The first day of the 2025 Irish National Summer Youth and Senior Championships got underway today in Dublin. The Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre will host just under 1,000 swimmers from 116 clubs over five days of exciting racing.
The Open 800m Freestyle events showcased some of the most exciting long-distance racing of the meet, with swimmers from across the country putting on impressive performances. In the 15yrs category, Helge Ho of Aer Lingus delivered strong performance, breaking the 9-minute barrier with a time of 8:58.41 to win the national gold. The 16yrs final saw a thrilling battle to the finish, with Tom Kilroy of ESB getting his hand on the wall first, edging out his nearest rival by less than a second to take gold in 8:51.75. Paddy Cuddihy of Kilkenny impressed to win the 17yrs gold, clocking 8:33.37 to secure the top spot. Daragh Horgan of National Centre Limerick posted 8:27.38 to win the 18yrs national title. Rounding out the event, Sean Bugler of Sundays Well led the field with a winning time of 8:32.95, taking the 19yrs gold back to Cork.
The Female 200m Butterfly got the first evening of racing underway. Isla Graham of Titan finished first with a strong time of 2:32.78, to win the 15yrs gold. Fresh off representing Ireland at the recent European Junior Championships, Lucy O’Brien (National Centre Limerick) got her hand on the wall first to claim gold in 2:25.79, narrowly holding off her competition in a tightly contested race. Sophie Jess of Bangor went 2:29.25 to win the 16yrs gold, while the 18yrs and over gold went to Alana Burns-Atkin of National Centre Ulster, who touched in at 2:19.33.
The Open 400m Individual Medley was next on the schedule with Baltazar Allende of Templeogue powering through the 15yrs race to win in 4:39.41. After an impressive European Junior campaign, Blackrock swimmer Phelim Hanley went 4:32.20 to claim the 16yrs gold. In the 17-year-old category, Mathias Pickett of Ards went 4:47.15 to win the national title, while the 18yrs gold went to Jack O’Connor (Limerick): 4:56.10. In the 19 & over, Emmett Cousins of New Ross secured gold in 4:44.29.
The 15yrs Female 200m Freestyle gold went to Yifei Li of Laois in 2:11.26. While Emily Hughes of Larne edged out the competition by just one-tenth of a second to win the 16yrs gold in 2:07.66. In the 17-year-old race, Eva Hand from Bangor touched first in 2:09.35 to win gold. In the 18 & over category, Paris Olympian Victoria Catterson (National Centre Dublin) won the national gold in 2:00.77.
Baltazar Allende of Templeogue continued his strong form winning the 15yrs Open 200m Freestyle gold in 1:57.27, holding off a fast-charging field and showing excellent consistency after his earlier IM success. In the 16yrs, Irish international swimmer. Tadgh O’Brien from Dolphin clocked an impressive 1:55.57 to secure gold. In the 17-year-old division, O’Brien’s European Junior teammate, Reuben Alty (Larne) went 1:57.18 to win gold. Another recent European Junior representative topped the podium, as Denis O’Brien (National Centre Limerick) went 1:52.02 to win the 18yrs gold. Jacob Armon of Banbridge won the 19yrs and over gold in 1:52.58.
Next on the schedule was the Female 100m Breaststroke, Virag Szatmari of Sundays Well claimed the 215yrs gold with a commanding swim of 1:14.87. The 16-year-old final was won by Georgina Walker from Drogheda, touching first in 1:15.95. Irish international swimmer, Niamh Connery (Shark) went 1:11.16 to top the podium in the 17yrs race. While Ellie Campbell from finished first in 1:12.13 to secure the gold.
The last event of the evening was the Open 100m Breaststroke. Cian Doyle of Lurgan stopped the clock in 1:09.23 to finish first and win the 15yrs gold. Beau McCabe of Trojan went 1:06.07 to win the 16-year-old final. The 17yr gold went to Alan Karchenko of Banbridge in 1:06.17. In the 18yrs race, Christian O’Brien of Athlone delivered the fastest swim in 1:04.42. While in a stacked field, Lachey Reed of the National Centre Ulster went 1:03.11 to win the 19yr and over gold.
