Cracking Racing in Craigavon for Enniskillen Lakelanders' Swimmers
05 Apr 2025
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 29 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers competed over the two day meet.
Saturday morning saw fantastic swimming by 13 of our younger athletes competing in a range of 25m races in the short course format. Many PBs were smashed with the young Lakelanders doing their club proud in the pool.
Harriett Cadden (9) had an excellent swim in the Breaststroke event, she was absolutely thrilled to win a silver medal. She followed up with smashing her PB in the Freestyle by a massive 7 seconds.
Ella Rose Carron (10) claimed new PBs in 25m Breaststroke and Freestyle, maintaining her times in the 25m Backstroke and Butterfly.
Aoibheann Cassidy (11) maintained her entry time in the 25m Backstroke race.
Maria Clifford (11) had a great morning swimming hitting the wall with three PBs.
Tara Collins (10) had two strong swims in the 25m Backstroke and Breaststroke events. Building in confidence, she was delighted to takeaway a new 3 second PB in the 25m Freestyle.
Ollie Elliott (11) enjoyed competing in four races and swam well to achieve PBs in both backstroke and breaststroke.
Zena Elliott (10) swam really well in her first attempt at the 25m Backstroke and Breaststroke events.
Emily Irvine (10) claimed PBs in all four of her events; 25m Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly and Freestyle.
Ryan Kennedy (9) secured a new PB in the 25m Breaststroke and maintained his entry times in the 25m Backstroke and Freestyle.
Erin McGrath (10) claimed new PBs in the 25m Freestyle, Backstroke and Breaststroke events.
Andrew McGowan (9) swam PBs in the 25m Breaststroke and Freestyle.
Imogen Neal (10) produced new PBs in all three of her events, 25m Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle.
Isabella Rasdale swam well in the 25m Backstroke, knocking 4.02 seconds off her entry time.
The Craigavon pool was quickly adjusted for the 50m Long Course racing which saw 16 of the older Lakelanders reap the rewards of their dedicated training, securing a slew of new PBs and several medals home to Enniskillen.
Holly Barkley (14) claimed new PBs in the 50m and 100m Freestyle and maintained her time in the 200m Individual Medley.
Conor Collins (12) and older brother Darragh (14) also clocked some excellent performances, with a clean slate of PBs across their events. Conor was most pleased in achieving a top 5 ranking for his 50m Breaststroke, whilst Darragh proved his skill in the 50m and 100m Freestyle events.
Anna May Hill (14) secured new PBs in the 50m and 100m Freestyle and maintained her entry time in the 100m Backstroke.
Joshua Hill (12) swam a new PB on the 50m Backstroke to finish in the top 10. He also swam well in the 100m Breaststroke.
Martha McCreesh (14) entered the 200m Backstroke for the first time in competition securing an Ulster Championship qualification. She secured a new PB in the 100m Backstroke and gained a further Ulster qualification time for her top ten finish. Martha finished the gala with a National qualifying time in the 50m Freestyle
Russell Mikievicz Lumayad (15) achieved great PBs in 100m and 200m Freestyle races placing him top 20 in both.
Ryan Mongan (15) swam a strategic 200m Breaststroke to claim a gold medal. He went on to shave almost 9 seconds off his time to secure a bronze medal in a speedy 50m Breaststroke race. He produced another PB in the 100m Freestyle race.
Crea Mullen (13) claimed a new PB in the 100m Freestyle race.
Anton Neal (15) bagged a new PB and a top 6 finish in the 50m Breaststroke. He swam further PBs in the 100m Freestyle and 100m and 200m Breaststroke.
Ava Neal (15) landed on the podium with a bronze medal in the 50m Breaststroke, having swam a new PB and a qualifying time for Irish Nationals. She followed up with further PBs in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke and the 100m Freestyle. She secured top ten finishes in the 50m, 100m and 200m Freestyle events.
Ella Neal (13) claimed a new PB to place 4th in the 50m Backstroke. She swam three more fantastic PBs in the 50m & 100m Freestyle and the 100m Backstroke.
Kealan Rice (12) swam well in both the 50m and the 100m Freestyle races.
Emma Speer (14) claimed new PBs and Ulster Championship qualification times in both the 50m and 100m Freestyle events.
Haralds Uzulins (14) was delighted to secure a 3 second PB in both 100m and 50m Butterfly. He also produced strong swims in 100m Freestyle and 100m Breaststroke events.
Conal Walker (17) made his first attempt at the 400m Freestyle distance - he gained valuable experience and was placed 2nd in his age group. He also achieved a 13 second PB in his 200m Freestyle, whilst maintaining his times in the 50m & 100m Freestyle.
