Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club have been largely absent from the local press in 2020/21 as together with many sports, they've battled to stay active during the severe restrictions on indoor sports activity.
This is now changing as restrictions are gradually lifted, a process that has started with national level, elite swimmers. And so it was that the local club were well represented in Dublin last week as 16-year old’s Cora Rooney & Ellie McCartney flew the Fermanagh colours in Ireland’s biggest swim event in history - The Irish National Team Trials, which saw Ireland hosting their first ever Olympic Trials at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin.
First up to start the trials for Enniskillen Lakelander’s SC was Ballyshannon girl, Cora Rooney racing 100m Backstroke alongside Olympic hopeful Danielle Hill, with Cora completing the final with a great personal best of 1.05.47. Cora’s technical skill approach really shone through later in her 200m Backstroke with RTE’s commentator Nick O’Hare complimenting her stroke and efficiency plus stating Cora will be ‘one of the stars of the future’ and she has ‘textbook backstroke finish’ as well as compliments on her turns. Cora raced all three 200m back races by herself which is difficult, but she and her coach were incredibly pleased as she was just 1.32s outside her personal best.
Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club have been largely absent from the local press in 2020/21 as together with many sports, they've battled to stay active during the severe restrictions on indoor sports activity.
This is now changing as restrictions are gradually lifted, a process that has started with national level, elite swimmers. And so it was that the local club were well represented in Dublin last week as 16-year old’s Cora Rooney & Ellie McCartney flew the Fermanagh colours in Ireland’s biggest swim event in history - The Irish National Team Trials, which saw Ireland hosting their first ever Olympic Trials at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin.
First up to start the trials for Enniskillen Lakelander’s SC was Ballyshannon girl, Cora Rooney racing 100m Backstroke alongside Olympic hopeful Danielle Hill, with Cora completing the final with a great personal best of 1.05.47. Cora’s technical skill approach really shone through later in her 200m Backstroke with RTE’s commentator Nick O’Hare complimenting her stroke and efficiency plus stating Cora will be ‘one of the stars of the future’ and she has ‘textbook backstroke finish’ as well as compliments on her turns. Cora raced all three 200m back races by herself which is difficult, but she and her coach were incredibly pleased as she was just 1.32s outside her personal best.
Ellie Mc Cartney, no stranger to the local press begun her event with the 100m Breaststroke where she competed alongside current Champion Mona Mc Sharry to finish with a quaification for the 100m Breaststroke final on Wednesday evening with a great time of 1.12.70, just outside her current personal best time. This was a fantastic achievement for 16yr old Ellie, when consideration is given to the major disruption in her normal schedule in the past year. Next up for Ellie was the 200m Individual Medley (IM), in which she swam the heats, semi-finals and finals finishing on this year’s personal best of 2.23.77. RTE’s Nick O’Hare was again full of praise for Ellie’s IM race on Thursday morning’s heats, stating it was a ‘super swim’ with particularly good Breaststroke and ‘beautiful breathing technique on front crawl’.
The lakelanders can be proud that both ladies raced their respective heats and qualified for semi final and finals in all their events, again a remarkable achievement after such a year of training disruption. The National Team Trials were held for all the top Junior & Senior swimmers in Ireland who qualified to do so with senior swimmers aiming to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2021, and the Junior swimmers hopeful for European Junior Qualifying times. The experience the Junior swimmers received from this meet was great preparation for Olympic Time Trials in 3 years’ time as Paris 2024 hopefuls.
Lakelanders Coach accompanying both swimmers Sinead Donagher praised their efforts saying, 'both girls approached this meet with great positivity and support towards each other and took away excellent experience in preparation for their careers in swimming'. Whilst Lakelanders Chair Sara lannon welcomed their success at national level stating, 'Ellie and Cora's efforts and performances will be a great inspiration to all our club members who cannot wait to get back to the water soon to resume their training', no stranger to the local press begun her event with the 100m Breaststroke where she competed alongside current Champion Mona Mc Sharry to finish with a quaification for the 100m Breaststroke final on Wednesday evening with a great time of 1.12.70, just outside her current personal best time. This was a fantastic achievement for 16yr old Ellie, when consideration is given to the major disruption in her normal schedule in the past year. Next up for Ellie was the 200m Individual Medley (IM), in which she swam the heats, semi-finals and finals finishing on this year’s personal best of 2.23.77. RTE’s Nick O’Hare was again full of praise for Ellie’s IM race on Thursday morning’s heats, stating it was a ‘super swim’ with particularly good Breaststroke and ‘beautiful breathing technique on front crawl’.
The lakelanders can be proud that both ladies raced their respective heats and qualified for semi final and finals in all their events, again a remarkable achievement after such a year of training disruption. The National Team Trials were held for all the top Junior & Senior swimmers in Ireland who qualified to do so with senior swimmers aiming to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2021, and the Junior swimmers hopeful for European Junior Qualifying times. The experience the Junior swimmers received from this meet was great preparation for Olympic Time Trials in 3 years’ time as Paris 2024 hopefuls.