Full Results:
Open 400m Freestyle Relay
- Lisburn: 3:31.53
- NAC: 3:36.11
- Dolphin: 3:36.42
Female 400m Freestyle Relay
- Dolphin: 4:01.98
- Templeogue: 4:04.02
- Larne: 4:05.52
Open 800m Freestyle (15yrs)
- Helge Ho (Aer Lingus): 8:58.41
- Dylan McGrath (Limerick): 9:08.68
- Harry McGlashan (Lurgan): 9:16.86
Open 800m Freestyle (16yrs)
- Tom Kilroy (ESB): 8:51.75
- Dylan Brady (Drogheda): 8:52.73
- Dylan Ryan (Templeogue): 8:57.90
Open 800m Freestyle (17yrs)
- Paddy Cuddihy (Kilkenny): 8:33.37
- Daniel Rohan (Kilkenny): 8:47.11
- Luca Sanchez-Russell (Templeogue): 8:55.82
Open 800m Freestyle (18yrs)
- Daragh Horgan (National Centre Limerick): 8:27.38
- Dylan Lunny (Leander): 9:36.19
Open 800m Freestyle (19yrs & over)
- Sean Bugler (Sundays Well): 8:32.95
- Gannon Robertson (Leander): 9:21.88
Female 200m Butterfly (15yrs)
- Isla Graham (Titan): 2:32.78
- Eimear O’Neill (Dungannon): 2:36.08
- Neysa Connolly (Shark): 2:36.98
Female 200m Butterfly (16yrs)
- Lucy O’Brien (National Centre Limerick): 2:25.79
- Georgina Walker (Drogheda): 2:26.20
- Elaine Zhang (Tallaght): 2:31.88
Female 200m Butterfly (17yrs)
- Sophie Jess (Bangor): 2:29.25
- Hannah Poynton (Trojan): 2:31.23
- Emilee Edgar (Lisburn): 2:37.52
Female 200m Butterfly (18yrs & over)
- Alana Burns-Atkin (National Centre Ulster): 2:19.33
- Eva Bayley (New Ross): 2:23.15
- Heather Fane (Dolphin): 2:26.34
Open 400m IM (15yrs)
- Baltazar Allende (Templeogue): 4:39.41
- Helge Ho (Aer Lingus): 4:53.43
- Alex Florea (Swan Leisure): 4:59.89
Open 400m IM (16yrs)
- Phelim Hanley (Blackrock): 4:32.20
- Scott Duda (Longford): 4:46.01
- James McIIroy (Dolphin): 4:50.92
Open 400m IM (17yrs)
- Mathias Pickett (Ards): 4:47.15
- Cody Lau (Ballymena): 4:47.59
- Ian Middleton (Glenalbyn): 4:55.99
Open 400m IM (18yrs)
- Jack O’Connor (Limerick): 4:56.10
- Aidan McGrath (Dolphin): 4:57.46
- Antonio Cascante (Tallaght): 5:06.53
Open 400m IM (19yrs & over)
- Emmett Cousins (New Ross): 4:44.29
- Adam Wilson (Banbridge): 4:45.54
- Dominic French (Limerick): 4:52.13
Female 200m Freestyle (15yrs)
- Yifei Li (Laois): 2:11.26
- Lucie O’Keeffe (Aer Lingus): 2:14.42
- Amelia Stone (Lisburn): 2:15.06
Female 200m Freestyle (16yrs)
- Emily Hughes (Larne): 2:07.66
- Lexi Dunne (Dolphin): 2:07.77
- Hannah Coady (St. Fiacc’s): 2:08.66
Female 200m Freestyle (17yrs)
- Eva Hand (Bangor): 2:09.35
- Maren Clayton Byrne (Limerick): 2:09.52
- Ava Rock (Templeogue): 2:11.03
Female 200m Freestyle (18yrs & over)
- Victoria Catterson (National Centre Dublin): 2:00.77
- Danielle Farrell (National Centre Limerick): 2:03.06
- Leagh Bailey (New Ross): 2:07.16
Open 200m Freestyle (15yrs)
- Baltazar Allende (Templeogue): 1:57.27
- Keir Donaghy (Ballymena): 1:59.93
- Daniel McMorris (Tuam): 2:00.71
Open 200m Freestyle (16yrs)
- Tadgh O’Brien (Dolphin): 1:55.57
- Thomas Bugler (Sundays Well): 1:56.85
- Dylan Brady (Drogheda): 1:58.75
Open 200m Freestyle (17yrs)
- Reuben Alty (Larne): 1:57.18
- Matthew Rice (Banbridge): 1:57.82
- Ashley Weafer (Longford): 1:58.69
Open 200m Freestyle (18yrs)
- Denis O’Brien (National Centre Limerick): 1:52.02
- Luca Power (New Ross): 1:55.54
- Noah Switzer (Dolphin): 1:54.91
Open 200m Freestyle (19yrs & over)
- Jacob Armon (Banbridge): 1:52.58
- Killian O’Loughlin Brophy (National Centre Dublin): 1:52.95
- Danny Morgan (National Centre Dublin): 1:53.37
Female 100m Breaststroke (15yrs)
- Virag Szatmari (Sundays Well): 1:14.87
- Grace Eyre (Bangor): 1:15.60
- Eimear O’Neill (Dungannon): 1:19.22
Female 100m Breaststroke (16yrs)
- Georgina Walker (Drogheda): 1:15.95
- Alannah Walker (Coolmine): 1:16.06
- Ellie Dunlop (Lurgan): 1:16.82
Female 100m Breaststroke (17yrs)
- Niamh Connery (Shark): 1:11.16
- Ava Jones (Portmarnock): 1:12.32
- Abril Allende (Templeogue): 1:14.17
Female 100m Breaststroke (18yrs & over)
- Ellie Campbell (Trojan): 1:12.13
- Megan Jones (Portmarnock): 1:13.22
- Kelly-ann Brown (NAC): 1:13.41
Open 100m Breaststroke (15yrs)
- Cian Doyle (Lurgan): 1:09.23
- Evan Houston (Larne): 1:09.97
- Ross Gray (Lisburn): 1:11.77
Open 100m Breaststroke (16yrs)
- Beau McCabe (Trojan): 1:06.07
- Mark Conroy (Ballina Dolphins): 1:08.83
- Sam O’Callaghan (Limerick): 1:09.11
Open 100m Breaststroke (17yrs)
- Alan Karchenko (Banbridge): 1:06.17
- Jamie Lannon (Longford): 1:07.00
- Ben Wilson (Ards): 1:09.76
Open 100m Breaststroke (18yrs)
- Christian O’Brien (Athlone): 1:04.42
- Louis Jordan (St. Fiacc’s): 1:06.05
- Sasha Lychuk (Dolphin): 1:06.40
Open 100m Breaststroke (19yrs & over)
- Lachey Reed (National Centre Ulster): 1:03.11
- Liam O’Connor (National Centre Dublin): 1:03.36
- Jacob Armon (Banbridge): 1:03.50