Walshe Stars on Day Two of McCullagh International

After an electric opening night of racing in Bangor, the 2025 McCullagh resumed for the second and penultimate day of action.

Paris 2024 Olympic Finalist Ellen Walshe continued her impressive form, adding titles in the 50m Butterfly and 200m Freestyle to the 400m IM that she won on Friday.

In the 50m Butterfly Walshe won gold in 26.66, just outside Danielle Hill’s Irish Senior Record of 26.45. Jessica Calderbank (City of Manchester) and Emma Coulter (Ards) were next home for silver and bronze. The Male & Open 50m Butterfly gold went to Lewis Fraser of Swansea University.

Walshe also added the 200m Freestyle title to her collection. In an event the Templeogue swimmer has not competed in since 2022, her winning time of 2:00.39 saw her knock over five seconds off her previous best time. Stirling’s Lucy Hope was just behind for silver in 2:00.56 with Ards’ Grace Davison completing the podium in 2:02.39.

There was another hotly contested race between Stirling swimmers Jack McMillan, Duncan Scott and National Centre Limerick’s Evan Bailey, this time in the Male & Open 200m Freestyle. It was the local man McMillan who got his hand on the wall first in a time of 1:47.58, Scott would have to settle for silver with Bailey joining the two Olympic gold medallists on the podium in 1:49.22.

Ellie McCartney upgraded her silver medal from Friday night, winning the Female 200m Breaststroke in 2:26.07. The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer got the better of Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh 2:27.50) to bag gold. 17-year-old Niamh Connery of Shark won bronze in 2:32.68.

There was another National Centre (Limerick) swimmer on top of the podium as Eoin Corby came home first in the Male & Open 200m Breaststroke. Corby clocked 2:15.81 to win gold ahead of Lachey Reed (National Centre Ulster) in 2:21.02 and Liam O’Connor (National Centre Dublin) in 2:22.76.

The Male and Open 1500m Freestyle competitors were first up on the blocks on Saturday evening, Luke Hornsey of Edinburgh University took the lead from the onset and maintained it throughout to win gold in 15:42.83. National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Denis O’Brien was back on the podium to claim his second silver of the meet in 16:20.81, with bronze going to Tobias Birrer (Swim Regio Solothurn) in 16:25.63.

Sticking with the distance events, in the Female 800m Freestyle Michaella Glenister (University of Stirling) was the sole competitor to break the 9-minute barrier to win gold in 8:56.04. Eve Leleux ensured the silver did not have to travel far as the Swim Belfast swimmer clocked 9:13.65, bronze went to Amber Hinton (Dumfries) in 9:17.24.

The University of Stirling produced a one-two finish in the Male and Open 400m IM as Pierce Greening (4:35.52) and Angus Allison (4:43.31) finished first and second, respectively, while bronze went to Cody Lau of Ballymena in 4:52.81.

The Female 100m Backstroke was the penultimate event on Saturday evening with Rebecca Sutton (Swansea) touching the wall first to win gold in 1:02.71. City of Manchester’s Mollie Garratt (1:03.63) and Sophie Shaw (1:03.89) claimed the final podium spots while National Centre Limerick’s Cora Rooney was the quickest of the Irish competitors in 1:04.50.

The Male & Open 100m Backstroke gold went to Edinburgh’s Scott Gibson in a time of 57.30, National Centre (Limerick) swimmer Charlie Cassidy was next home in 57.97 with bronze going to City of Glasgow’s Jack Docherty-Simpson (58.11).

Earlier on Saturday, An Ards quartet of Daniel Harvey, Ryan McDowell, Cody Dunnion and Ben Wilson clocked a combined 3:37.98 to win the 4x100m Freestyle relay national championship. The national silver went to Longford (3:40.52), while Kilkenny (3:44.52) came home next to pick up bronze.

