Five‑Title Walshe Stars as Irish Open Concludes
Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials running in partnership with Swim Ulster ended in Bangor on Sunday evening, with Ellen Walshe the standout of the week, claiming her fifth national title. Jack Cassin also starred, setting a new Irish Senior Record on his way to a third title, while Daniel Wiffen matched that haul with three gold medals of his own. Danielle Hill and Clare Custer rounded out the Championships with two titles apiece.
Over the course of the week, Irish swimmers set seven Irish Senior Records, two Irish Junior Records and ten Championship Records. In total, 22 swimmers recorded 48 consideration times for the European Aquatics Championships, while six swimmers achieved 14 consideration times for the Commonwealth Games. Five swimmers also met the qualification standards for the European Aquatics Junior Championships.
Ellen Walshe closed an outstanding Championships as she claimed a fifth national title of the week with victory in the 200m Individual Medley. Already crowned champion in the 100m and 200m Butterfly, 400m Freestyle and 400m Individual Medley, Walshe was pushed all the way by National Centre Limerick’s Ellie McCartney, with the Olympic finalist getting the touch in 2:13.51 to McCartney’s 2:13.57. Both swimmers dipped under the consideration standard for the European Championships, with McCartney also securing another consideration time for the Commonwealth Games. Maren Clayton Byrne of Limerick won bronze in the final in 2:19.33.
Speaking after the race Walshe said, ‘It been a great meet, it’s great to be up here (in Bangor), I think we’ve had a fantastic meet, myself and Templeogue, it’s been great to be here.’
Jack Cassin brought the Bangor Aurora to its feet as he set a new Irish and Meet Record in the 200m Individual Medley in the final race of the Championships. The National Centre Limerick swimmer clocked 2:01.00 to break Brendan Hyland’s long‑standing 2019 mark of 2:01.52, securing his third national title of the week to add to his 100m and 200m Butterfly golds. Cassin’s performance was also inside the consideration standard for the European Championships. Banbridge’s Jacob Armon finished second in 2:01.83, also under the European Championships consideration time, while fellow Banbridge swimmer Tom Wilkinson claimed bronze in 2:08.70.
Cassin spoke after the race ‘I’m quite ecstatic, I don’t train a lot of IM anymore, so it’s sort of a fun event for me, so to finish this competition off with quite a big pb, an Irish Record, at least I can take one off Brendan (Hyland), he still has the 200 Butterfly, but no I’m very happy with it’.
Daniel Wiffen completed a Freestyle treble as he claimed the 800m Freestyle title, adding to his 400m and 1500m victories earlier in the week. The Olympic Champion was the only swimmer to break the eight‑minute barrier, touching home in 7:58.08. He was followed by Nathan Wiffen in second in 8:12.68, with Liam Custer taking bronze in 8:17.36. Wiffen has now achieved the consideration standards in the 400m, 800m and 1500m Freestyle for both the European Aquatics Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Double Olympian Danielle Hill closed out her Championships in style, adding the 50m Freestyle title to the 50m Backstroke gold she claimed earlier in the meet. The Larne swimmer touched home first in 25.27, finishing ahead of Ards’ Grace Davison in 25:49 and National Centre Ulster’s Rosalie Phelan in 25.56. The 18‑year‑old Davison also enjoyed an outstanding Championships, having already secured gold in the 100m and 200m Freestyle. Both Davison and Hill have already achieved consideration times for the European Aquatics Championships and the Commonwealth Games.
Lisburn City’s Matthew Hamilton, who set a new Irish Junior Record in the morning heats of the 50m Freestyle, went on to claim gold in this evening’s final in 22.75. The swim marked Hamilton’s second‑fastest time ever, just outside the 22.57 he posted earlier in the day to break his own 2025 record of 22.78. NAC’s Oisin Tebite secured silver in 22.93, with Lisburn City’s Dylan Registe taking bronze in 22.96.
