up the 16yrs national gold.

Jamie Lannon of Longford was next home (25.24), bronze went to Cookstown’s Ryan Griffin (25.41). In the 17yrs race, Eoghan Rynn of Trident was first home in a time of 24.14 to win the national title. Daniel Harvey (Ards) was next to put his hand on the wall in a time of 24.21 to bag silver with bronze going to Fionn Bryne (NAC) in 24.34. The 18yrs title did not have far to travel as Coolmine man Killian Brophy O’Loughlin came home first in 23.67. Cian Houlihan (Limerick) was next to get his hand on the wall in 24.68, third and bronze went to Senan Harvey (Dolphin) in 24.77.

Fresh off the back of his European Championships campaign in Belgrade, Evan Bailey was back on the blocks. The New Ross man trashed through the pool in 23.11 seconds to claim the 19yrs+ national gold. Cody Dunnion of National Centre Ulster was next up on the podium to pick up silver (23.28), bronze was claimed by Lisburn’s Dylan Registe (23.49).

The Women’s 100m Butterfly event was next on the schedule this evening. Lucy O’Brien was National Centre Limerick went quickest to win the 15yrs national gold in a time of 1:03.64. Tallaght’s Elaine Zhang was next home (1:06.29), while bronze went to Nicole Higgins (1:07.36) of Dungannon. Hannah Poynton of Trojan claimed top spot on the podium in the 16yrs, Poynton went 1:06.37 on her way to gold. Jordan Winterbach (Titan) was next up to bag silver in a time of 1:07.19, bronze went to Bangor’s Eva Hand (1:07.63).

The 17yrs national title went to Eva Bayley of New Ross, the Wexford swimmer clocked 1:04.77 on her way to gold. Katie Kelly (Sharks) went 1:04.84 in silver position, bronze went to Rosie Whitten (1:05.77) of Swim Belfast. The 18yrs+ went to recent European Junior international Alana Burns-Atkin of Banbridge in 1:02.09. Sundays Well swimmer Izzy McGrath was next to stop the clock (1:03.51), third and bronze went to Kelly-ann Brown (1:04.51) of NAC.

The Men’s 100m Butterfly was the penultimate event of day two with the 15yrs up first. Phelim Hanley of Blackrock was first home in 58.54 to win the national title. Finishing closely behind and the only other swimmer to go under the one-minute mark was Thomas Bugler of Sundays Well (59.21). Jason Siyuan Jia (Tallaght) was next home to claim bronze.

Ryan Griffin (Cookstown) was top of the podium to claim the 16yrs national gold in 59.41. Longford man Jamie Lannon was next to stop the clock (59.87), bronze went to Ben Wilson (59.99) of Ards. Glenalbyn’s Sean Donnellan, who was also fresh off the back of the 2024 European Junior Championships, finished first in the 17yrs race (56.19). Conor Lanigan (Trident) was next home in 58.57, in third place and bronze was Sean Carragher (58.96) of Banbridge.

There was a Coolmine one-two in the 18yrs race, as Killian Brophy O’Loughlin (57.94) and Darragh Morgan (58.13) finished in first and second, respectfully. Sundays Well swimmer Sean Bugler was in third (59.18).

The noise levels increased in the NAC for the 19yrs+ race as Evan Bailey headed to the top of the podium again. The New Ross man went 54.10 in the 19yrs+ final to claim the national title. His nearest competitor was National Centre (Ulster) swimmer Charlie Eatwell (55.71), with bronze going to National Centre Limerick’s Brogan McAviney (55.99).

The Women’s 200m IM brought day two finals to a close with National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien touching the wall first in 2:25.75 to win the 15yrs gold. Dolphin swimmer Lexi Dunne went 2:27.00 on her way to silver, with bronze going to Banbridge swimmer Georgina Walker (2:30.27). Niamh Connery (Shark) was first to stop the clock in the 2:26.55, winning the 16yrs national gold. Jessica Purcell (Aer Lingus) finished in second place to pick up silver in 2:29.40, Trojan’s Abril Allende was next home (2:30.28).

Eva Bayley (New Ross) topped the podium in the 17yrs race in a time of 2:26.94, picking up the national gold. Leah Connell (Athlone) was next to stop the clock in a time of 2:28.07, third and bronze went to Trident’s Clara Doherty (2:29.11).

Recent European finalist and National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Ellie McCartney went 2:16.25 to claim the national title. UCD’s Jena Macdougland was next to stop the clock (2:20.97) with bronze going to her UCD teammate, Naomi Trait (2:22.30).

Action continues tomorrow morning from 8:45am.

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