Cork club Dolphin doubled up on relay golds, this time winning the Female 4x100m Freestyle national title, as Shauna Murphy, Shonagh Ferriss, Orna Higgins and Lexi Dunne stopped the clock on 4:05.27. Limerick (4:07.20) were next home in second, Trojan (4:10.27) picked up bronze.

Results – Day Two

Open 4x100m Freestyle Relay

1. Ards | 3:37.98
2. Longford | 3:40.52
3. Kilkenny | 3:44.52

Female 4x100m Freestyle Relay

1. Dolphin | 4:05.27
2. Limerick | 4:07.20
3. Trojan | 4:10.27

Male & Open 1500m Freestyle Fastest Heat

1. Luke Hornsey (Edinburgh University) | 15:42.83
2. Denis O’Brien (NCL) | 16:20.81
3. Tobias Birrer (Swim Regio Solothurn) | 16:25.63

Female 800m Freestyle Fastest Heat

1. Michaella Glenister (Stirling) | 8:56.04
2. Eve Leleux (Swim Belfast) | 9:13.65
3. Amber Hinton (Dumfries) | 9:17.24

Male & Open 400m IM

1. Pierce Greening (Stirling) | 4:35.52
2. Angus Allison (Stirling) | 4:43.31
3. Cody Lau (Ballymena) | 4:52.81

Female 50m Butterfly

1. Ellen Walshe (Templeogue) | 26.66
2. Jessica Calderbank (City of Manchester) | 27.54
3. Emma Coulter (Ards) | 27.54

Male & Open 50m Butterfly

1. Lewis Fraser (Swansea University) | 23.53
2. Matthew Hamilton (Lisburn) | 24.81
3. Jamie Ingram (City of Manchester) | 24.87

Female 200m Freestyle

1. Ellen Walshe (Templeogue) | 2:00.39
2. Lucy Hope (Stirling) | 2:00.56
3. Grace Davison (Ards) | 2:02.39

Male & Open 200m Freestyle

1. Jack McMillan (Stirling) | 1:47.58
2. Duncan Scott (Stirling) | 1:47.99
3. Evan Bailey (NCL) | 1:49.22

Female 200m Breaststroke

1. Ellie McCartney (NCL) | 2:26.07
2. Kara Hanlon (Edinburgh) | 2:27.50
3. Niamh Connery (Shark Galway) | 2:32.68

Male & Open 200m Breaststroke

1. Eoin Corby (NCL) | 2:15.81
2. Lachey Reed (NCU) | 2:21.02
3. Liam O’Connor (NCD) | 2:22.76

Female 100m Backstroke

1. Rebecca Sutton (Swansea University) | 1:02.71
2. Mollie Garratt (City of Manchester) | 1:03.63
3. Sophie Shaw (City of Manchester) | 1:03.89

Male & Open 100m Backstroke

1. Scott Gibson (Edinburgh) | 57.30
2. Charlie Cassidy (National Centre Limerick) | 57.97
3. Jack Docherty-Simpson (City of Glasgow) | 58.11

Notes:

• Friday – Sunday schedule:

Friday/Saturday: Morning Session: 9:00am Finals: 5:30pm

Sunday: Morning Session: 9:00am Finals: 4:30pm

 

• Live Results: http://live-timings.swimireland.ie/ or Meet Mobile App ‘McCullagh International Meet’

 

Ireland National Senior Team 2025 Schedule:

 

21st – 23rd February        McCullagh International (Bangor, Northern Ireland)

14th – 16th March              Edinburgh International (Edinburgh, Scotland)

12th – 16th April               Irish Open Swimming Championships (Dublin, Ireland)

21st – 22nd May                  Mare Nostrum Swim Tour (Barcelona, Spain)

24th – 25th May                  Mare Nostrum Swim Tour (Canet-en-Roussillon, France)

20th – 22nd June                 Sette Colli Swim Meet (Rome, Italy)

27th July – 3rd August      World Aquatics Swimming Championships (Singapore)

21st – 27th September   World Para Swimming World Championships (Singapore)

 

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