Clare Custer successfully defended the 1500m Freestyle title she first claimed in 2025, coming through a gripping contest with Loughborough’s Fleur Lewis that went right to the touch. Lewis edged the finish to take commemorative gold in 16:54.50, with Sundays Well’s Custer touching just behind in 16:54.77, a time inside the consideration standard for the European Aquatics Junior Championships. Bangor’s Eva Hand secured silver in 17:51.01, while Templeogue’s Ava Rock completed the podium with bronze in 18:00.24.
Speaking at the conclusion of the Championships Swim Ireland National Performance Director Andy Reid commented ‘We said coming into this meet it would be an important point in the season, a chance for athletes to put themselves in contention for international selection and show they can deliver when it matters. That’s exactly what we saw across the week.
A strong number of athletes hit consideration times for international teams, and there were also several championship and Irish records, which really highlights the depth and quality of performances right now.
Overall, it’s a very encouraging place to be heading towards the major international meets, with athletes stepping up and producing lifetime bests and season’s bests at the right time.
Congratulations to athletes and coaches on a very successful Championships.’
Team announcements for Summer International Meets will take place at the end of April.
– END –
Day 5 Results
Female 1500m Freestyle: 1st F Lewis Loughborough 16:54.50 (commemorative) 1st C Custer Sundays Well 16:54.77 2nd E Hand Bangor 17:51.01 3rd A Rock Templeogue 18:00.24
Open 800m Freestyle: 1st D Wiffen Larne 7:58.08 2nd N Wiffen Larne 8:12.68 3rd L Custer Sundays Well 8:17.36
Female 50m Freestyle: 1st D Hill Larne 25.27 2nd G Davison Ards 25.49 3rd R Phelan National Centre Ulster 25.56
Open 50m Freestyle: 1st M Hamilton Lisburn City 22.75 2nd O Tebite NAC 22.93 3rd D Registe Lisburn City 22.96
Female 200m IM: 1st E Walshe Templeogue 2:13.51 2nd E McCartney National Centre Limerick 2:13.57 3rd M Clayton Byrne Limerick 2:19.33
Open 200m IM: 1st J Cassin National Centre Limerick 2:01.00 2nd J Armon Banbridge 2:01.83 3rd T Wilkinson Banbridge 2:08.70
International Swimming Events Summer 2026
2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland, 24th – 29th July
Consideration Time Achieved: Grace Davison (100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m, 200m Backstroke), Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m Freestyle), Lottie Cullen (100m, 200m Backstroke), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (100m, 200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Conor Ferguson (50m Backstroke)
2026 European Aquatics Championships, Paris, France, 10th – 16th August
Consideration Time Achieved: Evan Bailey (100m, 200m Freestyle), Grace Davison (50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle, 100m, 200m Backstroke), Jack Cassin (100m, 200m Butterfly, 200m IM), Matthew Hamilton (50m, 100m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly), Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m Freestyle), Mona McSharry (50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke), Eoin Corby (50m Breaststroke), Darragh Greene (50m, 100m Breaststroke), Jack Kelly (50m, 100m Breaststroke), Adam Bradley (50m, 100m Breaststroke), Christian O’Brien (50m Breaststroke), Lottie Cullen (50m, 100m Backstroke), John Shortt (50m, 100m, 200m Backstroke), Ellen Walshe (200m, 400m Freestyle, 100m, 200m Butterfly, 200m, 400m IM), Liam Custer (400m IM), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (100m, 200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Rosalie Phelan (50m Butterfly), Alana Burns-Atkin (50m, 100m Butterfly), Conor Ferguson (50m Backstroke), Denis O’Brien (400m Freestyle), Jacob Armon (200m IM)
Initial Qualification Time Achieved: 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, 1500m Freestyle), Maren Clayton Byrne (400m IM), Julia Dziedzic (200m Backstroke, 400m IM), Phelim Hanley (400m IM), Niamh Connery (200m Breaststroke)
The post Five‑Title Walshe Stars as Irish Open Concludes appeared first on Swim Ireland.