The swimmers and their families benefitted greatly from the support of all the parent volunteers ensuring a great gala experience over the two days where they all did the club coaching team proud. The swimmers are now working towards Aquasprint finals for the younger squad and Ulster Championships for the older swimmers, all the while trying to keep positive as the club faces such uncertainty with the ridiculous lack of proper research and consultation in planning for redevelopment of the forum. An alternative site or a refurbishment project needs to be planned to ensure continued 25m pool provision for Fermanagh. Closure of the pool will decimate our club and destroy the hopes and dreams of our young swimmers in addition to wiping out the club’s potential for developing young swimmers for years to come.
- 16 Feb 2026Lakelanders take the Lead in Lisburn
A squad of 33 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended the Swim Belfast Open Meet on Sunday the 15th of February in Lagan Valley Leisureplex, Lisburn. The gala was a great success for the Fermanagh swimmers who relished the opportunity to compete against swimmers from clubs across Ulster, Leinster & Connacht, returned home with numerous medals and personal best times. - 12 Feb 2026Past & Present Lakelanders lead the way for Fermanagh at Swim Ulster’s Senior Sc
Local Swimmers Sparkle for their Schools as Past & Present Lakelanders lead the way for Fermanagh at Swim Ulster’s Senior Schools’ Cup & Championships in Bangor
The Swim Ulster Schools Cup & Championships 2026 took place on Friday 6th February at Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex Bangor. Over 1000 swimmers from more than 130 schools across the province of Ulster took part in the one day event. Three local schools were part of the action with 22 local swimmers taking part. - 01 Feb 2026Young Lakelanders Swim to Success in Belfast
On Saturday 31st January, 13 young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club competed in Round 3 of the Swim Ulster Future Challengers Series at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Belfast. The meet attracted over 450 swimmers aged 10–14 from across Ulster, all taking on the more challenging events of Individual Medley (IM), Backstroke and Butterfly.
The Lakelanders squad rose to the occasion, relishing the opportunity to race against strong provincial competition while aiming for personal best performances. - 26 Jan 2026Lakelanders Secure Medals & PBs at Swim Ulster Open Meet in Bangor
6 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers competed at Swim Ulster’s Open Long Course Meet at the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex in Bangor on the 24 & 25th January. Swimmers from clubs all over Ireland attended this exciting start to the Long Course season and the Lakelanders were eager to race their fellow athletes in the fabulous 10 lane 50m pool at the Aurora. - 07 Dec 2025Lakelanders’ future challengers deliver strong swims in Omagh
A strong squad of Lakelanders junior swimmers took part in Swim Ulster Future Challengers Meet 2 at Omagh Leisure Centre on Saturday.
Coach Chelsey Weir was there to support the young swimmers who brought home a substantial haul of medal award pins and a raft of new personal times. - 07 Dec 2025Success for Lakelanders at Sliabh Beagh Winter Gala
6 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers made the journey to the Coral Leisure Centre Monaghan for Sliabh Beagh Swimming Club’s Winter Cluster Meet on 6th & 7th December. - 30 Nov 2025Lakelanders Swimmers Shine for their schools at Ulster Schools Championships
Swim Ulster Primary Schools Cup and Championship was held at the Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Bangor on Saturday 29th November 2025. Excited for this opportunity to represent their schools, 22 swimmers across 10 local schools headed to Bangor determined to do the South-West 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 4 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 next year. - 10 Nov 2025Lakelanders push for top performances at Dungannon’s 40th Anniversary Gala
A squad of 10 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers attended Dungannon Swimming Club’s 40th Anniversary Gala on Sunday the 9th November at Dungannon Leisure Centre. The gala was a great success for the young swimmers who returned home with numerous personal bests. - 27 Oct 2025Lakelanders Host First Home Gala in Omagh
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Autumn Junior Gala on Sunday 26th October, an event aimed at younger swimmers. This was the club’s first Gala in their new temporary base at Omagh Leisure Centre and there was much excitement among the swimmers from the outset with 37 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders taking part. They were joined by competitors from nine other Ulster swimming clubs. For many of the 8-14 year-old competitors, this would be one their first experiences of individual competition, that all important first step for every sportsperson. - 19 Oct 2025Lakelanders secure awards and new PBs at Belfast Aspiring Champions Gala
11 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club made their way to the Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in Belfast to compete at Swim Ulster's Aspiring Champions Meet; the first Gala of the season for swimmers aged 13 and over. The event was held over two days, 18th & 19th October. Coaches across Ulster use this gala to assess and monitor swimmers' skills, providing the scaffolding for the building blocks for success in the coming season.
All the work so far on skills and technique resulted in a slew of Swim Ulster Awards, personal bests and many top ten finishes for the Enniskillen Lakelanders.
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