
Lakelanders Shine at the National Championships in Dublin
27 Jul 2026

Swim Ireland's Irish Youth and Senior Summer National Championships 2026 took place from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th July 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 in the pool so to qualify for this prestigious competition is a huge achievement for the swimmers. There was high excitement among the Enniskillen Lakelanders swimmers who had qualified to compete.
Darragh Collins (15) delivered an impressive performance at the Irish National Championships, competing in four events and showcasing his speed across the sprint disciplines.
His standout performance came in the 50m Freestyle, where he qualified for the final and broke the 27-second barrier for the first time with a superb personal best.
Darragh also recorded a PB in the 50m Breaststroke and produced an outstanding lead-off leg in the 800m Freestyle Relay, clocking a six-second PB to give his team a strong start.
The championships marked another significant step forward for the talented swimmer, with multiple PBs, a national final appearance and an improvement in the national rankings highlighting an excellent week of racing at the highest level of Irish swimming.
Ryan Mongan (16) raced in the fast-paced 50m Breaststroke, thrilled to see months of dedicated training rewarded with a new PB. He also swam a strong 200m Freestyle as part of the Lakelanders 800m Freestyle relay team.
Anton Neal (15) thoroughly enjoyed his first Irish Summer Senior National Competition in Dublin after qualifying for the 50m Breaststroke event. Anton had a strong swim and finished with a super PB.
Conal Walker (18) competed in two individual events. He swam a strong 200m Freestyle race, claiming a new PB whilst also maintaining his time in the 50m Breaststroke. Conal’s strong 200m Freestyle performance was also a key contribution to the Lakelanders’ 800m Freestyle relay success.
Having just completed their first year of training at Omagh Leisure Centre, as the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen has been demolished for redevelopment, the club were very proud to have a relay team enter the boys’ 800m Freestyle Relay competition. Darragh Collins, Ryan Mongan, Russell Mikievicz Lumayad and Conal Walker did Enniskillen proud, clinching a new PB overall as each swimmer shone in their respective 200m leg of the relay.
Club PRO Janette Mongan praised the swimmers’ efforts and commitment to their sport. She 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 Fionna Orr, Coaches Chelsey Weir and Liam Campbell for their hard work with the swimmers throughout the season.’
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Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club held their Autumn Junior Gala on Sunday 25th October at their temporary base at Omagh Leisure Centre, an event aimed at younger swimmers. This was the club’s first home Gala of the new season and there was much excitement among the swimmers from the outset with 40 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders taking part. They were joined by competitors from thirteen 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.
Swim Ireland referee Lars Behme oversaw 1027 entries from the 279 excited swimmers in attendance. Lars was supported by a strong group of over 30 parents and older swimmers volunteering from the Lakelanders club which helped ensure that the busy gala ran smoothly. It was a very successful event for the Lakelanders, raising much needed club funds and giving swimmers the chance to put their training into practise and show off their talents with a large haul of medals and an abundance of PBs on the day.
8 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 three days, 16th, 17th & 18th 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 swimmers.
Eleven young swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club travelled to Lisburn's Lagan Valley Leisureplex to kick-start the new swimming season at the Swim Ulster Future Challengers Gala on Saturday 10th October.
Accompanied by Head Coach Fionna Orr, the team took to the pool, ready to put their training into practice, challenge themselves and get the season off to a fantastic start.
Swim Ireland's Irish Youth and Senior Summer National Championships 2026 took place from Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th July 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 in the pool so to qualify for this prestigious competition is a huge achievement for the swimmers. There was high excitement among the Enniskillen Lakelanders swimmers who had qualified to compete.
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.
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.
A squad of 21 swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders showcased their talent at the Swim Ulster Swim Festival 2026, held at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex, Lisburn, on Sunday 28 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.
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.
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.