Ulster Athletes Excel at the 2024 Irish Winter Championships: 48 Medals and Standout Performances

Day 1 – Friday 13th December 2024

The opening day of the Irish Winter Championships 2024 kicked off at the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin, with Ulster athletes making a strong impression. The competition was fierce from the get-go, with Ulster swimmers claiming 16 medals, including 6 Gold, 6 Silver, and 4 Bronze.

Open 200m Freestyle Relay

  1. Larne
  2. Lisburn
  3. NAC

Female 200m Freestyle Relay

  1. Ards
  2. Sundays Well
  3. UCD

Open 50m Backstroke A Final

  1. David O’Loughlin (UCD) | 24.89
  2. Charlie Cassidy (Dolphin) | 25.29
  3. Brandon Biss (Swim Belfast) | 25.41

Female 50m Backstroke A Final

  1. Maria Godden (National Centre Limerick) | 27.68
  2. Grace Davison (Ards) | 27.97
  3. Jena Macdougald (UCD) | 28.00

Open 800m Freestyle Fastest Heat

  1. Denis O’Brien (NCL) | 8:03.76
  2. Lachey Reed (NCU) | 8:08.25
  3. Daragh Horgan (NCL) | 8:14.30

Female 800m Freestyle Fastest Heat

  1. Grace Hodgins (Templeogue) | 8:50.60
  2. Skye Austin-Burrows (Larne) | 9:00.33
  3. Holly McInerney (Templeogue) | 9:00.67

Open 100m Breaststroke A Final

  1. Liam O’Connor (NCD) | 58.85
  2. Adam Bradley (Bangor) | 59.77
  3. Morgan Berryman (Larne) | 1:00.66

Open 100m Freestyle A Final

  1. Calum Bain (NCD-Cookstown) | 48.36
  2. Danny Morgan (NCD) | 48.98
  3. Thomas Leggett (Larne) | 49.06

Female 100m Freestyle A Final

  1. Grace Davison (Ards) | 53.56
  2. Danielle Farrell (NCL) | 55.24
  3. Victoria Catterson (NCD-Ards) | 55.80

Female 200m Butterfly A Final

  1. Alana Burns-Atkin (NCU-Banbridge) | 2:13.15
  2. Eva Bayley (New Ross) | 2:17.63
  3. Hannah Poynton (Trojan) | 2:19.91

Open 200m IM A Final

  1. Matthew Hand (Bangor) | 2:04.04
  2. Adam Colgan (NCU-Lisburn) | 2:04.29
  3. Killian O’Loughlin Brophy (Coolmine) | 2:05.34

Day 2 – Saturday, 14th December 2024

Day 2 continued the momentum from a brilliant first night of racing. The morning’s relay events and the electrifying finals in the evening made for another action-packed day of competition.

At the end of Day 2, Ulster swimmers medal count stood at: 

  • Gold – 12
  • Silver – 12 
  • Bronze – 7

Mixed 200m Medley Relay

  1. UCD | 1:47.45
  2. Dolphin | 1:48.98
  3. Ards | 1:50.99

Mixed 200m Freestyle Relay

  1. Ards | 1:39.95
  2. Larne | 1:40.25
  3. Sundays Well | 1:41.23

Female 100m Backstroke

  1. Maria Godden (NCL) | 59.33
  2. Grace Davison (Ards) | 1:00.07
  3. Jena Macdougald (UCD) | 1:00.78

Open 100m Backstroke

  1. Neddie Irwin (NCL) | 53.89
  2. Brandon Biss (Swim Belfast) | 53.92
  3. David O’Loughlin (UCD) | 54.94

Female 1500m Freestyle

  1. Grace Hodgins (Templeogue) | 16:48.07
  2. Skye Austin-Burrows (Larne) | 17:16.25
  3. Anna Nikishkina (Aer Lingus) 17:30.88

