Castlebar.News      
    From The West of Ireland
    Go to Castlebar | Photo Gallery | Castlebar Directory | Nostalgia Board
Sports : Castlebar Swimming Club Last Updated: 2, Apr 2018 - 10:02


Castlebar Swimming Club News - 13 July 2014
14, Jul 2014 - 19:52

Email this article
 Printer friendly page

The penultimate swimming competition of the season saw Castlebar swimmers Niamh Breslin, Fiona Conway, Aaron Doherty, Rory Grady, Tommy Huang and Sam Rennick record some fine swims, gaining PBs all round. The Irish Age Groups Division 2 competition - extended to three and a half days this year - kicked off in Limerick on June 26, with 530 swimmers from 78 clubs across Ireland in attendance.
pic3niamhjoe.jpg
Niamh Breslin displays her Division 2 medals with coach Joe Moran.

Competition was as stiff as ever at this level, and the Castlebar swimmers did very well, with Tommy Huang achieving three Division 1 qualifying times, and Niamh Breslin taking home gold and bronze medals. Given the daunting number of competitors and the sheer size of this event, a young swimmer is doing very well even just to improve on their previous times, so the all-important PBs are a great coup at Division 2 level.

pic4fionamelanie.jpg
: London 2012 Olympian Melanie Nocher shares tips with a fellow Irish swimmer, Castlebar’s Fiona Conway.
First up, on the first evening of competition, was the 800m freestyle which saw Niamh Breslin finish a strong swim on 10:40.92, earning a bronze medal. The following morning, Niamh was back in action in the 400 IM, and she swam excellently, taking almost nine seconds off her previous time to finish on 6:02.20 and scooping a gold medal for her performance.

Fiona Conway's first swim was the 100m backstroke and she achieved a PB of 1:24.42, with Niamh Breslin finishing on 1:21.67 in the same event. Sam Rennick also achieved a PB in the 100m backstroke, finishing on 1:26.73. The 200m freestyle brought a second PB for Fiona Conway, who improved her time by almost four seconds (2:37.20). There was a PB also for Niamh Breslin (2:30.31) and Sam Rennick also swam well, finishing on 2:43.12. In the 14-15 age group, Aaron Doherty finished on 2:22.90, a three-second PB.

pic1tommydiv2_1.jpg
Castlebar swimmer Tommy Huang displays his three ‘speeding certificates’ which accompany his Division 1 qualifying times.
The first of Tommy Huang's Division 1 times came in the 100m breast stroke - he finished fourth and took eight seconds off his previous PB to finish on 1:28.22. Aaron Doherty also swam well, finishing on 1:28.83. In the 400m freestyle, Rory Grady punched home at 6:08.49, taking a whopping 43 seconds from his previous best time, with Aaron Doherty also PBing on 4:59.53.

Tommy Huang achieved a second Divison 1 time in the 100m butterfly (1:14.99), and finished first in his age group. The introduction last year of a new ‘two percent rule' (a swimmer achieving a time two percent over the qualifying Division 1 time will not qualify for a final or receive a medal, but will instead be awarded a speeding certificate), meant that Tommy did not have the chance to repeat this achievement in a final, but a trip to Dublin later this month for the Division 1 Championships is now on the cards for this talented young swimmer.

In the 200m backstroke, there were PBs for Fiona Conway (3:01.80), Sam Rennick (3:01.85) and Rory Grady (3:11.55), while the 200 IM also saw Fiona Conway and Niamh Breslin achieving PBs of 3:03.77 and 2:53.98 respectively. The two girls notched up more PBs in their respective age groups in the 400m freestyle, with Fiona finishing on 5:32.59 (an almost 10-second PB) and Niamh finishing on 5:17.02.

Rory Grady took almost nine seconds off his previous best time to finish on 3:30.88 in the 200m breast stroke, while the same event saw Tommy Huang finishing his hat trick, with a third Division 1 time (3:18.20). The Castlebar swimmers finished up on the 100m freestyle event, with Tommy Huang achieving a PB of 1:09.02 and earning himself a place in the final. Fiona Conway also performed well, finishing on 1:11.86, her final PB of the competition, with Niamh Breslin also finishing up with another PB to add to her achievements (1:08.60).

pic2joegroup.jpg
Castlebar coach Joe Moran with his Division 2 swimmers: (back, l to r) Tommy Huang, Niamh Breslin, Aaron Doherty; (front, l to r) Rory Grady, Sam Rennick, Fiona Conway.

