Castlebar Swimming Club
Division 2 Results and success for Cian Holland
By Linda McCaffrey
9, Jul 2003 - 15:18

A number of the top swimmers from the Castlebar Swimming Club travelled to Limerick for the Irish Age Groups – Division 2 competition held at the University Arena 50m pool on 4th/5th/6th July.

Ciaran Garrick scooped 2nd place for best overall swimmer in 17-24 years age group and bagged 2 Gold medals for his 100m Freestyle in a time of 58.45 and 200m Freestyle in a time of 2.10.28 and followed this up with silver in 200m IM and Bronze in 100m Fly. Ciaran was pipped by 1 point for 1st overall swimmer but he did himself and the club proud.

Another Gold medal winner was Sarah Wiseman – she beat off competition from Waterford and Galway in the Girls 16 years 100m Fly to take 1st place missing a Division 1 time by .27 split seconds. Sarah also reached finals in the 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke and swam the 200m IM final taking 4th place.

Silver medal winner Eleanor Grier-Gavin swam a blinder – she took 2nd place in Girls 14 years 100m Breaststroke and achieved a Division 1 time. Eleanor also reached the 100m Freestyle final and had another personal best (PB) time to finish in 1.08.90, and powered ahead to swim the 200m IM in yet another personal best time and finished 5th in the Fly final in a time of 1.20.59. Overall a great weekend for Eleanor.

Patrick Wiseman went to Limerick to achieve and this he did in style. In the Boys 13 years 200m Freestyle he had a powerful swim and was pipped for 3rd place by opposition from Dublin and finished in a personal best time of 2.26.35. Patrick made the final in 100m Freestyle in a time of 1.07.63, which was a 2-second PB. and then went on to do another personal best time in the final to finish 6th. He reached the final in 100m Fly and finished in 6th place with a time of 1.22.16. Patrick’s other swims included 200m IM, 100m Backstroke and 100m Breaststroke. Overall a great performance.

Another swimmer to show some real class was Fionnuala Quinn as she reached the Final in Girls 13 years 100m Fly and came in 7th in a personal best time of 1.21.74. Fionnuala continued her winning ways as she achieved personal best times in 200m IM, 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke. And rounded off what was a very successful and exciting weekend for her by swimming 100m Breaststroke in a time of 1.28.37.

Emma Hynes was in blistering form for the 3 days of competition and knocked seconds of all her strokes. In the Girls 11-12 Years 100m Freestyle Emma had a great swim and reached the final to finish 7th in a very hotly contested race finishing in a time of 1.12.34. Her other swims included 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, 200m IM and she finished the weekend on a high note with a 10-second personal best time of 2.37.25 in 200m Freestyle.

Another great performance was had from Fergus Sweeney as he showed his mettle over the weekend. In the Boys 14 Years 100m Breaststroke he reached the final and had a brilliant swim to finish in a time of 1.26.65. Fergus made personal best times in 100m Freestyle, 200m IM, 100m Fly, 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke and can be well pleased with his performances.

Annie McCormack another up and coming swimmer is going from strength to strength and knocked seconds of all her times. In the Girls 11-12 years 100m Freestyle she finished in a time of 1.14.74 and made the Division 2 qualifying time. Her swims included 100m Backstroke, 100m Breaststroke, 200m IM, 100m Fly and her final swim of the weekend where she held nothing back was the 200m Freestyle finishing in a time of 2.48.77

The weekend saw many fine performances from Stephanie Ford achieving a personal best time of 2 seconds in Girls 11-12 100m Breaststroke to finish in a time of 1.35.74 in a hotly contested heat. Stephanie had a 10-second PB in 100m Fly and finished the competition with a great swim in 200m Freestyle in a time of 2.52.72

Katie Tuohy showed her style and ability in her many swims over the weekend. In the 13 years 200m IM she had a great swim in a time of 2.57.55 and knocked 5 seconds of her 100m Fly to finish in time of 1.25.51. Katie’s other swims included 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle,
100m Backstroke and was reserve finalist in 100m Breaststroke in a time of 1.30.42.

The weekend saw Meabh Garrick swim the Girls 14 years 100m Freestyle in a time of 1.15.09 with personal best times in the 200m IM 100m Fly, 200m Freestyle and was reserve finalist in the 100m Breaststroke where she showed some real class in her heat.

Conal Joyce was in blistering form as he reached the final in Boys 13 years 100m Fly to finish in 7th place in a time of 1.22.97. Conal had a great 200m IM swim in a time of 2.54.48 and again in the 100m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle. Other swims included 100m Backstroke and 100m Breaststroke.


Elaine Joyce left the Gaeltacht to swim at this prestigious competition and knocked 9 seconds of her previous best time in the 200m IM swim to finish in a time of 3.02.55. Elaine’s other swims in the Girls 14 years included 100m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle.

Anthony English competed in the Boys 15 years and made a personal best time in 100m Backstroke to finish in 1.18.19. Anthony was reserve finalist for the 100m Breaststroke and also swam the 200m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle and 100m fly.

Another one to demonstrate his strength would be Brian Moran , he swam the 100m Fly in a personal best time of 1.17.91 and made reserve finalist in the 100m Backstroke with another PB. Brian also swam the 200m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke and 200m IM

The Relay team of Stephanie Ford, Emma Hynes, Annie McCormack and Sally Cunniffe took silver in the 200m Freestyle in a time of 2.15.33 in what was a very close finish.
The Team Medley relay event which raised the level of excitement took another silver medal in a time of 2.24.72 and were beaten out of a gold by Trojan Swimmers (Dublin), in a time of 2.23.66. The team was Eleanor Grier-Gavin (Freestyle), Meabh Garrick (Breaststroke), Fionnuala Quinn (Fly) and Katie Tuohy (Backstroke).

For many of these swimmers it was their first national competition and all of them managed to stay focused and together over the 3 days of competition and recorded a high percentage of personal best times. The credit and thanks must go to Joe Moran, Jackie Hynes and Marian English.
A big thank you also to Sally Cunniffe, James Caulfield, Rory Grier-Gavin and Katie Costello for helping out the relay teams.
Cian Holland from Castlebar Swimming Club was part of a small group of Connacht Swimmers who last month went to the Scottish National Championships.
This is a prestigious gala where the best swimmers in Great Britain take part. Cian performed exceptionally well coming in fourth place in the 50m butterfly final. This was a personal best time for Cian Holland at 26.28 seconds.
He also took part in the 100m & 200m butterfly events; he performed well in tough competition.
Cian Holland is one of four Irish swimmers picked for the Junior European Championships to be held in this Swimming Complex in Glasgow in Early August.

Well done Cian, best of luck for the Europeans from all the club!

Cian Holland from Castlebar Swimming Club was part of a small group of Connacht Swimmers who last month went to the Scottish National Championships.
This is a prestigious gala where the best swimmers in Great Britain take part. Cian performed exceptionally well coming in fourth place in the 50m butterfly final. This was a personal best time for Cian Holland at 26.28 seconds.
He also took part in the 100m & 200m butterfly events; he performed well in tough competition.
Cian Holland is one of four Irish swimmers picked for the Junior European Championships to be held in this Swimming Complex in Glasgow in Early August.

Well done Cian, best of luck for the Europeans from all the club!


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