Irish Championships Attract Record Numbers

Swim Ireland's Irish Age Group Championships and Summer Open kicks off this Wednesday at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.Over 900 swimmers from more than 100 clubs will compete in the biggest Championships Swim Ireland has ever run with 3,762 Individual and 151 Relay swims taking place over the five days. Teams from South Africa, Singapore, Oman, Dubai, Italy, England, Scotland and from all over Ireland will be descending on Dublin in the coming days to race. The competition caters for swimmers from as young as 8 right up to an open age group with the oldest competitor being 43 this year.

Barry Murphy, Brendan Hyland, Nicholas Quinn and Dan Sweeney will all compete as they continue their preparations for the European Senior Championships in Berlin in August. The meet will also serve as an opportunity for Commonwealth Games swimmers to get some final race practice in before they travel to Glasgow this Saturday with swimming starting at the Games on the 23rd July.

Ireland's five strong squad of Paralympic Swimmers will all compete before they leave for a training camp in the Canary Islands prior to the European Championships in Eindhoven from the 4th - 10th August.

Swim Ireland's youth squad swimmers will race before travelling to Winnipeg, Canada for the Canadian Age Group Championships from the 23rd - 28th July while Irish record holders Bethany Carson, Melanie Houghton and Andrew Meegan will also be amongst the competitors who will swim over the five days hoping to win Gold.