SWIMMING Grainne Murphy breaks Irish Junior and Senior Records

Swim Irelands Dave McCullagh memorial meet concluded today in the University of Limerick Swimming Pool. Grainne Murphy was in impressive form today as she smashed the Irish Junior and Senior 200m Breaststroke record. In this morning's heats Murphy recorded a time of 2.32.44 knocking an impressive 02.32 seconds off Fiona Doyle's Junior record and 01.04 seconds off Emma Robinson's senior record set in 2004. Murphy then went on to break the record she had set in the heats in this afternoon's final to take gold and set a new Senior and Junior Irish record time of 2.32.40.

Murphy also took gold in the women's 400m Freestyle event in a time of 4.17.13. Slovenian Tjasa Oder (4.22.49) took second place with Trojan SC's Nuala Murphy (4.33.83) in third. In an exciting men's final Aer Lingus swimmer Andrew Meegan (4.07.16) came in, in first place just ahead of Ards SC'c Conor Leaney (4.07.82) and Christopher Bryan (4.12.31) Ennis SC.

The girls from ESB SC were also in fine form as they took the 200m Freestyle Relay title breaking the Irish Senior record on the way. The team made up of Olympian Aisling Cooney, Gillian Gavaghan, Emma McShane and India McGlynn took gold in a time of 1.52.11, ahead of Aer Lingus SC (1.54.50) and Templeogue SC (1.55.98). In the men's event Larne SC came out in front in a time of 1:57.38 in an exciting battle with Ennis SC (1.57.45) coming in 0.00.07 behind them to take silver while Aer Lingus (1.58.22) followed to take bronze.

The mens 800m Freestyle event was won by Slovenian Stas Slabe (8.37.98) with Christopher Bryan (8.38.09) of Ennis SC taking second place and Jonathan McGee (8.47.45) from Portmarnock in third. The women's 50m Freestyle event was won by Fiona Doyle (26.99) Portmarnock SC, while Gavin Williamson (24.66) of Larne SC took gold in the men's event.

Irish Olympian Aisling Cooney took home her second gold medal of the day in the women's 200m Backstroke final in a time of 2.20.89 ahead of Slovenian Tjasa Oder (2.23.13) while her teammate Jera Majeric (2.23.74) took bronze. In the men's event St Paul's Niall Wynn (2.07.90) took gold followed by Colm Dowling (2.10.41) Waterford Crystal and Stas Slabe (2.11.78) PK Fuzinar Ravne.

Limerick SC's Shauna Smith came first in the women's 100m Butterfly event. Smith took the gold in a time of 1.04.40, silver went to Caroline Dryzaite (1.05.02) Westwood SC while bronze went to Namh McDonnell (1.06.64) Aer Lingus SC. Ard's SC's Steven McQuillan (56.43) came first in the men's event followed by Phillip Duffy (58.03) St Paul's SC and Andrew Meegan (58.74) Aer Lingus SC.

Continuing her fine form Cooney added a third gold to her tally in the women's 50m Backstroke final. Swimming for ESB SC Cooney took gold in a time of 30.25. Westwood SC's William Ensor (28.42) won gold in the men's event. In the men's 200m Breaststroke final Phillip Duffy (2.25.49) took gold ahead of Castlebar swimmer Nicholas Quinn (2.26.34) and Steven Duffy (2.26.82) St Pauls.

In the final event of the evening, the 100m Freestyle, Portmarnock's Fiona Doyle (57.77) came in first ahead of Sycerika McMahon (58.28) Leander SC and Galway's Dairne Ryan (59.32). Curtis Coulter of Ards SC took gold in the men's event in a time of 53.65, the silver medal went to Colm Dowling (53.76) while Larne swimmer Gavin Williamson (54.65) took bronze.

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