McSharry Scorches New Irish Record in Bangor
Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry swam her fastest time ever to set a new Irish and Championship Record in the 200m Breaststroke on Friday in Bangor.
The Marlins swimmer, who is based in Tennessee, dominated the race finishing in 2:22.22, inside her 2024 Irish Record of 2:22.49 and the Championship Record of 2:23.02 she swam in this morning’s heats. The time is the third fastest in the World so far this year behind the USA’s Kate Douglass (2:22.01) and Great Britain’s Angharad Evans (2:22.02)
Speaking after the race the 26-year-old said ‘It’s pretty exciting, that 200 Breaststroke is that event where you never really know where it’s going to be on every day, I mean it’s just to nice to see the hard work in training pay off and be able to put together a really good race.’
National Centre Limerick’s Ellie McCartney was second in the 200m Breaststroke Final touching in 2:25.72, under the consideration times for the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, while Shark’s Niamh Connery, who was under the European Junior consideration time in the heats, was third in 2:33.49.
John Shortt secured his second Championship Record of the week with a stunning performance in the 50m Backstroke final, touching in 25.08 to better the previous mark of 25.09 set in 2023. The National Centre Limerick swimmer claimed his second national title of the championships, adding to his Irish and Championship Record and gold medal in the 100m Backstroke.
In second place, swimming his first tapered race since the Paris Olympic Games, Conor Ferguson touched in 25.46, three hundredths of a second under the European Championships and Commonwealth Games consideration time of 25.49.
Ferguson said, ‘I’m absolutely delighted, last year was such a rough year for me, like, the back injury, I didn’t even know if I’d be back here, I’m actually quite emotional because it’s my first time racing tapered since Paris and it hasn’t been an easy journey.’
Another Paris Olympian, Danielle Hill, claimed her first national title of the week with victory in the Women’s 50m Backstroke Final. The Larne swimmer clocked 28.43, dipping under the European Championships and Commonwealth Games consideration time of 28.64. Lottie Cullen (National Centre Ulster), the reigning 100m Backstroke champion, finished second in 28.69, inside the European Championships consideration time, while UCD’s Jenna Macdougald completed the podium in 29.06.
Grace Davison, already crowned 100m Freestyle champion, completed a freestyle double with victory in the 200m Freestyle, touching in 1:59.52 to break the two‑minute barrier for the first time in her career. The 18‑year‑old Ards swimmer now moves to second on Ireland’s all‑time list for the event, behind Irish Record holder Ellen Walshe, with her time also inside the European Championships and Commonwealth Games consideration standards. National Centre Ulster’s Victoria Catterson claimed silver in 2:02.03, while National Centre Limerick’s Danielle Farrell secured bronze in 2:02.62.
100m Freestyle champion Evan Bailey also completed a freestyle double with victory in the Open 200m Freestyle Final, clocking 1:47.81 to dip under the consideration time for the European Aquatics Championships. The National Centre Limerick swimmer led home team‑mate Cormac Rynn, who claimed silver in 1:49.41. Arvin Chahal (Stirling) secured commemorative bronze in 1:50.87, while National Centre Ulster’s Adam Colgan took national bronze in 1:52.57.
Ellen Walshe, who set a new Irish Record in the 200m Freestyle during the morning heats, withdrew from that event to focus on the 100m Butterfly Final, where she secured her third national title of the championships. The Templeogue swimmer, already crowned champion in the 200m Butterfly and 400m Individual Medley, was the only athlete to dip under the one-minute mark, winning in 58.74. Alana Burns Atkin finished second in 1:00.15, with both swimmers recording times inside the European Championships consideration standard. Jessica Calderbank was third in 1:01.13 for commemorative bronze, with national bronze going to National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien in 1:01.63.
National Centre Limerick’s Jack Cassin added the 100m Butterfly title to the 200m gold he claimed on Wednesday. In a close final, Cassin held off Bangor’s James Ward, touching first in 53.06 to Ward’s 53.19, and once again dipped inside the European Championships consideration time. Lisburn City’s Matthew Hamilton secured bronze in 53.63.
