Enniskillen Lakelanders’ Shine at Nationals in Dublin
28 Jul 2024
Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers reap the rewards of their hard work at the National Championships in Dublin
Swim Ireland's new look 2024 Irish Youth and Senior Summer National Championships took place at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin from Tuesday 22nd to Saturday 27th July 2024 at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, Dublin. The five-day event saw 1125 swimmers from over 120 clubs compete from all over Ireland to as far afield as Dubai. The path to nationals is paved by hundreds of hours of pool so to qualify for this prestigious competition is a huge achievement for all swimmers. There was high excitement and some nerves among the five Enniskillen Lakelanders who had qualified. Nonetheless in the experienced hands of Head Coach Ben Wiffen, the team brought home several medals, certificates and PBs back to their club.
Kiril Chursin (18) qualified for two events and really enjoyed his third trip to Irish Summer Nationals. Kiril had very strong swims over the competition week. The 100m Breaststroke saw him hit the wall the 15th fastest 18 year old, shaving 1.91 seconds off his PB, a performance for which he was awarded a special Swim Ireland Certificate in recognition of his time improvement. Kiril went on to secure another new PB in the speedy 50m Freestyle event, clocking a time of 26.68.
One of the youngest Lakelanders to compete was Ellie Dunlop (15) an Ulster Squad swimmer, qualified for four events at the National Championships. Ellie secured a silver medal and a new PB after a tight final in the 100m Breaststroke. She narrowly missed a podium spot in the nail biting 200m Breaststroke final where a new PB of 1.85 seconds ranked her 5th in Ireland. Ellie collected another new PB in the 200m Individual Medley. Ellie also qualified to compete in the open 50m Breaststroke, racing against all qualified swimmers aged 15+, doing Lakelanders proud in the exciting Finale event, a successful week demonstrating her dedication to training throughout the season.
Hannah Lynch (15), another of the club’s Ulster Squad swimmers, collected bronze medals in both the arduous 800m & 1500m Freestyle races. Hannah hit the wall at 18.53.16 in the 1500m Freestyle, taking a whopping 16 seconds off her PB and was awarded special Swim Ireland awards for her improved PBs in the 800m & 1500m Freestyle. She went on to clock in at 4th place in the 200m Backstroke final, narrowly missing the podium, 7th place in the 400m Freestyle final and 17th in the 200m Freestyle finals. A very busy and successful week for Hannah which also brought her two Swim Ireland awards for improved PBs in the 200m Backstroke and 400m Freestyle in addition to Ulster Squad qualification times in the 200m Backstroke, 400m Freestyle & 800m Freestyle. All magnificent achievements and much encouragement for next season.
Kate Mc Dade (15) was racing in the highly competitive 16 -17 year old category at her third summer National championships. Kate hit the wall 3rd fastest 16 year old in the 200m Breaststroke heats and narrowly missed the podium in the Final, securing a new PB and a special Swim Ireland award for highest improvement points. She finished 5th in her age group in the 100m Breaststroke Final with another PB. Qualifying for another final in the 200m Individual Medley, a strong swim brought her another new PB and an 8th place finish among the 16 year olds.
More strategic swimming produced another high ranking with a 12th place finish in the 400m Freestyle event to finish a busy and very successful Championship for Kate.
17 year old James Mongan enjoyed competing at his second National Championships, swimming a strong 200m Backstroke race to hit the wall on his seed time and finish in the top 25 of his age group.
Head Coach Ben Wiffen praised the swimmers’ efforts over the 5-day meet stating “Irish Nationals are always a highly competitive and tense event. It showcases the swimmers’ hard work throughout the year and I was extremely pleased with every swimmer’s individual performances. Multiple medals, certificates and PBs makes it all worthwhile.”
Club Chairperson Aideen Speer praised the swimmers’ efforts and commitment to their sport. Aideen 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 5 days of the event.’
The club look forward this week to cheering on Ben’s brother Daniel Wiffen as he swims for Ireland at the Olympics in Paris.
We look forward now to next season but as a club we are very concerned for our future. Formed in 1970, Enniskillen Lakelanders has produced regional and National Swimmers but with the news that the Lakeland Forum is to close for an optimistic three years, the club’s future and the potential loss of swimmers in the county is inevitable unless there is a U turn in the current plan and an alternative site acquired for the new leisure centre so as to ensure no loss of pool provision.
Since its establishment the Club has maintained a high profile in swimming across Ulster and Ireland. These opportunities are now being taken from our present members and future swimmers for the next number of years within the County. We strongly propose that a more informed plan is made for swimming in Fermanagh.
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Participants competed in a range of more demanding events, including Individual Medley (IM), Breaststroke, and Freestyle. The Lakelanders swimmers performed with determination throughout the meet, embracing the challenge of competing against a high standard of provincial opposition while striving to achieve personal best times. - 16 Mar 2026Lakelanders claim awards & PBs in Bangor
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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
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