Christian O’Brien leads Athlone Swimming Club charge at Irish Open
A European Championships consideration time headlined a standout week of personal bests, finals and record-breaking performances for Athlone Swimming Club at the 2026 Irish Open Swimming Championships.
The event, incorporating Commonwealth Games qualification, were held in Bangor, Co. Down, at the prestigious Bangor Aurora Aquatics & Leisure Complex.
The event once again confirmed its position as the premier meet on the Irish calendar, bringing together the country’s leading swimmers alongside emerging talents, all competing for national titles and qualification standards for major international championships.
For Athlone Swimming Club, the week was highlighted by a European Championships consideration time, alongside multiple personal bests, finals appearances, and record-breaking performances, marking a significant step forward for the squad at national level.
With Olympic champions, European medallists, and Ireland’s top-ranked swimmers in action — including Daniel Wiffen, Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe — the standard of racing throughout the week was exceptionally high.
The meet also featured standout performances from swimmers such as John Shortt and Ellie McCartney, further underlining the depth of Irish swimming.
Overall, Athlone Swimming Club delivered a highly successful and progressive performance at one of the most competitive meets of the season.
Across the week, the squad comprising six swimmers took part in 15 events recording seven personal bests, two seasonal bests, three club records, two Connacht Junior records, and one European Championships consideration time.
With the Irish open venue normally being Dublin, this was also the club’s first appearance in several years at the venue and in the new surroundings of the Bangor Aurora Aquatics & Leisure Complex
Judy Brennan
Judy Brennan delivered a composed swim in the 50m Breaststroke, clocking 36.08 in line with her entry seeding in a tightly contested field.
She built on that performance in the 100m Breaststroke, recording 1:20.60 and climbing four places from her entry position, reflecting her ability to execute and improve within competition.
Leah Connell
Leah Connell, a Leaving Cert student, produced one of the most encouraging performances of the meet. She recorded 1:07.10 in the 100m Backstroke and 2:25.19 in the 200m Backstroke, making two finals and dropping time in both evening swims.
Still in rehabilitation following knee surgery earlier in the year, these swims represent a strong step forward and provide an important platform for her build towards the Summer Nationals in Dublin.
Darragh Flanagan
Darragh Flanagan continued his upward trajectory with a series of personal best performances across all events.
He recorded a 55.27 PB in the 100m Freestyle, showing continued development in sprint freestyle. His strongest gains came in the butterfly events, producing a 26.49 PB in the 50m Butterfly cutting ,92 sec from his time and a 1:00.42 PB in the 100m Butterfly cutting 1.09 Sec from his time.
Darragh’s 50M Fly final required a re-run due to a technical issue between the starting gun and strobe system, indeed it was triggered by Darragh’s exceptional reaction time of 0.44 seconds on the blocks. He coped admirably in the rerun with an even better time.
Fiachra Reddington
In his first Irish Open appearance, Fiachra Reddington made a confident senior debut, recording a 1:05.40 PB in the 100m Backstroke. He also gained valuable experience in the 50m Backstroke, competing confidently at national level for the first time.
He raced alongside Galway’s John Shortt, the World Junior record holder and Irish senior record holder, gaining a clear benchmark of elite performance standards.
Jane Ryan
Jane Ryan, club captain, competed in the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke events, progressing through heats and finals in all three distances.
She continues to lead by example within Athlone Swimming Club and remains a key inspiration to younger swimmers.
Her strongest progression came in the 50m Breaststroke, where she showed clear improvement in speed and execution, a focus she will aim to carry into her longer events at the Summer Nationals in Dublin this July.
Jane’s events were also dominated by Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry, who was in outstanding form throughout the meet, breaking Irish records and securing European consideration times.
Christian O’Brien
Breaststroke specialist Christian O’Brien delivered one of his most complete performances in Bangor, confirming his status as one of Ireland’s most promising young swimmers.
Across the weekend, he combined consistency, composure, and strong execution under pressure, producing a European Championships consideration time, three personal bests, and two Connacht Junior records.
The standout swim came in the 50m Breaststroke, where he broke the 28-second barrier for the first time, clocking 27.90 — a 0.62 PB and more than half a second inside the European qualification standard.
He followed this with a major step forward in the 100m Breaststroke, recording 1:02.28 — a 1.45 PB and securing an early consideration time for Irish Senior Squad selection for the 2026/2027 season.
Beyond the times, his consistency under pressure stood out most. He repeatedly delivered at championship level, showing growing maturity and discipline.
A special word of thanks is due to Swim Ireland and the approximately 30 officials who oversaw the Irish Open so professionally throughout the weekend.
Sincere appreciation is also extended to the Swim Ireland coaching staff on deck for their continued support and guidance.
Finally, heartfelt thanks go to Athlone Swimming Club and Head Coach Denise Dolan. Although still relatively new to the coaching role, Denise has already proven to be instrumental in the ongoing progress of the squad.
She was kept exceptionally busy throughout the weekend managing and supporting a very successful young team, and continues to put real “wind in the sails” of these young swimmers.