Lakelanders Coach accompanying both swimmers Sinead Donagher praised their efforts saying, 'both girls approached this meet with great positivity and support towards each other and took away excellent experience in preparation for their careers in swimming'. Whilst Lakelanders Chair Sara lannon welcomed their success at national level stating, 'Ellie and Cora's efforts and performances will be a great inspiration to all our club members who cannot wait to get back to the water soon to resume their training'
- 19 Apr 2025Lakelanders light up the NAC at Irish Open
Swim Ireland’s Irish Open Swimming Championships started on Saturday (12th April) at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. The 5-day event saw over three hundred swimmers from over fifty clubs compete for National titles in thirty-four individual events. The competition saw twelve Championship Records broken as well as three Irish Senior and four Irish Junior Records across the five days of racing as swimmers aimed for places on Senior National Teams. This meet is also the first opportunity for athletes to qualify for the Regional and National programmes for the 2025-2026 season. Three swimmers from the local Enniskillen Lakelanders swim club attended the prestigious meet keen to compete with the best in the country and witness some of the top swimmers the world in action. - 05 Apr 2025Cracking Racing in Craigavon for Enniskillen Lakelanders' Swimmers
Portadown ASC and Lurgan ASC hosted the South Lake Open Meet 2025 at South Lake Leisure Centre, Craigavon on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th April. A total of 32 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers competed over the two day meet. - 30 Mar 2025Lakelanders' Swimmers Sparkle for their Schools at Irish Minor Schools Champions
The Irish Minor Schools Championships 2025 took place on Sunday 30th March at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin. 17 Enniskillen Lakelanders swimmers aged 12 and under made the journey, having qualified earlier this month at the regional schools gala in Lisburn and were high with excitement as they headed off to Dublin to do their schools proud on the National stage. - 23 Mar 2025Young Lakelanders successful at Future Challengers Gala in Lisburn
Ten junior members of Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club travelled to Lisburn on Saturday 22nd March to compete in the fourth meet of the Swim Ulster Future Challengers series at the Lagan Valley Leisureplex.
This gala series is for swimmers aged 10-14 and provides competitive racing opportunities at junior level.
Several medals and lots of new personal best times were secured by the young Lakelanders who displayed their continual improvement and commitment to the sport. - 23 Mar 2025Lakelanders Aquasprinters Victorious over Belfast Olympia
The second round of this season’s Aquasprint League for the Enniskillen Lakelanders took place on Sunday morning at home to Belfast’s Olympia. 40 of their younger swimmers born between 2017 and 2012 took to the pool. There was lots of excitement but a tinge of sadness knowing this would be the last home Aquasprint of the year. The swimmers, committee and parents were hoping for a great morning.
The Aquasprint league, sponsored by Forest Feast, is a starting point for the younger swimmers to compete in all strokes in individual and relays over 25m. Aquasprints are a great opportunity for children to build on what they have been learning in the pool with coaches Ben and Claire, adding speed to this and a competitive edge. - 15 Mar 2025Ellie and Hannah swim for Ulster
Enniskillen Lakelanders' swimmers Hannah Lynch and Ellie Dunlop travelled to High Wycombe as part of the team of Ulster Regional and National programme athletes to race at the Wycombe Premier Open meet from Friday 7th March to Sunday 9th March. - 15 Mar 2025Lakelanders Secure Medal Haul in Bangor
12 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers travelled to the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Bangor to compete in Round 2 of Swim Ulster’s ‘Aspiring Champions’ Meet Series on 15th & 16th March. This spectacular 50m pool was the perfect venue for the many challenging events the Fermanagh swimmers were eager to dive into over the weekend. - 02 Mar 2025Fermanagh Swimmers Shine for their schools at Ulster Schools Championships
Swim Ulster Primary Schools Cup and Championship was held in the Lagan Valley Leisureplex in Lisburn on Saturday 1st March.
Excited for this opportunity to represent their schools, 30 swimmers across 9 local schools headed to Lisburn, determined to do the Southwest proud and qualify for the All-Ireland Championships held in Dublin in March. Although a school competition, all the students attending are committed members of the Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club and mustered all their skills and training in competing against the best swimmers from schools across Ulster. A successful day saw 5 podium finishes and an amazing number of swimmers qualify for the All-Ireland primary school championship to be held at the National Aquatic Centre Dublin later this month. - 23 Feb 2025Lakelanders impress at McCullagh International Gala
Four Enniskillen Lakelanders Club swimmers qualified for the prestigious McCullagh International swim meet, held at Bangor’s Aurora Aquatic Centre over three days last week.
A huge achievement in itself, this was a unique opportunity to compete against the best in Ireland and further afield. The event attracted a large contingent of competitors from overseas, including Olympians! - 16 Feb 2025Lakelanders Swim to Success in Lisburn
A squad of 25 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended the Swim Belfast Meet on Sunday the 16th of February in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn. The gala was a great success for the Fermanagh swimmers who returned home with numerous medals and personal best times.
Follow Us
