Irish Open Swimming Championships & Commonwealth Games Trials – Preview
Ireland’s Top Swimmers Target International Qualification
Swim Ireland’s 2026 Irish Open Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials get underway on Wednesday, 8 April at the Bangor Aurora Aquatics & Leisure Complex, Co. Down. The five‑day competition will see over 400 swimmers from more than 70 clubs contest national titles across 34 individual events, while also competing for selection to national teams, including the Commonwealth Games, European Aquatics Championships (Swimming and Open Water Swimming), European Para Swimming Championships and the European Aquatics Junior Championships (Swimming and Open Water Swimming).
Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen, Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry and Olympic finalist Ellen Walshe, along with World Junior and European Short Course Champion John Shortt and European U23 Champion Ellie McCartney, have all achieved initial qualification times for the European Aquatics Championships in Paris following their performances at last summer’s World Championships as have 2024 European Champion Danielle Hill, 2025 European (SC) bronze medallist Evan Bailey, Tom Fannon, Jack Cassin and Eoin Corby. As a result, Wiffen, McCartney and Hill have additionally secured initial qualification times for the Commonwealth Games. All swimmers will still be required to compete in the same individual event(s) at the Irish Open to demonstrate competitive readiness and achieve a secondary consideration time.
In Para swimming, four Paris Paralympians — Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Deaten Registe and silver and bronze medallist Róisín Ní Riain — have already achieved the qualification standard for the European Para Swimming Championships, which take place in Turkey in September, as has Luke Brennan. McClements, Brady, Registe and Brennan will all race in Bangor this week.
The Championships will also feature 2024 Olympians Conor Ferguson, Darragh Greene, Grace Davison and Victoria Catterson, alongside a strong group of contenders including, among others, Nathan Wiffen and Lottie Cullen. In all events, aside from the longer-distance races, swimmers will have two opportunities per event during the meet to achieve qualification times in their respective events.
The opening day of competition will see Daniel and Nathan Wiffen contest the 1500m Freestyle, Ellen Walshe and Jack Cassin racing in the 200m Butterfly, while Bailey, Hill, Catterson and Davison are all entered in the 100m Freestyle.
Speaking ahead of the Championships, Swim Ireland’s National Performance Director Andy Reid said,
‘The Irish Open Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials, marks a crucial moment in our season as athletes compete for selection to this summer’s international competitions. Following a highly successful European Aquatics Short Course Championships in December, and a series of encouraging early-season long course performances, there is a real sense of momentum building with athletes and coaches.
This meet is about more than qualification; it’s about continuing to prepare our athletes and coaches to perform when it matters most. It’s an exciting time, and we look forward to seeing how fast our athletes can be as they take the next step toward delivering season-best performances on the international stage this summer.’
International Swimming Events Summer 2026
2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland, 24th – 29th July
Initial Consideration Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m & 800m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Danielle Hill (50m & 100m Backstroke),
*All swimmers will need to compete in the same individual event/s at the 2026 Irish Open Championships to assure the National Performance Director of competitive readiness and achieve the Consideration Time detailed in Table 2 here.
2026 European Aquatics Championships (Swimming, Open Water, Diving), Paris, France, 4th – 16th August
Initial Consideration Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m & 800m Freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m Butterfly, 200m, 400m IM), Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), John Shortt (200m Backstroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle), Danielle Hill (50m & 100m Backstroke), Evan Bailey (200m Freestyle), Jack Cassin (200m Butterfly), Eoin Corby (100m &200m Breaststroke)
*All swimmers will need to compete in the same individual event/s at the 2026 Irish Open Championships to assure the National Performance Director of competitive readiness and achieve the Consideration Time detailed in Table 2 here.
2026 European Para Swimming Championships, Kocaeli, Turkiye, 7th – 12th September
Qualification Time Achieved: Róisín NíRiain, Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Deaten Registe, Síomha Brady, Luke Brennan
2026 European Aquatics Junior Open Water Championships, Setubal, Portugal, 19th – 21st June
2026 European Aquatics Junior Championships, Germany, 7th – 12th July
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