As training continues to intensify, the swimming season has well and truly entered lift-off mode and the intermediate and senior squads from Castlebar Swimming Club had two very successful outings recently, with a scattering of personal bests (PBs). First up was the Cranny Halloween Meet, held every year at Leisureland in Galway. In the 200m back stroke, there were PBs for Hannah Grady (2:53.26), Laura Fahy (2:39.95), Siofra McHale (2:41.16), Paula McDonagh (2:49.84) and Hazel Coen (2:54.22). The boys also performed well, with PBs for Sean O'Connor (2:47.95), Mark Dervan (2:32.84), Jamie Murphy (2:41.40) and Conor Melly (2:44.66).

Heather Fadden

Heather Fadden took bronze in the 200m breaststroke for her time of 3:16.02, while Siofra Horan narrowly missed out on a podium finish in her age group with 3:01.50. For the boys, Sean O'Connor swam an impressive seven-second PB to take bronze with 3:08.92, with Mark Dervan scooping silver in his age group on 2:41.23 while there were PBs also for Jamie Murphy (2:55.52), Aaron Doherty (3:12.56) and Patrick Livingstone (2:33.79).

Sinead Mylett

The 200m individual medley (IM) was up next, and Hannah Grady just missed out on a medal finish but recorded a great eight-second PB (2:52.63). Meanwhile, Sinead Mylett took silver in her age group on a time of 2:29.86, with further PBs for Heather Fadden (2:57.35), Fiona Conway (3:11.79), Laura Fahy (2:43.58), Siofra McHale (2:45.63), Edel Egan (2:47.76) and Niamh Breslin (2:58.23).

Ronan Dervan

There were great PBs also for the boys, including Sean O'Connor (2:50.15), Ronan Dervan (3:17.06), Mark Dervan (2:32.91), Jamie Murphy (2:41.81), Conor Melly (2:45.80), Aaron Doherty (2:54.24), and a bronze medal and six-second PB for Eoghan Grady (2:16.93). Ronan Dervan took bronze in the 200m fly with a time of 3:46.10. The final event of the day was the 200m freestyle, which brought more PBs for Hannah Grady (2:31.06), Saoirse Hoban (2:36.29), Laura Fahy (2:20.14), Paula McDonagh (2:20.84), Edel Egan (2:21.44), Siofra McHale (2:25.80), Una Togher (2:28.68), Hazel Coen (2:29.07) and Niamh Breslin (2:34.74).

Eoghan Grady

Sean O'Connor

The boys finished up with a raft of 200m freestyle PBs also, including Sean O'Connor (2:38.53), Jamie Murphy (2:23.17) and 1:56.94 for Eoghan Grady which earned him a silver medal. Also swimming well for Castlebar were Aisling Grady and Aichlinn O'Reilly.

Saoirse Hoban

Two weeks later in Longford, there were more fine performances from the swimmers. Saoirse Hoban, swimming in the 11&under age group, kicked off the day's PBs with an excellent 19-second personal best (6:08.51) in the 400IM. In the 12-13 age group, Hannah Grady swam a phenomenal 44-second PB for a time of 6:01.26, with PBs also for Edel Egan (6:02.41), Niamh Breslin (6:24.48), Heather Fadden (6:25.86), Aisling Grady (5:30.49), Laura Fahy (5:46.19), Niamh Heneghan (5:50.72), Paula McDonagh (5:51.30), and Una Togher (6:05.74). The boys also had fine swims in this event, with Jamie Murphy taking silver on a time of 5:30.62 - a first and excellent PB in the event - and Conor Melly gaining an 18-second PB of 5:47.22.

Jamie Murphy

In the boys' 100m freestyle there were further PBs for Jamie Murphy (1:04.79) and Conor Melly (1:07.61), while the girls also recorded some great new times. Saoirse Hoban gained a PB of 1:10.49, and Edel Egan took gold for her time of 1:05.55), while there were PBs also for Hazel Coen (1:09.93), Hannah Grady (1:10.34), Niamh Breslin (1:13.17), Heather Fadden (1:14.42), Laura Fahy (1:04.38), Paula McDonagh (1:05.92), Niamh Heneghan (1:05.95) and Una Togher (1:08.12).

Edel Egan

The third event of the day was the 100m fly, which saw Saoirse Hoban swimming a very impressive 1:21.94 to scoop a well-deserved gold medal. There was a good PB also for Fiona Conway (1:35.45), and further PBs in the older age groups for Edel Egan (1:21.18), Hannah Grady (1:25.41), Niamh Breslin (1:29.99), Hazel Coen (1:30.96), Aisling Grady (1:15.11), Niamh Heneghan (1:17.14), Laura Fahy (1:17.27) and Una Togher (1:22.72). Also swimming well for Castlebar was Siofra Horan.