For many of the young swimmers, there is now a short break from their training efforts during the swimming year, and perhaps a short break also for coach Joe Moran, who continues to travel from his home in Ballina, five times a week, to mentor his young charges. The dedication and commitment from coach and swimmers at this level has to be seen to be believed - as they fly up and down the pool in Castlebar, week in, week out, striving to knock seconds (and sometimes only split seconds) off their already impressive times. Great credit is due to all involved.



© Copyright 2014 by © Contributor(s) and Castlebar Web Pages 1997 - 2018

.. Top of Page


Castlebar Swimming Club
Latest Headlines
Civic Reception for Nicholas Quinn
Nicholas Quinn - Ireland & Castlebar Olympian 2016
Supporting Nicholas Quinn Castlebar's Olympic Swimmer
Celebrating our Olympian, Nicholas Quinn, Rio de Janeiro August 2016.
Congrats to Nicholas Quinn
Irish Age Groups Division 2 Swimming Championships
There's Something About Nicholas
Swimming Club News - 2 Sep 2014
Castlebar Swimming Club News - 13 July 2014
Prizes all around for Castlebar Swimmers
Senior Schools Competition - Swimming
Castlebar Swimmers Deliver in Dublin
Castlebar Swimming Club News - 2 April 2014
Swimming Club News - November 2013
Castlebar SC Gala
Castlebar Swimmers at Division 2
Swimming News 28 May 2013
Swim Wins in Westmeath
Senior Squad Swimmers at Claremorris
Claremorris and B&C Gala Reports
Swimmers’ Success in Limerick & Tuam
Swimming News 11 Jan 2013
Castlebar Swimmers do Well in Longford
Swim News - 6 November 2012
Swim News - 15 October 2012
Swim News - 2012 Round Up
Swim News - 1 Aug 2012
Swim News - 28 June 2012
Sinead Mylett
Dublin Medals for Castlebar Swimmers
Castlebar Impress at Connacht Age Groups
Swim News - 19 March 2012
Swim News - 5 May 2012
Castlebar Swimming News - 13 April 2012
Castlebar Swimming News - 5 April 2012
Swim News - 31 March 2012
Swim News - 14 March 2012
Swim News - 14 Feb 2012
Connacht Swimming Championships
Castlebar Swim Success
Castlebar Host Season's First Gala
Swim News - June 2011
Swimming Intervarsities
St Gerald's Pair Selected For Ireland Squad.
Swim News - 15 Feb 2011
Castlebar Awards Swimmers.
Castlebar Impress at Irish Age Group Championship
Castlebar Swimming News 24 Sep 2010
Castlebar Swimming Club Lessons
Castlebar Swimmers Progress at Nationals
Aer-Lingus open
Nicholas Quinn, Olympian
Connacht Age-Groups Sligo, Claremorris and Castlebar
Swimming Updates - April and May Galas 2005
Swimming Results - Jan to March Galas 2005
Swimming Club Annual Awards
Annual Club Lengths and Lessons Gala.
Fourteen Castlebar Swimmers Qualify
Community Games Finals
Swimming Club News
Irish Age Group Championships Div 2 Limerick
Congratulations on swimming for Connacht on Inter-Provincials
Mayo Community Games Swimming Finals
Swimming Update
Swimming News Update - 22 April 2004
Swimming Club News 12 April 2004
Castlebar Swimming Club News Update - 26 Mar 2004
Castlebar S/C host Connacht Region Swimming A.G.M.
More Medals for Castlebar B&C Swimmers in Ballina
Success for Castlebar Swimmers at Athlone Meet.
Swimming Club News
Connnacht region B&C Gala
Swimming Thanks
Connacht Secondary Schools Swimming Championships Jan 2004
Castlebar Swimming News
Swimming News Update - 3 Dec 2003
Swimming News Update 28 Nov 2003
Swimming News Updates - Tuam Gala 8/9th Nov 2003
Swimming News
Swimming News - 8th Nov 2003
National Swimming Championships 2003
Mosney 2003
Swimming News - Senior Coach Wanted
Swimming Results
Division 2 Results and success for Cian Holland
Abbotstown Results 2003
Connacht Age-Group Galas Report
Area Community Games
Swimming - Long Course and B&C Gala
Castlebar's top swimmers compete in Galway - Jimmy Cranny Memorial Gala
Connacht Championships 30th March 2003.
Castlebar Swimming Club News - 24th March 2003
Castlebar Swimming Club News - 11th March 2003
Castlebar Swimming Club News - 19th Feb 2003
Swimming News - 4 feb 2003
Castlebar Swimming News Jan 2003
December Swimming News 30 Dec 2002
Swimming News - 6 Dec 2002
Success for Mayo swimmers
Tuam Gala Results