Sliabh Beagh was immensely proud to attend this meet with 16 swimmers from the Club, who had qualified to swim at this high level meet. The meet took place in the 50 metre pool at Bangor Aurora Centre, Bangor over the 3 day period Friday 3 rd to Sunday 5th May.
First time qualifiers for this Competition were Ellen Casey, Clodagh McCabe, Eabha McMullen, Aoife Mullan, Ellie Mulligan, Sophia Vergnano, Egan Hearty, Zach Mulligan and Chullain Rankin. The remaining members of the team were Owen Fitzpatrick, Riya George, Sean Greenan, Adam Lynch, Katherine Ryan, Ridas Zelvys and Edvardas Zumaras.
On Friday, Ellen swam in the 100 Breaststroke gaining an impressive 3.6 second personal best and then competed in the 50 Freestyle where she also secured another PB. A great start to the meet for Ellen competing in the youngest of age groups, age 12. Ellen was back on Sunday to compete in the 200 Breaststroke where she knocked a huge 15.9 seconds off her time, finished in 8th place and earned herself a swim in the Finals that evening. Having raced the final, Ellen wasn’t finished there knocking another 5 seconds off her heats time to finish in overall 7th place and gaining a Consideration Time for the Irish National age-groups in July. Well done Ellen!
Owen Fitzpatrick swam in six races over the three days. First up was the 100 Backstroke on Friday where Owen set a new PB, gaining a place in the Final and finished in overall 6 th place in his age 13/14 category. In the 200 IM, Owen achieved his largest PB of the meet by some 4.5 seconds, where he finished in 11th place, securing a reserve spot for the Final that evening. Saturday started with the grueling 400 Individual Medley race, which Owen was swimming for only the 2nd time and finished in 8th place in his age group and he followed this with a small personal best in the 100 Freestyle. Sunday saw Owen compete in the 200 Backstroke and 100 Butterfly posting PB’s in both races and earning second swim in the Finals where he finished in 6th and 10th place respectively. Owen achieved an impressive six out of six Qualification Times for the Irish Age-Groups. Way to go, Owen!
Riya also swam in six swims over the three days in the age 13/14 category. On Friday she posted a PB in the 100 Backstroke and was narrowly outside the times for Summer Nationals for this swim and
the 50 Freestyle also. Saturday saw Riya race in the 100 Butterfly and 200 Freestyle which saw her achieve that Consideration time for Irish National Age-groups and a 1.3 second PB. Riya’s final swims on Sunday were the 200 Backstroke where she set 1.2 second PB and in 100 Freestyle where she achieved another Consideration time for Irish Age-Groups. Well done Riya, super work!
Sean was competing in the 15/16 age group competing in six races over the three days. On Friday it was the 200 Breaststroke and 200IM, where he secured himself 6th and 8th place finishes which got him second Final swims that evening. In the finals Sean finished in 5th place for the 200 Breaststroke achieving a Qualification time for the Irish Summer Nationals and a consideration time in the 200IM with a 9th place finish. Saturday saw Sean tackle the 400IM, a super swim saw him knock 10.8 seconds off his time and finishing in 4th place, earning him a consideration time for Irish Summer
Nationals and he also swam in the 100 Freestyle finishing in a solid 13th place. Sunday was the turn of the 200 Backstroke, where Sean finished in 6th place and got a swim in the final that evening, finishing 7th overall and set a Qualification time for the Irish Summer Nationals. In his last swim of the day, set a new PB in the 100 Butterfly and placed reserve for the final. This 100 Butterfly time was also a Consideration Time for Nationals. Well done Sean!
Egan was in electric form at the Ulsters swimming five events over the three days. In his 1st event, the 200 Free he raced to a 10.5 second drop and a 10th place finish to earn a place in the Final. The 200IM was equally impressive with a 13.8 second PB, finishing 9th place with another swim in the finals. Saturday saw Egan continue his great form, throwing himself into the 400IM and producing a huge PB of 22.8 seconds and 5th place finish. Sunday saw Egan compete in the 100 Butterfly, recording another PB of 9.3 seconds, place in the final finishing in overall 6th place. Saving his best for last, Egan competed in the 400 Free where he smashed 31 seconds off his previous best and finished in 7th place. All of Egan’s five races earned him Qualification Times for the Summer Nationals. What a
great weekend’s swimming Egan, keep up the hard work!
