Shark Swimming Club Galway

What a week at the 2026 Irish National Age Group Championships!

Five Shark swimmers… Mason, Alice, Sam, Eabha and Aisling took to the blocks against the best age group swimmers in the country and did themselves, their families and the club incredibly proud.

Across 25 races, they delivered some outstanding performances, earning 15 finals along with a host of personal bests. To consistently perform at your best on the biggest stage is a huge achievement, and every one of them should be immensely proud of what they accomplished this week.

A special mention goes to Sam, who came away with National Bronze in both the 400m Individual Medley and the 200m Breaststroke, a fantastic reward for all the hard work throughout the season.

The championships themselves were brilliantly delivered by Swim Ireland . Despite UL feeling hotter than the sun during this fabulous Irish heatwave, the atmosphere all week was top tier. Add in Andrew Bree commentary, which kept the energy electric from the first race to the last, and it made for a fantastic championship experience. A huge thank you to the many volunteers who give up their time to make an event of this scale run so smoothly, it really did run like clockwork.

Huge thank you also to Ross and Daniel for supporting the swimmers throughout the week, both on poolside and behind the scenes.

The meet also marked Daniel’s final National Age Group Championships with Shark before he moves away in September. We wish him all the very best and thank him for the part he has played in the development of so many of our swimmers over the years.

And finally, a special shout out to the parents who keep the show on the road. From the early starts and travel to the endless organising, encouragement and support, none of this happens without you.

A special Team Manager and Cheerleader of the Week award has to go to Zane. Your enthusiasm was infectious!! Thank you. 🙏🏻

Congratulations to our swimmers on a fantastic week. Enjoy the rest … you’ve earned it. 🦈❤️🖤

🌊 We’re delighted to announce the return of the Shark Open Water Swim for 2026!*l

This year we’re taking things up a notch as we head out to Foudra for our brand new 2.2km Foudra Challenge.

With chip timing, exclusive 2026 swim hats, full safety cover from boats and kayaks, and plenty of prizes, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic event for open water swimmers.

Whether you’re chasing a new challenge, a new PB, or simply want to experience one of Galway Bay’s most iconic routes, we’d love to welcome you on Saturday, 15th August.

All the details, FAQs and registration can be found at the link below. Entries are now open!

🔗 https://uk.gomotionapp.com/team/sscie/page/shark-sc-2026-prom-swim-

Swim Ireland
The Village Salthill
Fergal Madden

Day 1 done at the Junior European Championships. 🇮🇪

Recap: It was great to be in the stands supporting Team Ireland and especially our own Niamh Connery, proudly wearing green instead of her usual Shark red and black. We’ll allow that colour change! 😉💚

Niamh has a rest day today before she’s back in action on Thursday in the 200m Breaststroke. We can’t wait.

A big congratulations as well to Phelim Hanley on his 12th place finish in the 200m Butterfly yesterday. A brilliant swim and a great race to watch.

Best of luck to all the Irish team for the rest of the championships. 🇮🇪

Irish National Age Group Championships 2026.

Last training session… done. ✅

The qualifying times have been achieved, the preparation is complete, and now it’s time to enjoy the experience.

Today, our Shark swimmers make the journey to UL for the Irish National Age Group Championships, which get underway tomorrow. They will compete against the very best young swimmers from across the country, a place they have earned through lots of commitment and competition. Of course we can’t forget to mention Head Coach Ross, Daniel & Sarah’s dedication to our junior teams all year. Huge thanks!!

Now all that’s left to do is race with confidence, enjoy every moment, and show everyone what you’re capable of.

Good luck to Mason, Aisling, Alise, Eabha and Sam. Your coaches & teammates will be cheering you on every step of the way.

Go smash it! 🦈❤️🖤

The club would like to extend its sincere thanks to Carey Developments ( Carey Building Contractors )and The Smyth Group for their continued support over the past number of seasons. Their investment in local sport plays a vital role in helping Shark swimmers achieve their goals both in and out of the pool.

With a membership of over 150 competitive swimmers, ranging from development level through to regional and national competition, Shark Swimming Club continues to go from strength to strength. Providing opportunities for swimmers at every stage of their journey would not be possible without the generosity of local businesses and sponsors.

So proud to see Niamh representing Swim Ireland in Munich!

𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸

Team Ireland have checked into Munich and are ready to compete at the 2026 European Aquatics Junior Championships ☘️

Racing starts tomorrow and runs through to Sunday 👊

Preview 🗞️ https://ow.ly/Osvi50ZkCGP

🦈 We’re Growing… and We’re Looking for Our Next Coach!

Shark Swimming Club is excited to welcome applications for a Level 2 Swimming Coach to join our coaching team.

If you’re passionate about developing young swimmers, enjoy working in a positive team environment, and want to be part of one of Connacht’s leading competitive swimming clubs, we’d love to hear from you.

📄 View the full job description and application details here:

https://uk.gomotionapp.com/team/sscie/page/swim-groups/recruitment

📧 Apply by sending your CV and cover letter to [email protected]

📅 Closing Date: Friday, 31 July 2026.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Please tag them below or share this post to help us spread the word! ❤️🖤🦈

What a day! 🦈❤️

We were absolutely delighted to restart our Interclub Gala tradition with our friends at Templeogue Swimming Club TEAMTSCSWIM . A huge thank you to Brian Sweeney Brian Sweeney and everyone involved for such a warm welcome and a brilliantly organised event.

Our swimmers had an absolute blast both on and off the pool deck, making memories that will last far longer than any PB!

One of our favourite stories of the day was learning that Olympic finalist and Irish swimming star Ellen Rebecca Walshe swam her very first gala at a Shark v Templeogue gala in Galway. We’d like to think it was the famous West of Ireland welcome that gave her such a great start to her competitive swimming journey! 😊

Ellen was incredibly generous with her time, patiently signing t-shirts, posing for photos and chatting with our swimmers long after the racing had finished. Thank you for making so many young swimmers’ day.

A special mention also to the Templeogue coaches, volunteers and parents who looked after us so well — and even sent everyone home with goodie bags. The hospitality was second to none.

And finally, none of these days happen without the people behind the scenes. Thank you to our Head Coach Ross, along with Niall and Katie, our travelling coaches, and of course our amazing Shark parents who make these adventures possible.

Templeogue, thank you for having us. A Shark welcome awaits you — we look forward to returning the favour very soon! 🦈❤️🖤

Some of our open water participants who joined our open water group!

Missing from photo: those who braved the elements minus wetsuit!!

Bravo 🙌🏻 Big thanks to Coach Fergal & Alex

Good Luck to all our Shark Swimmers starting their Junior & Leaving Cert Exams this morning.

☘️Katie ☘️Niamh ☘️Ewan ☘️Ciara

☘️Ide ☘️Eoin ☘️Noah ☘️Grace ☘️Amaryllis ☘️Jack ☘️Milly & ☘️Aisling