Female 50m Butterfly

  1. Emma Coulter (Ards) | 26.97
  2. Alana Burns-Atkin (NCU-Banbridge) | 27.15
  3. Lucy O’Brien (NCL) | 27.52 (IJR)

Open 50m Butterfly

  1. Calum Bain (NCD-Cookstown) | 23.23
  2. Charlie Eatwell (NCU-Ards) | 24.30
  3. Dylan O’Brien (Ennis) | 24.56

Female 200m Freestyle

  1. Maria Godden (NCL) | 1:57.33
  2. Danielle Farrell (NCL) | 2:00.42
  3. Mollie McAlorum (NCU-Leander) | 2:03.03

Open 200m Freestyle

1. Jack McMillan (Bangor) | 1:42.00 (Commemorative Gold)

1. Cormac Rynn (NCL) | 1:46.71

2. Charlie Cassidy (NCL) | 1:48.21

3. Danny Morgan (NCD) | 1:48.84

Female 200m Breaststroke

  1. Grace Davison (Ards) | 2:27.20
  2. Niamh Connery (Shark Galway) | 2:30.04
  3. Megan Jones (Portmarnock) | 2:31.93

Open 200m Breaststroke

  1. Liam O’Connor (NCD) | 2:11.44
  2. Andrew Feenan (NCL) | 2:11.55
  3. Matthew Hand (Bangor) | 2:12.49

Open 400m IM

  1. Adam Wilson (Banbridge) | 4:25.35
  2. Emmet Cousins (New Ross) | 4:28.28
  3. Cormac Donnellan (UCD) | 4:31.16

Day 3 – Sunday, 15th December 2024

As the final day of the meet dawned, swimmers pushed themselves to their limits, culminating in an unforgettable set of performances. The highlight of the day came in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, where Ulster swimmers claimed the top three spots.

Final Medal Tally for Ulster Swimmers:

  • Gold: 17
  • Silver: 19
  • Bronze: 10

Open 200m Medley Relay 

  1. Larne | 1:42.41
  2. Dolphin | 1:42.87
  3. Lisburn | 1:43.40

Open 200m Backstroke

  1. Brandon Biss (Swim Belfast) | 1:56.24
  2. Neddie Irwin (NCL) | 1:56.95
  3. Emmet Cousins (New Ross) | 1:57.98

Female 200m Backstroke

  1. Maria Godden (NCL) | 2:06.92
  2. Victoria Catterson (NCU-Ards) | 2:09.54
  3. Jena Macdougald (UCD) | 2:12.72

Open 50m Freestyle

  1. Calum Bain (NCD-Cookstown) | 21.49
  2. Cody Dunnion (NCU-Ards) | 22.31
  3. Thomas Leggett (Larne) | 22.37

Female 50m Freestyle

  1. Grace Davison (Ards) | 25.25
  2. Rosalie Phelan (NCD) | 25.79
  3. Ava Jones (Portmarnock) | 26.18

Open 50m Breaststroke

  1. Liam O’Connor (NCD) | 27.59
  2. Adam Bradley (Bangor) | 27.64
  3. Dmytro Cherkasov (Dolphin) | 27.99

Female 100m Butterfly

  1. Alana Burns-Atkin (NCU-Banbridge) | 59.55
  2. Grace Davison (Ards) | 1:00.24
  3. Danielle Farrell (NCL) | 1:00.91

Open 100m IM

  1. Charlie Cassidy (NCL) | 56.48
  2. Matthew Hand (Bangor) | 56.63
  3. John Mulhall (UCD) | 57.85

Open 400m Freestyle

  1. Cormac Rynn (NCL) | 3:48.06
  2. Lachey Reed (NCU-Bangor) | 3:50.46
  3. Denis O’Brien (NCL) | 3:51.45

Female 400m Freestyle

  1. Maria Godden (NCL) | 4:13.93
  2. Skye Austin-Burrows (Larne) | 4:20.13
  3. Mollie McAlorum (NCU-Leander) | 4:20.47

With the conclusion of the 2024 Irish Winter Championships, Ulster swimmers have showcased their talents and secured impressive results. Congratulations to Ards Swimming Club for being crowned Top Club of the meet for the second year in a row! These performances bode well for the future as the swimmers continue to build towards national and international success.

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