After four days of thrilling racing, the penultimate session of the 2025 Irish Open Championships took place on Wednesday morning at the Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, with Ellen Walshe continuing to impress.
Fresh off setting two Irish Senior Records in the 200m Freestyle on Tuesday, Walshe returned to the blocks for the final morning of heats. The Templeogue swimmer showed no sign of slowing up, clocking a time of 4:41.86 in the 400m Individual Medley. Walshe, who holds the Irish Senior Record and Championship Record in the event in 4:37.18, went well under the 4:43.06 ‘A’ Standard mark for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
In the Open 400m IM, Phelim Hanley of Blackrock will head into tonight’s final as the quickest qualifier in 4:31.72. Hanley will look to close out his impressive week on a high, having already secured consideration times for the European Aquatics Junior Championships in the 100m and 200m Butterfly.
Current Irish Senior Record (27.64) holder Danielle Hill is top seed for tonight’s 50m Backstroke Final after she clocked 28.50 in this morning’s heat swim. Fellow Olympian Shane Ryan will enter the Open category as fastest Irish man after he went 25.73.
Ryan will also have his sights set on the 50m Butterfly Irish Senior Record after he clocked 23.47 this morning, swimming just .03 outside of current record holder Max McCusker’s time of 23.44. Emma Coulter of Ards will be top seed (27.63) heading into the women’s category, with UCD’s Jena Macdougald the second fastest qualifier in 27.99.
In the Open 50m Breaststroke, Bangor man Adam Bradley will head to the blocks this evening as top seed following his time of 28.72 in the heats. Athlone’s Christian O’Brien will join him in the middle lanes after clocked 28.92.
Portmarnock’s Ava Jones secured the centre lane for tonight’s 50m Breaststroke Final, after she was quickest this morning in 32.41, ahead of National Centre Dublin swimmer Niamh Coyne (32.47).
There was an exciting conclusion to this morning’s session as Coolmine swimmer Anna Joyce hit the consideration time for the European Youth Olympic Festival during a time trial in the 100m Breaststroke.
A bumper schedule of finals awaits the NAC crowd which will include sixteen opportunities for Irish swimmers to claim championship gold. This evening will see the return of Daniel Wiffen in the 1500m Freestyle Final, the top seed (16:15.99) will look to secure his third gold of the week. The final session of the championships will also include finals in the Open and Female 50m Backstroke, 400m IM, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Butterfly, 200m Breaststroke, Female 50m Freestyle, Female 800m Freestyle, Open 100m Freestyle, Female 200m Freestyle and Open 200m Butterfly.
Daniel Wiffen and Danielle Hill set new Championship Records as the 2025 Irish Open Swimming Championships ended in Dublin. In all, twelve Championship Records were set as well as three Irish Senior and four Irish Junior Records across the five days of racing.
Daniel Wiffen, already a world leader in 2025 in the 800m Freestyle, posted the second fastest time in the world so far this year in the 1500m Freestyle where he claimed his third gold and national title of the week in 14:42.71.
Wiffen’s time was a new Championship Record, breaking the 2018 record of 15:07.07, and was well under the consideration time of 15:01.89 for the World Championships. Nathan Wiffen was second in 15:15.57 with National Centre Limerick’s Denis O’Brien third in 15:22.18.
Speaking after the race Wiffen said, “Amazing swim, I’m very happy with it. I would’ve liked my brother to have gone under the 15 minutes, but today wasn’t his day, so I’m sure he will have it in the future. But mine, happy with the time, 14:42 is a world class time and it’s not far off of what won me the bronze medal in the Olympics, so I’m very pleased. It did hurt a lot, but it was worth it. Pretty solid times in all three (events), obviously came away with a gold medal and it was great to have such a lovely crowd cheer me the whole way.
“It’s kind of special to be honest, like everybody turns up after watching me at the Olympics. Most time the Olympics hype dies out a couple of months after it, but to see children, families turning up, some guy was here on his wedding anniversary, don’t know how his wife let him come. People are turning up to watch swimming and it’s great to see and I’m just happy people love the Olympics so much that they just keep wanting to watch swimming for the next four years.
“Got a lot of training in, that’s the plan. I’ve got a lot of work to do, I’ve got a lot of ideas I want to do, and I’ve also got a big goal to win a couple of gold medals in the summer, so I’m going to work towards those goals and come away with a couple of medals.”
Danielle Hill, who had already achieved consideration for the World Championships earlier in the week, set a new Championship Record in the Final of the 50m Backstroke. The Paris Olympian clocked 22.85 just outside her own Irish Record of 27.64 and inside the Championship record of 28.11 that she set in 2023. Silver went to National Centre Limerick’s Maria Godden (29.22) and bronze to UCDs Jena Macdougald (29.24).
Hill was back in the pool soon after to claim her second gold of the day in the 50m Freestyle. The Larne swimmer was home in 25.44 ahead of National Centre Dublin’s Rosalie Phelan (26.06) and UCD’s Jena Macdougald (26.85).
Ellie McCartney, who secured a consideration time for the World Championships and set a Championship Record of 2:24.35 in the semi-final of the 200m Breaststroke on Tuesday night, swam her second fastest time ever, to win her first gold medal of the week in 2:25.01. McCartney has achieved consideration for World Championships, World University Games and European U23 Championships and is now ranked inside the top ten in the world this year in the event.
In second place in the 200m Breaststroke, Shark’s Niamh Connery rounded out a great week with a silver medal and consideration time for the European Junior Championships in a personal best swim of 2:31.39. Portmarnock’s Megan Jones completed the podium in 2:40.15.
