Lakelanders at Dave McCullagh International Meet
28 Feb 2022
A squad of 5 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders qualified for the prestigious McCullagh International swim meet, held at Bangor’s Aurora aquatic centre last weekend.
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!
Jamie Lannon (14), the youngest Lakelander attending, competed in two events. Strong preliminary swims in 200m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley, saw him progress to age group finals. Strategic and intelligent swimming resulted in long course PBs. Jamie was proud to finish in 2nd place in both finals against Ireland’s fastest 14-year-old. An impressive performance at his first International meet.
In the open competition, Anna Mc Dade (15), saw this as an opportunity to build up to the forthcoming Irish Open and Summer Nationals. Solid swims resulted in long course PBs in 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke events, gaining valuable competition experience at this level early in the season.
In her debut at an international event, Molly Johnston (17), a confident performance in the 50m Breaststroke saw her win her heat, achieving an impressive long course PB and edging closer to a Summer National Division 1 qualification time.
Dara Ronan (18) competed across 5 events, and impressed by achieving PBs in the 50m and 100m Backstroke, 50m and 200m Butterfly. Saving his best performance to last, Dara smashed his 100m Butterfly in under 1 minute. An encouraging start to the long course season.
Ballyshannon native Cora Rooney (17), competing for Lakelanders, achieved PBs across her 4 events, most notably reaching 3 finals and 2nd place finishes in 50m and 200m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly. A successful meet for the National Squad Swimmer.
Club Chairperson Sara Lannon praised the swimmers’ efforts over the three-day event. ‘For a small club it was fantastic to see the Lakelanders represented in the finals. All the swimmers achieved Personal Best times over the weekend which reflects the disciplined work ethic of both the swimmers and head coach Ben Wiffen. I’m positive we will see many more of the Lakelanders represent Fermanagh in the swimming arena as the season progresses.’
Club Coach Ben Wiffen noted this was a very exciting weekend to share with the swimmers with significant improvements in performances from the last competition. The long course season is well and truly underway with end of season goals now set, a clear picture of the associated work that needs to be done has been drawn up. A few swimming benchmarks being surpassed is always a good confidence builder this early in the competitive season. Gaining experience at an international competition in your back yard is a fantastic opportunity for our swimmers.
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Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club were well represented on the National stage at the 2026 Irish Age Group National Championships at the University of Limerick Sports Arena last week. Two young Lakelanders’ swimmers joined almost 700 swimmers from over 100 clubs competing over four days of exciting competition, bringing home a National title to Enniskillen. - 03 Jul 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders will be well represented at Summer National Competitions
With the 2025/2026 swimming season coming to an end, the finale for the competitive swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders is the Irish Summer National competitions. These competitions will take place across two meets in July with Age Group Championships will take place in Limerick, followed by Irish Summer National Youth & Senior Championships in Dublin. There is great excitement among the 7 local swimmers who have qualified to compete at these events. - 28 Jun 2026Lakelanders Deliver Outstanding Results at Swim Ulster Swim Festival 2026
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The Lakelanders rose to the occasion in style, returning home with an impressive haul of medals and personal bests (PBs), highlighting the hard work, determination and commitment of these talented young athletes. - 27 Jun 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders Celebrate Season Successes
Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their annual End of Season Gala on Saturday 27th June. This marked the end of the club's 10 month season, and their first year training in Omagh Leisure Centre. The gala was an opportunity for swimmers across all training groups to compete side by side and a fun relay rounded off the event. - 07 Jun 2026Lakelanders Deliver Outstanding Results at Swim Belfast Invitational 2026
A squad of 20 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC made a big splash at the Swim Belfast Invitational 2026, held at Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre, Belfast, on Sunday 7th June, delivering a series of outstanding performances against strong competition.
The Lakelanders rose to the occasion in style, returning home with an impressive haul of medals and personal bests (PBs), highlighting the hard work, determination, and commitment of these talented young athletes. - 06 Jun 2026Medals and PBs for Lakelanders at Banbridge Open
Banbridge Open Long Course Meet took place in Craigavon’s South Lakes Leisure Centre on Saturday the 6th of June.
A squad of 11 Enniskillen Lakelanders’ swimmers, along with Head Coach Fionna Orr, made their way to the fabulous South Lakes Leisure Centre long course (50m) swimming pool for the final club meet of the season for the older swimmers. This meet provided the final opportunity for competitive swimmers to qualify for Swim Ireland's Irish Summer National competitions. As a bonus Banbridge swimming club had extended their invitation to clubs from all over Ireland. The chance to achieve qualifying times and compete against the best in Ireland was too good to miss. - 31 May 2026Lakelanders' successful weekend in Bangor
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