Day three of the 2024 Irish Youth and Senior Summer Nationals concluded today in the National Aquatic Centre.

Local club Coolmine topped the podium in the Men’s 800m Freestyle Relay as Darragh Morgan, Ollie Brennan, Cameron Jackson, and Killian O’Loughlin Brophy clocked a combined 8:07.61 to win the national gold medal. Trident stopped the clock next in 8:11.03 to win silver with bronze going to Glenalbyn (8:17.64).

Dolphin swimmer Tadgh O’Brien was first home to win the 15yrs national gold in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle event. Limerick swimmer Adam Foley claimed second place on the podium (17:07.40) with bronze going to Drogheda’s Dylan Brady (17:23.47). Paddy Cuddihy of Kilkenny went 16:48.42 to win the 16yrs national gold medal. Ards’ Ben Wilson went 16:51.91 to pick up silver, in third and claiming bronze was Cody Lau (17:03.43) of Ballymena.

National Centre Limerick teammates Denis O’Brien and Daragh Horgan led from the front throughout the 17yrs race. Denis O’Brien eventually pulled away to come home first in 16:32.30, Horgan claimed silver in 16:40.82. Longford man Kyle Kelly was next on the podium (17:47.13). The 18yrs gold went to Sean Bugler (Sundays Well) in 16:33.08 with silver awarded to Leander swimmer Gannon Robertson (17:57.63).

Trojan man Ronan Fahey set the pace and maintained it throughout the 19yrs+ race, stopping the clock on 16:54.19 to win the national title. Aer Lingus’ Ben Moran was next home (17:15.54), third and bronze went to Samuel Wright (Bangor) in 17:43.32.

The Women’s 50m Backstroke got the third evening of racing underway in the National Aquatic Centre. Jena Macdougald (UCD) put her hand on the wall first to claim the national title in 29.40. Izzy McGrath of Sundays Well went 29.95 to pick up the national silver with bronze going to Heather Fane (30.66) of Dolphin.

The Men’s 50m Backstroke national gold went to Tallaght man David O’Loughlin, who touched the wall in 26.62. Charlie Cassidy of Dolphin was next up on the podium (26.70) with bronze going to Brandon Biss (26.87) of Swim Belfast.

The Men’s 200m Breaststroke 15yrs gold went southbound as Trojan’s Beau McCabe went 2:34.35 to win the national gold. Glenalbyn’s Daíre Finalayson was next on the podium following his time of 2:38.39, bronze went to McCabe’s Trojan teammate Emilian Petrea (2:38.47). Alan Karchenko went 2:31.27 to bring the 16yrs gold back to Banbridge. Ian Middleton was next to touch the wall, the Glenalbyn man stopped the clock on 2:31.75 to claim silver, third and bronze went to Mathias Pickett (2:36.27) of Ards.

Dominic Hilton of Trojan went 2:23.66 to win the 17yrs national title, Dolphin man Ricky Fane touched the wall next (2:26.58) in second with bronze going to Fane’s teammate Aidan McGrath (2:29.18). Ballina Dolphin’s Tom Wilkinson went 2:26.86 on his way to the national title in the 18rs race. The silver went to National Centre Ulster’s Benji Cummings (2:26.61), bronze went to Austin Williams (Bangor) in 2:29.70.

The 19yrs and over was a titanic battle with a stacked field going stroke for stroke. National Centre Limerick’s Andrew Feenan was first to get his hand on the wall to win the national title (2:16.11). Liam O’Connor of Terenure was next up on the podium to pick up silver in 2:20.09, with third and bronze going to Matthew Hand (2:22.35) of National Centre Ulster.

Up next was the Women’s 200m Breaststroke final with the 15yrs heading to the blocks first. Banbridge swimmer Georgina Walker was first home to pick up the national title (2:45.69). Lucy O’Brien of National Centre Limerick was next home in 2:47.50, while bronze went to Samantha Burns-Atkin (Banbridge) in 2:24.31. In the 16yrs, Niamh Connery (Shark) was the first to head to the podium following her time of 2:34.89. Portmarnock’s Ava Jones was next to stop the clock (2:39.10) with Jane Ryan of Athlone in third (2:49.68).

Trojan swimmer Ellie Campbell bagged the 17yrs national title in 2:46.32, silver went to Laura Csarodai-Nagy (2:47.56) of New Ross, while in bronze in position was Laois Marlins Lousie Hartnett (2:49.53). Megan Jones topped the podium in the 18yrs+ race in a time of 2:35.26 to pick up the national title. Terenure’s Cara Maher was next home in 2:44.91, bronze went to Ards’ Keira Aiken (2:47.63).

The Men’s 100m Freestyle was the penultimate event of the evening with Phelim Hanley claiming the first gold on offer in the event, the Blackrock swimmer went 54.68 on his way to the 15yrs national title. Cookstown swimmer Ryan Griffin went 54.55 to win the 16yrs gold medal, the silver went to Rudi Lacy (54.74) of ESB, with bronze going to Ian Middleton of Glenalbyn (54.76). Bangor’s Gene Smyth was top of the podium in the 17yrs in a time of 52.52. Ards’ Daniel Harvey was next to put his hand on the wall (52.84) with NAC’s Fionn Byrne (52.97) keeping the bronze close by.

Local swimmer Killian O’Loughlin Brophy (Coolmine) went 52.49 to win the 18yrs national gold medal. His Coolmine teammate Darragh Morgan went 54.24 to win silver, third and bronze was claimed by Limerick’s Cian Houlihan.

Evan Bailey was back on top of the podium after he blazed through the pool in a time of 50.49 in the 19yrs+ final. Cody Dunnion (National Centre Ulster) was next to stop the clock in 51.40 with bronze going to Cormac Rynn (51.63) of National Centre Limerick.

The Women’s 100m Freestyle was the final event of day three. Hannah Coady (St. Fiacc’s) and Lexi Dunne (Dolphin) were the two swimmers to go sub-60 seconds in the 15yrs final. Coady got her hand on the wall first (59.56) just ahead of Dunne (59.60). Elaine Zhang (Tallaght) was next home in 1:00.42.

Recent European Junior international Ava Jones (Portmarnock) was first to stop the clock and win the 16yrs gold (59.23). Abril Allende of Trojan was next home to pick up silver in 1 minute flat, with bronze going to Eva Hand (1:01.49) of Bangor. Rosie Whitten (Swim Belfast) went quickest in the 17yrs final in a time of 58.82. Megan Diamond (Ards) was next to get her hand on the wall in second place (59.52), while in third place was Eva Bayley (1:01.49).

Another recent European Junior international athlete topped the podium as Leagh Bailey (New Ross) went 58.11 to win the 18yrs+ national title. Naomi Trait of UCD was next home in 58.19 to pick up the silver, with bronze going to National Centre Limerick’s Danielle Farrell (58.20).