Enniskillen Lakelanders Sparkle at National Championships
10 Jul 2023
Enniskillen Lakelanders Sparkle at National Championships
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club were well represented on the National stage at the 2023 Irish Age Group National Championships at the University of Limerick Sports Arena last week. Five young Lakelanders’ swimmers joined almost 700 swimmers from 100 clubs competing over four days of exciting competition.
Ellie Dunlop (14) qualified for finals in all three of her events, placing 4th in the 100m Breaststroke, picking up a new PB in the 200m Individual Medley to place 9th and went on to drop almost 5 seconds off her 200m Breaststroke PB to place 7th in an exciting final race. Ellie’s hard work in training has also gained her a place on the Ulster Squad with qualifying times in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke events.
Hannah Lynch (14) secured a new PB and a 12th place ranking in the 200m Backstroke and another PB in the 50m Freestyle. The longer distance Freestyle events were her strongest performances with a fabulous 10 seconds off her PB in the 400m Freestyle bringing her to 12th place, a whopping 23 seconds off her time in the 800m Freestyle event where she hit the wall in 6th place. The highlight however was to be Hannah’s final event which saw her shave a fantastic 1 minute 9 seconds off her PB in the arduous 1500m Freestyle where she finished in 4th place in a time of 19 minutes 39 seconds. These amazing PBs gained Hannah three special Swim Ireland certificates in recognition of her time improvements in the 400m, 800m and 1500m Freestyle. Hannah also picked up a qualifying time for the Ulster Squad in the 200m Backstroke event.
Martha McCreesh (12) was delighted to qualify for the final in the 100m Breaststroke at her first National competition. She dropped a total of 2.4 seconds off her PB to place 9th in the final ranking.
Ava Neal (13), also on the National stage for the first time, had a fantastic Championship. The 100m Breaststroke saw her shave 3 seconds off her PB, she had another great swim in the 200m Freestyle, maintaining her seed time and her versatility also brought her another PB in the 200m Backstroke event. She collected further new PBs in the 50m and 100m Freestyle races. The 200m Breaststroke was to be the highlight of the week for Ava as she pushed almost 11 seconds off her PB to gain a spot in the finals which saw her drop a further second to hit the wall in 17thplace. These massive PBs gained Ava a special Swim Ireland certificate in recognition of her time improvements.
Emma Speer (12), another young swimmer at the National Championships for the first time, qualified for finals in the 200m Breaststroke with 2 seconds off her PB. Further tweaks to her race strategy on advice from Head Coach Ben Wiffen saw Emma knock a further 5 seconds off her time to hit the wall in 13th place in an exciting final event.
Head Coach Ben Wiffen praised the swimmers’ efforts over the 4-day meet stating ‘This event has been a fantastic event for our club swimmers with a great atmosphere. I would encourage anyone who qualifies to attend this event in future years. Our swimmers have performed extremely well over the meet, focusing on improving their racing strategy and gaining great race experience, qualifying for finals and taking home several improvement recognition certificates as well as Ulster Squad qualification times is a great reward.’
Club Chairperson Aideen Speer said ‘These swimmers have been training hard over the season and their success is testament to their dedication in the pool. All the swimmers and their families are also grateful to club sponsors Lough Erne Resort and Western Cars. Special thanks is reserved for Enniskillen Lakelanders’ Head Coach Ben Wiffen for his hard work with the swimmers throughout the season and during the 4 days of the event.’
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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
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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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