European Juinior Qualifications, Club and Munster Records and Many Personal Best Swims at The 2025 Open Nationals

The Open Nationals, which were held in the NAC in Dublin from April 12 to 16 this year, is the most important event in the Irish domestic calendar, serving as trials for International teams for the rest of the year. Olympians such as Daniel Wiffen, winner of the 800 freestyle in Paris, Mona McSharry, Olympic bronze medallist in the 100 breast stroke, finalist Ellen Walshe and several others all took part. Their achievements can be viewed on the News section of the Swim Ireland website.

SWSC had 13 swimmers who made the very tough entry times, but two of these, Eva Harrington and Sean Bugler, could not attend due to clashes with Leaving Cert oral exams. Of the other 11 all but two recorded personal bests, as can be viewed on Meet Mobile and Sports Engine. The only exceptions were National Performance squad member Caoilinn O’Connor, who is recovering from injury, and Garvin Gillard, who was very sick and yet competed.

Standout performances were recorded by Clare Custer, Thomas Bugler and Isabel Kidney. Clare, who trains with the Sarasota Sharks in Florida but has been a member of SWSC for several years, won the Senior 400 free (4:22.87), 800 free (8:56.46) and 1500 free (16:55.98) all of which are new Club Records. The two latter events qualify her for this summer’s European Junior Championships (EJC). Clare’s older brother Liam also swims with SWSC and holds several club records from the last time he competed in Ireland in 2022. That year he swam on the Irish Senior and Junior European teams and still holds the Irish Junior record for the 800 free (8:06). Liam is now a Junior at Stanford University and this year qualified sixth in the 1650 yards free style at the NCAAs.

Thomas’s 56.46 in the 100 fly is also inside the qualifying time for the EJC and is a club record. In addition his 50 fly of 25.48 equals the long-standing Club Record set many years ago by Paul Laffan, now swimming with Cork Masters and last year’s World Masters 30-34 Champion in that event. This is the first time in a decade that SWSC have two qualifiers for the EJC!

Isabel, who was balancing a trip back to Cork to sit Leaving Cert Orals with competing, was second in the 50 breast stroke in a best ever time of 32.22. This is a new club record and importantly reduces her own Munster record of 32.31.

Alex Barrett was second in the Junior 200 fly with an excellent PB and was also a finalist in the 100 and 400 free. Pierce Hanley (100 and 200 breast stroke, with good PBs), Issie McGrath (50 back and 50 and 100 fly), Virag Szatmari (50 and 100 breast stroke, with an excellent swim in the 50), Dave O’Leary (50 breast stroke and 50 back), and Antonina Sech (50, 100 and 200 back, with a particularly fast 100) were all finalists, in addition to recording many PBs.

Late in the event it was announced that Virag and Garvin had been selected as two of four Cork athletes (b2010 /2011) to compete in the Multi sport Games in Estonia in early August.

Commenting on SWSC performances Head Coach Richard Cassidy said: Results at this competition and qualification for National teams are the major targets for our swimmers. I am very pleased with performances this year and particularly pleased with the results achieved by Clare Custer and Thomas Bugler. Their consistency in training and competition, and dedication to hard training should serve as an example to all our younger swimmers. I am also delighted to see four of our swimmers on International teams.

Tom Cross – April 27 2025

Great SWSC performances at Irish Open Nationals in NAC Dublin, April 19 to 23

A large group of 17 SWSC swimmers qualified for this event though only 15 travelled, since two were involved in Leaving Cert preparation. As in previous years this 5-day event is the highlight of the Irish season, serving as trials for International meets like the European Senior and Junior Championships and Commonwealth Games later in the year. To optimise individual performances, relays are not included; the club relays in the McCullagh meet, where it will be recalled our women’s team excelled, serving that function. Nine top Irish swimmers had been pre-selected for this summer’s Internationals on the basis of qualifying for the 2021 Olympics, so most did not participate. This actually served to make the meet more competitive and it was great to see a new cohort of younger swimmers participating. It was also good to see spectators again after the protracted lockdown. Apart from the 800 and 1500 freestyle which were run as HDW, all events had morning heats leading to ten swimmer A, Junior and B finals in the evening so most of our competitors got to swim twice (see detailed results on Meet Mobile). Our swimmers participated in 53 events and there were 27 PBs, seven club records and two Irish Junior records.