Jack Kelly claimed his second national title of the week as he added 200m Breaststroke gold to the 50m title he secured on Thursday. The Terenure swimmer, who set his first Irish and Championship Record in the 50m Breaststroke final, was dominant throughout, touching first in 2:12.55. National Centre Ulster’s Lachey Reed took silver in 2:18.21, with Dolphin’s Tiernan Moore rounding out the podium in 2:18.49.
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Day 3 Results
Open 50m Backstroke: 1st J Shortt National Centre Limerick 25.08 CR 2nd C Ferguson National Centre Ulster 25.46 3rd P Johnston National Centre Limerick 25.65
Female 50m Backstroke: 1st D Hill Larne 28.43 2nd L Cullen National Centre Ulster 28.69 3rd J Macdougald UCD 29.06
Open 100m Butterfly: 1st J Cassin National Centre Limerick 53.06 2nd J Ward Bangor 53.19 3rd M Hamilton Lisburn City 53.63
Female 100m Butterfly: 1st E Walshe Templeogue 58.74 2nd A Burns Atkin National Centre Ulster 1:00.15 3rd J Calderbank City of Manchester 1:01.13 (commemorative) 3rd L O’Brien National Centre Limerick 1:01.63
Open 200m Breaststroke: 1st J Kelly Terenure 2:12.55 2nd L Reed National Centre Ulster 2:18.21 3rd T Moore Dolphin 2:18.49
Female 200m Breaststroke: 1st M McSharry Marlins 2:22.22 ISR/CR 2nd E McCartney National Centre Limerick 2:25.72 3rd N Connery Shark 2:33.49
Open 200m Freestyle: 1st E Bailey National Centre Limerick 1:47.81 2nd C Rynn National Centre Limerick 1:49.41 3rd Arvin Chahal Stirling 1:51.72 (commemorative) 3rd A Colgan National Centre Ulster 1:52.57
Female 200m Freestyle: 1st G Davison Ards 1:59.52 2nd V Catterson National Centre Ulster 2:02.03 3rd D Farrell National Centre Limerick 2:02.62
International Swimming Events Summer 2026
2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland, 24th – 29th July
Consideration Time Achieved: Grace Davison (100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke), Daniel Wiffen (1500m Freestyle), Lottie Cullen (100m Backstroke), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke), Conor Ferguson (50m Backstroke)
Initial Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (200m IM)
*All swimmers with an initial qualification time 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, Paris, France, 10th – 16th August
Consideration Time Achieved: Evan Bailey (100m, 200m Freestyle), Grace Davison (100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke), Jack Cassin (200m Butterfly), Matthew Hamilton (100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly), Daniel Wiffen (1500m Freestyle), Mona McSharry (50m, 200m Breaststroke), Eoin Corby (50m Breaststroke), Darragh Greene (50m Breaststroke), Jack Kelly (50m Breaststroke), Adam Bradley (50m Breaststroke), Christian O’Brien (50m Breaststroke), Lottie Cullen (50m, 100m Backstroke), John Shortt (50m, 100m Backstroke), Ellen Walshe (200m Freestyle, 100m, 200m Butterfly, 400m IM), Liam Custer (400m IM), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke), Rosalie Phelan (50m Butterfly), Alana Burns-Atkin (50m, 100m Butterfly), Conor Ferguson (50m Backstroke)
Initial Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m Freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m IM), Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke), Ellie McCartney (200m IM), John Shortt (200m Backstroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle), Eoin Corby (100m, 200m Breaststroke)
*All swimmers with an initial qualification time 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, Ellie Lynch, Luke O’Donoghue
2026 European Junior Aquatics Championships, Germany, 7th – 12th July
Qualification Time Achieved: Clare Custer (800m Freestyle), Maren Clayton Byrne (400m IM), Julia Dziedzic (400m IM), Phelim Hanley (400m IM), Niamh Connery (200m Breaststroke)
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