Offaly swimmers show quality in national schools championships

THERE was a great Offaly presence at the National Schools swimming competitions at the weekend with the Irish Minor Schools Championships taking place in the National Aquatic Centre on Saturday 25th March 2023 and the National Senior Schools Interpros taking place on Sunday the 26th March 2023. 

Both events had entry requirements, with minimum qualifying times required to be achieved  at reginal level for the Minor schools  and Senior Schools provincial teams picked on the basis of the top 2 swimmers per event in their region at the reginal schools competition.

Irish Minor schools Championships

Mark Horodetskyy for Tullamore Educate Together NS started off the day with 2 fantastic swims which saw him bringing home a silver medal in the 50 Breast Stroke and Bronze in the 50 Backstroke age 9 years events.

Aoibheann Mannion also proudly represented Durrow NS and with 2 great pbs  in her 50 Free and 50 Breast.

Offaly swimmer Jack McGuinness also had a great day representing Ballinahown NS, getting personal bests in both his 50 Free and 50 Back events.

Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada, Tullamore was also well represented again this year and the swimmers for the school put in excellent performances to knock seconds (which is a lot in swimming terms) off their times achieved at the Leinster Schools competition with 5th being the magic number at the national event on the day. 

Competing for the school in the individual events- Isabel Mooney - (50 Butterfly and 100 Individual Medley coming 5th) along with Grace Connolly who also put in a fine performance in her backstroke race for the school. The school also came 5th in  both the 11 & 12 year old Medley relay and the Freestyle relay with Grace Connolly, Adelyn Walsh, Ailbhe Coll and Isabel Mooney, putting in gutsy performances to finish 5th in the Country, what a super achievement! 

Gael Scoil Eiscir Riada has, some would say, in recent years punched above its weight in schools swimming over the last number of years, having enjoyed considerable success over the last decade.  Along with the current group of swimmers, Emma Mooney and Maebh Coll (who have moved onto secondary school) and Maebh McGrath (Still in the Gael Scoil but over age) have all brought national medals back to the school.  This is particularly impressive considering they are completing with very large schools, some that have swim teams and even some that have their own School pools!