Young Lakelanders Swim to Success in Belfast
01 Feb 2026
Young Lakelanders Swim to Success in Belfast
Photos by Cara O'Donohue
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.
Charlie Brewster (10) enjoyed a standout debut at the Future Challengers Series, finishing second in his age group in both events. His performances were highlighted by a particularly strong first attempt at the demanding 100m IM.
Mollie Kate Brewster (11) produced an exceptional series of swims. Competing in the 200m IM for the first time, she finished strongly to secure first place in her age group by an impressive margin of over 12 seconds. She followed this with further excellent performances in the 50m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke, placing first and third in her age group respectively. Mollie Kate was delighted to take home three Swim Ulster bronze awards for her times across all events, marking a superb start to the series.
Poppy Brownlee (12) impressed with two strong swims, achieving a new personal best in the 100m Backstroke by taking nine seconds off her entry time. She also rose to the challenge of a new event, the 100m Butterfly, producing a confident performance.
Ella Rose Carron (11) enjoyed a great swim in the 100m IM, knocking six seconds off her personal best, and also performed well in the 50m Backstroke.
Eoghan Donnelly (12) had an excellent day in the pool, recording three personal bests. He cut five seconds from both his 100m IM and 100m Backstroke times, and a further four seconds from his 50m Butterfly.
Emily Irvine (11) delivered an outstanding performance with three superb swims, achieving three personal bests. She placed an impressive fifth overall in the 100m IM, dropped over nine seconds from her 50m Butterfly, and capped off the meet by winning a bronze medal in the 100m Backstroke.
Lauren Loizides (14) also enjoyed a successful outing, achieving three new personal bests by taking four seconds off her 100m Backstroke, one second off her 100m IM and three seconds off her 50m Butterfly.
Tiana Mbeulani (13) recorded two solid swims, maintaining her times in both the 100m Individual Medley and Backstroke.
Erin McGrath (11) produced an excellent performance, recording two new personal bests, including an impressive ten-second improvement in the 100m IM, along with a PB in the 50m Backstroke.
Elin O’Donohue (12) put in two strong swims, staying close to her entry time in the 100m Individual Medley and impressing in the 50m Butterfly by shaving nearly four seconds off her time.
Daithi Owens (13) enjoyed a strong day at the gala, producing three good swims and celebrating a seven-second personal best in the 100m IM.
Isabella Rasdale (11) swam consistently, maintaining her times in the 100m IM and 50m Butterfly, and performing well in her first 100m Backstroke.
Kaelan Rice (13) completed the squad’s performances with two excellent swims, achieving personal bests in both the 100m IM and Backstroke.
Club Gala Secretary Aideen Speer praised the squad’s achievements in Belfast, noting that the performances bode well for the coming months.
“Our junior swimmers are showing incredible determination and commitment to their sport. Under the leadership and support of Head Coach Fionna Orr, Coach Chelsey Weir and the wider coaching team, we are race-ready and really looking forward to the rest of the season.”
The club also expressed its sincere thanks to Lough Erne Resort and Western Cars for their continued support of the swimmers.
- 25 Oct 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders Sparkle at Home Gala in Omagh
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. - 18 Oct 2026Lakelanders Shine at three day Aspiring Champions Gala in Belfast
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. - 11 Oct 2026Enniskillen Lakelanders make successful season debut at Lisburn Gala
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. - 27 Jul 2026Lakelanders Shine at the National Championships in Dublin
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. - 12 Jul 2026Lakelanders Sparkle at National Championships in Limerick
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
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. - 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.
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