National Centre Limerick’s Evan Bailey, already under consideration for the European U23 Championships and World University Games, added 100m Freestyle gold to the 200m Freestyle gold he had won earlier in the week, in a best time of 49.15. Bailey was the only swimmer under fifty seconds with Larne’s Thomas Leggett home in 50.78 for silver and National Centre Limerick’s Cormac Rynn winning bronze in 50.81.
Sundays Well’s Clare Custer closed out an impressive meet with her third gold medal, adding the 800m Freestyle National Title to the 400m and 1500m Freestyle Titles she had won earlier in the week. Custer, who was under the consideration time for the European Junior Championships, was the only swimmer under nine minutes in 8:56.46. Kingdom’s Lily Doyle took silver in 9:11.15 with bronze going to AURA Dundalk’s Rebekah Friel in 9:12.56, under consideration for the European Junior Open Water Championships.
Aer Lingus swimmer Julia Dziedzic has had an impressive breakthrough week in Dublin achieving consideration times in three events for the European Youth Olympic Festival. Tonight, the 15-year-old won her first National Title in the 400m Individual Medley in 5:01.18, adding to times in the 200m Backstroke and 400m Freestyle for the Macedonia event. The silver medal was won by Drogheda’s Georgina Walker in 5:07.05 with National Centre Limerick’s Lucy O’Brien completing the podium in 5:09.46.
In the Open 400m Individual Medley Final Banbridge’s Tom Wilkinson topped the podium in 4:37.41. He was followed home by Phelim Hanley (Blackrock) in a European Juniors consideration time of 4:39.77 and New Ross’ Emmet Cousins in 4:43.72.
There was a clean sweep of medals for National Centre Limerick swimmers in the Open 200m Butterfly Final. Jack Cassin was the only Irish swimmer under two minutes in 1:59.18 to add to his 100m Butterfly National Title. In second Brogan McAviney clocked 2:02.89 with bronze going to Ronan Kilcoyne in 2:06.88.
Eoin Corby continued the National Centre Limerick run at medals as he claimed his second gold of the meet, adding 200m Breaststroke to the 100m Breaststroke Title in 2:13.07. Silver went to National Centre Ulster’s Lachey Reed (2:18.17) and bronze to National Centre Dublin’s Liam O’Connor (2:19.30).
The female 200m Freestyle title went to National Centre Dublin’s Victoria Catterson for the fourth year in a row. Catterson won out in 2:00.99 ahead of Ards’ Grace Davison (2:02.84) who was under the consideration time once again for the European Junior Championships and National Centre Limerick’s Danielle Farrell in 2:03.32.
In the Open 50m Backstroke Final National Centre Limerick’s Charlie Cassidy took gold ahead of UCD’s David O’Loughlin (26.46) and NAC’s Fionn Byrne (27.42). Commemorative gold went to Portugal’s Joao Nogueira Costa in 25.31.
Bangor’s Adam Bradley collected the 50m Breaststroke gold medal and national title in 28.55 ahead of Athlone’s Christian O’Brien (28.75) and National Centre Limerick’s Diarmuid Sutton (28.97). In the Female Final, Portmarnock’s Ava Jones topped the podium in 31.78, silver going to Sundays Wells’ Isabel Kidney in 32.22 and bronze to National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne in 32.25.
Dylan Registe of Lisburn City won the open 50m Butterfly in 24.46 with National Centre Ulster’s Charlie Eatwell taking silver in 25.13 and National Centre Limerick’s Eoghan Rynn bronze in 25.39. Commemorative gold was won by Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro in a new Championship Record of 23.09. In the Female Final Ards Emma Coulter won gold in 27.50 followed by UCD’s Jena Macdougald (27.74) and Shark’s Katie Kelly in 28.46. Commemorative gold went to Manchester’s Jessica Calderbank in 26.99.
Consideration Process Achieved: Ellen Walshe (100m, 200m Butterfly, 200m, 400m IM), Danielle Hill (100m Backstroke), John Shortt (100m Backstroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle), Daniel Wiffen (400m, 800m, 1500m Freestyle), Mona McSharry (100m, 200m Breaststroke), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke)
Qualification Time Achieved: Róisín NíRiain, Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Deaten Registe, Síomha Brady
Consideration Time Achieved: Ellie McCartney (100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Evan Bailey (100m, 200m Freestyle), Lottie Cullen (100m Backstroke), Eoin Corby (200m Breaststroke)
Consideration Time Achieved: Lottie Cullen (100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke), Ellie McCartney (100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Cormac Rynn (200m, 400m Freestyle), Evan Bailey (100, 200m Freestyle), Maria Godden (100m Backstroke), Jack Cassin (200m Freestyle, 100m, 200m Butterfly), Oisin Tebite (50m Freestyle), Eoin Corby (100m, 200m Breaststroke), Brandon Biss (200m Backstroke), Thomas Leggett (100m Freestyle)
Consideration Time Achieved: John Shortt (100m Backstroke, 200m Backstroke), Grace Davison (50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle,200m IM), Clare Custer (800m, 1500m Freestyle), Adam Bradley (100m Breaststroke), Matthew Hamilton (50m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly), Niamh Connery (100m, 200m Breaststroke), Thomas Bugler (100m Butterfly), Phelim Hanley (100m Butterfly), Tadhg O’Brien (400m Freestyle), Lucy O’Brien (100m Butterfly), Ava Jones (100m Breaststroke)
Consideration Time Achieved: Shea Mathers (100m Butterfly), Julia Dziedzic (200m Backstroke, 400m Freestyle, 400m IM), Anna Joyce (100m Breaststroke)
Qualification for this event will take place at the European Junior Championships in July.
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