Our outstanding male swimmer was 18 year old Liam Custer who is based in Florida, where he trains with Sarasota Sharks. Liam is finishing High School and has been awarded a scholarship to Stanford University to begin this autumn. He won the 400IM and 800, and 1500 freestyle (the former two events in Irish Junior record times- a first for a SWSC swimmer in recent times). He was also second in the 200 fly and sixth in the 200 free-all in club records. He has achieved consideration times for several European Junior championship events (team to be announced soon), and is the first SWSC male swimmer to do so; Issey Hayes and Ally Cunningham achieving this distinction some years ago.

Our best female performances came from Sharon Semchiy in the 100 and 200 fly events. She was second in both, timing her finish to perfection in the 100 and hanging on courageously in the 200. She also beat her own club record in the 50 fly, where she finished sixth in a fast field led by Danielle Hill (Danielle had a great meet setting an ISR of 54.87 in the 100 freestyle).

Other SWSC personal best swims came from Rory Lee in the 50 and 100 back; Sean Bugler in the 50 back; Beth Nolan in the 50 fly, 200 IM and 50 Breast stroke (the latter a club record-meaning she now holds all three club LCM records); Anna Feenan in the 50 and 100 fly; Lauren Farr in the 100 and 200 back; Isabel Kidney in the 50, 100 and 200 Breast stroke and 200 IM; Amy Lynch in the 50 Breast stroke, and Antonina Sech in the 200 back.

Well done all. Looking forward to the summer but competition is intensifying!

Tom Cross,

Chair SWSC

GREAT WOMEN’S RELAY SWIMS AT THE McCULLAGH INVITATIONAL

The McCullagh Invitational meet held in the 50m pool in Bangor, County Down from February 23 to 25 was extremely competitive, with a large number of fast swimmers from England, Scotland and Wales, including several Olympic medalists. With no restriction on the number of non-Irish swimmers getting into A and B finals, it was difficult for native competitors but none-the-less several, including swimmers from SWSC made finals. Because tapering loses effect if used too many times during the season (and causes loss of training), most swimmers competed untapered. This meant slower times for many swimmers but to highly competitive racing.

Against this backdrop, it was great that our team of 12 swimmers between them achieved 24 personal bests (Sean Buglar two; Laoise Deasy three; Lauren Farr six; Michael Feenan one; Marc Galland three; Isabel Kidney three; Beth Nolan two; Sharon Semchiy four). In addition, some excellent times were recorded in the relays but these (apart from the first leg) cannot be used for individual PBs because of flying starts. All of this means that fitness is returning rapidly after the lockdown, and is a testament to most swimmers attending all training sessions, and to the efforts of Head Coach Richard Cassidy and his team for increasing training intensity.  All club swims were recorded using the new iPad Pro, allowing for rapid post-race analysis. In addition, some of these swims are club records, but work is underway on this part of the website, so confirmation will be delayed.

It was in the women’s relays that the most exceptional results were recorded, as those of you who were following the action will be aware! At the start of the Thursday session our 4 x 200 freestyle relay of Sharon, Lauren, Beth and Anna Feenan won gold. At the end of the same morning session our 4 x 100 Medley relay, with Isabel Kidney replacing Anna, was second. Finally, on the Friday morning, the 4 x100 free relay, with the same composition as the 4 x 200 were third. This group of medals adds to the two bronze medals that our team achieved in the Short Course Championships last December. Very well done girls!

Tom Cross

SWSC Chairperson

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