Irish Open Heats Produce Several International Championship Contenders

Records, qualification times and standout performances marked another strong session at the Irish Open Swimming Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials in Bangor, as Ireland’s leading stars and emerging talents booked their places in tonight’s finals and put themselves firmly in contention for this summer’s major international meets, including the European Aquatics Championships and Commonwealth Games.

In the Men’s 50m Breaststroke Heats, three swimmers were under the consideration time of 27.74 for the European Aquatics Championships. Jack Kelly of Terenure led the heats in a Championship Record of 26.97, just .03 of a second outside Darragh Greene’s Irish Record of 26.94. Greene (Longford) clocked 27.44 and Eoin Corby (National Centre Limerick) 27.65, while Bangor’s Adam Bradley (27.79) and Athlone’s Christian O’Brien (27.90) were under the U20 consideration time of 28.42 for the Championships leaving five swimmers fighting it out for the four available places.

Mona McSharry was impressive as she competed in her first event of the Championships. The Paris bronze medallist will be the top seed for the 50m Breaststroke Final having touched in 30.36, just .07 of a second outside her Irish and Championship Record of 30.29 from 2023. The 26-year-olds time was also inside the qualification time of 31.21 for the European Aquatics Championships.

 Double Olympian Ellen Walshe is on course for her second national title of the week as she cruised to top seed in the Female 400m Individual Medley. Walshe, who won 200m Butterfly gold on Wednesday, clocked 4:40.11 to win the final heat, almost twenty seconds ahead of heat two winner Maren Clayton Byrne in 4:58.14, and was under the consideration time for the European Aquatics Championships. The duo were the only two under the five-minute mark with Bangor’s Chloe Stewart third into this evening’s final in 5:06.34.

In the Open 400m Individual Medley Heats, Phelim Hanley leads the qualifiers for tonight’s final in 4:31.38. The Blackrock swimmer will take the centre lane with Banbridge’s Tom Wilkinson and Sundays Wells’ Liam Custer advancing second and third on 4:33.33 and 4:33.73.

2025 World Junior and European (SC) Champion John Shortt touched in 54.59 to win the final heat of the 100m Backstroke. The National Centre Limerick swimmer was under the European Aquatics Championships consideration time and currently holds the Irish Record in the event, having set a mark of 53.37 at the Giant Open in Paris three weeks ago.

In the Female 100m Backstroke, Grace Davison, who set a new Irish Record in the 100m Freestyle on Wednesday, swam a personal best 1:00.79 to lead the heats. Davison, along with Lottie Cullen (1:01.26) who won her heat, was under the consideration time for the Commonwealth Games and European Aquatics Championships.

In the 50m Butterfly, National Centre Ulster’s Rosalie Phelan leads the qualifiers for the female final in 27.13 while Lisburn City’s Dylan Registe is the top seed for the open final in 24.08.

International Swimming Events Summer 2026

2026 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland, 24^th – 29^th July

Consideration Time Achieved: Grace Davison (100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke), Daniel Wiffen (1500m Freestyle), Lottie Cullen (100m Backstroke)

Initial Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m 800m Freestyle), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke),

*All swimmers with an initial qualification time will need to compete in the same individual event/s at the 2026 Irish Open Championships to assure the National Performance Director of competitive readiness and achieve the Consideration Time detailed in Table 2 here.

2026 European Aquatics Championships, Paris, France, 10^th – 16^th August

Consideration Time Achieved: Evan Bailey (100m Freestyle), Grace Davison (100m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke), Jack Cassin (200m Butterfly), Matthew Hamilton (100m Freestyle), Daniel Wiffen (1500m Freestyle), Mona McSharry (50m Breaststroke), Eoin Corby (50m Breaststroke), Darragh Greene (50m Breaststroke), Jack Kelly (50m Breaststroke), Adam Bradley (50m Breaststroke), Christian O’Brien (50m Breaststroke), Lottie Cullen (100m Backstroke), John Shortt (100m Backstroke), Ellen Walshe (200m Butterfly, 400m IM)

Initial Qualification Time Achieved: Daniel Wiffen (400m 800m Freestyle), Ellen Walshe (200m IM), Mona McSharry (100m Breaststroke), Ellie McCartney (200m Breaststroke, 200m IM), John Shortt (200m Backstroke), Tom Fannon (50m Freestyle), Danielle Hill (50m, 100m Backstroke), Evan Bailey (200m Freestyle), Eoin Corby (100m, 200m Breaststroke)

*All swimmers with an initial qualification time will need to compete in the same individual event/s at the 2026 Irish Open Championships to assure the National Performance Director of competitive readiness and achieve the Consideration Time detailed in Table 2 here.

2026 European Para Swimming Championships, Kocaeli, Turkiye, 7^th – 12^th September

Qualification Time Achieved: Róisín NíRiain, Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Deaten Registe, Síomha Brady, Luke Brennan

2026 European Junior Aquatics Championships, Germany, 7^th – 12^th July

Qualification Time Achieved: Clare Custer (800m Freestyle)

 

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