Lakelanders compete at McCullagh International in Bangor
14 Apr 2024
Lakelanders compete at McCullagh International in Bangor
Three Enniskillen Lakelanders Club swimmers qualified for the prestigious McCullagh International swim meet, held at Bangor’s Aurora Aquatic Centre over four 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!
Ellie Dunlop (15) produced some impressive swims having qualified for 3 events at this meet.
Ellie performed well in the 100m Breaststroke heat, with a pb and a place in the Junior final, where Ellie finished as the 3rd fastest 15 year old with a further PB. Next up was 200m Breaststroke where Ellie achieved a PB in the heat, a place in the B final with a further PB, finishing as 6th fastest 15 year old. To finish off the weekend, Ellie swam in the 50m Breaststroke where she took part in a thrilling swim off, narrowly missing a place in the A final, but finishing in 2nd place in the B final, with her 3rd PB, she was delighted to finish as the fastest 15 year old with a 10th place finish overall.
Hannah Lynch (15) hit the wall 4th in her age group in the 800m Freestyle, 5th in the 400m Freestyle and a fabulous 2nd in the gruelling 1500m Freestyle.
Kate McDade (16) had a very successful competition. In a good start in 100m Breaststroke , she just missed out on a place in the final. Day 2 saw Kate qualify for the 200m Breaststroke final and was delighted to come 3rd .
A PB in 50m Breaststroke secured another final. Kate finished 5th with the tightest of margins in this highly competitive race separating the 10 finalists.
Club Chairperson Aideen Speer praised the swimmers’ efforts over the four-day event. ‘It was fantastic to see the Lakelanders represented in several finals and topping the age group rankings. The achievements over the weekend reflects the disciplined work ethic of both the swimmers and head coach Ben Wiffen.
Club Head Coach Ben Wiffen noted this was a very exciting weekend to share with the swimmers as they have done themselves proud at this International Meet. 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
Seven Enniskillen Lakelanders' swimmers travelled to the Aurora Complex in Bangor to race at the Ian Wright Memorial Gala at the weekend. - 03 May 2026An Ulster title, a slew of medals and PBs home to Enniskillen from Ulster Champs
A squad of 9 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club attended the Ulster Age Group and Senior LC Championships at the Bangor Aurora Leisure Complex on 1st, 2nd & 3rd May. Competitors from across 32 clubs in Ulster met the tough qualification standards to take part in this key meet over three days, targeting Ulster podium spots, and those important Summer National qualification times. - 26 Apr 2026Lakelanders top the medal board at Spring Gala
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