Five national titles were the highlight of a successful Galway performance at the recent Irish National Age-Groups Championships in Dublin.
The Galway Swimming Club team produced its best display in some years. In addition to winning the five national titles, the team also bagged nine silver medals, eight bronzes, achieved 27 finalist placings, and set three new Connacht records. Of the 21 swimmers representing Galway SC, 10 finished on the podium on 22 occasions at the three-day meet.
David O’Sullivan was the first to take gold, powering his way to his first national title in the u-14 200m butterfly. In doing so he beat last year’s champion and set a new personal best by some seven seconds.
In the u-14 girls 100 nutterfly Jasmin Brennan stormed to a personal best time by three seconds, winning the event in 1.08.95, while in the 200metres u-12 breaststroke events Ruth Keogh destroyed the field by some five seconds, winning her first national title. Keogh added to her medal tally with win two silvers in the 400 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, and a creditable bronze in the 200 freestyle, while collecting a silver and bronze from the u-12 relays.
A new u-17 Connacht record was set by Saoirse McGrath when she won her first national title in the u-14 200 breaststroke and did so in a personal best time of 2.51.82. McGrath went on to claim the double, winning the u-14 firls 100 breaststroke and a new u-17 Connacht record of 1.19.62, heading off fellow clubmate Jasmin Brennan who won a silver in the same race. Brennan also won third in the u-14 girls individual medley.
Other excellent 200metres butterfly performances came from Rachel Moore who won a silver in the u-13 girls and Jack Keogh (u-15 ) who set a new u-19 Connacht record.Moore also won a bronze in the u-13 400 individual medley,
The Galway u-12 girls, Katie McKnight, Ruth Keogh, Aideen Gavin, and Kate Finn, won silver in the medley relay.
David O’Sullivan added to his goal medal with bronze in the u-14 boys 100 butterfly, while Cian Duffy fought hard to win a bronze medal and improve his personal best in the u-15 boys 400 individual medley by some 20 seconds. Other performances worth mentioning came in the distance 400 freestyle where Brandon Blacoe, Jordan Lee, Conor Smyth and Ellen Leahy all set personal bests by between five and ten seconds.
Rachel Moore won a bronze in the u-13 400 individual medley, while in the 200 backstroke Galway SC won the last of its medals with Ciara Naughton winning a bronze medal at u-14 level.
The Galway club now turns its focus to the Irish National Youth and Senior Championships in Dublin this week where a team of 11 swimmers including Connacht champions Dairne Ryan, Emma Porter, Angela O’Connor, and Emma Kate Lally, will be looking to build on the club’s National Championship medal tally.