Adam swam in five races in the 19 years and over category. Friday saw him swim in the 50 Butterfly and 200 Freestyle earning final swims in both where he finished in 7th place in the Butterfly and 6th in the Freestyle. Saturday saw him swam the 100 Freestyle where he posted a solid time to achieve a reserve place in the Final. Sunday was the 50 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly, with another Final place achieved in the Butterfly and a 7th place finish. With Adam’s endeavours at the Ulsters he achieved two qualification and 1 consideration time for Nationals.
Clodagh swam in the age 13/14 category and had qualified in five events. First up on Friday was the 100 Backstroke and 50 Freestyle, where she gained a 1.4 second PB in the backstroke and both
swims gained her Consideration Times for the Irish National age-groups. On Saturday, Clodagh returned for the 100 Butterfly where she finished in 11th place, securing a reserve spot for the Final
that evening with her time being a Qualification for the Summer Nationals. On the Sunday, Clodagh swam in the 200 Backstroke getting a huge 4.7 seconds PB and the 100 Freestyle with another two second PB. Both times were once again Consideration Times for the Summer Nationals. Brilliant swimming Clodagh and achieving five times for the Irish National Age-Groups!
Eabha joined Sliabh Beagh on Sunday for two swims in the age 13/14 category. After a nervous start in the 200IM, Eabha had a great swim in the 200 Backstroke with a 6.9 second PB and a
Consideration Time for the Irish National Age-groups – super stuff Eabha!
Aoife swam in the 100 Backstroke knocking 5.5 seconds off her PB and finishing in 14th place. She returned on Sunday for the 200 Backstroke gaining valuable competition experience at this level at
the age of only 12. Well done Aoife!
Ellie was up on Friday for the 50 Freestyle just finishing outside the Consideration Time for the Irish Age-Groups – great job Ellie!
Zach swam on Friday in the 100 Backstroke getting an impressive 2 second PB, finishing in 8th place and earning himself a place in the Final that evening. In the final he dropped a further second and
finished in 7th place in his age 12 category. Well done Zach.
Chullain also swam on Friday in the 100 Backstroke finishing in 9th place and earning himself a place in the Final that evening. He returned on Sunday for the 200 Backstroke where he posted a two
second PB, a 6th place finish and another swim in the Finals. Super stuff Chullain, two Finals at your first Ulsters.
Katherine swam on Friday and Sunday in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke where she competed well in the age 15/16 category. Katherine earned herself a Consideration Time for the Irish Summer Nationals for the 200 Breaststroke. Great swimming Katherine, keep up the hard work!
Sophia swam in the 100 Breaststroke and 100 Backstroke events on Friday finishing in 9th place in the heats and qualifying for the Finals that evening. Sophia returned that evening to secure further PB’s of 1.6 seconds in the Breaststroke and 6.5 seconds in the Backstroke finishing in 7th place in both events for the Age 12 category. Sophia was back on Sunday for the 200IM and 200 Backstroke once again securing final places for both events with a 7.7 second PB in the 200IM and 7th place finish and 1.7
second PB and 5th place finish for the 200 Backstroke. Sophia gained Consideration Times in the 200IM, 100 and 200 Back and a Irish National Age-group Qualification time for the 100 Breaststroke. What a great weekend’s swimming Sophia, well done!
Ridas had two great swims on Friday and Saturday in the 200 and 100 Breaststroke. He posted impressive 10 and 6 second P.B’s finishing in 14th and 16th place respectively in the age 13/14 category. Both times also earned him Qualification for the Irish Age-Groups. Great work Ridas!
Edvardas swam on Friday and Sunday in the 17+ age category competing in the 100 and 200 Backstroke. He earned himself Final swims in both events finishing 7th in the 100 Backstroke and
posted a four second PB in the 200 Backstroke and a 5th place finish, which was also a Consideration Time for Irish Summer Nationals. Well done Edvardas!
2024’s Ulster’s represented a very different event for Sliabh Beagh with the concentration of achievement made up of excellent swimming performances and personal best times, with multiple
new faces now reaching the dizzy heights of Irish National summer consideration and qualification times which is no mean achievement by any stretch!
A special word of sincere thanks to the SB Coaching team lead by Head Coach Pearse McGuigan, who ensured the swimmers were prepared as best as possible for the demands of such a high level
of competition with an encouraging sixteen swimmers competing at this year’s Ulsters, who achieved a collective of a 75% + PB’s, 20 finals and over 30 Irish National Age-group & Senior times for this July competitions.
Finally, Sliabh Beagh would also like to acknowledge and are hugely grateful to the hard working SB parents who fulfilled all their Team Manager and Officials duties over the three days and ensuring that Sliabh Beagh played their part in supporting the delivery of a very important date in the Swim Ulster swimming season.