KINGDOM Swimming Club successfully hosted the Kingdom Invitational gala on Saturday and Sunday last at the Tralee Regional Sports and Leisure Center.
The event, which drew over 200 swimmers from esteemed clubs such as Ballybunion, Killarney, Blackrock, Celtic Waves, Ennis Swimming Club, Mallow, and Sundays Well featured up to 30 events spread over the two days.
Swimmers of all levels and ages competed in a diverse range of competitions, showcasing their talents in short and long-distance races.
Continued below…
There were numerous personal bests, with many swimmers achieving qualifications for the upcoming Munster Long Course Championship.
Notably, several swimmers also secured coveted spots in the Irish Summer Age Group Championship and Irish Winter Short Course Championship, marking significant milestones in their swimming careers.
Gerard McDonnell said; “A testament to all involved with Kingdom S.C, volunteers, swimmers, officials and coaches. Great swimming, lots of fun and plenty of memories made. Thank you so much to all.”
Furthermore, the gala served as a fundraising opportunity for the Kingdom Swimming Club, with significant proceeds generated to support the club’s ongoing initiatives and development programs.
The club extended its gratitude to all sponsors whose generous support contributed to the success of the event.
Innovatively, this year, the club introduced a new initiative where individuals and families could sponsor a race, which proved to be a great success.
KINGDOM Swimming Club is to host the upcoming regional swimming gala on Saturday and Sunday, April 20th and 21st, at the Tralee Regional Sports and Leisure Centre.
The event, expected to draw over 200 swimmers, will see participants from various clubs, including Ballybunion, Killarney, Blackrock, Celtic Waves, Ennis Swimming Club, Lahinch, Mallow, Sundays Well, Limerick Swimming Club, Dolphin and Sunday’s Well.
Featuring up to 30 events spread over the two days, the gala promises a diverse range of competitions for swimmers of all levels and ages.
Continued below…
This is a level 3 gala meaning competitors can achieve qualification to Irish Summer Age Group Championships.
“We are excited to offer a packed schedule of events that cater to the varied interests and strengths of our participants,” said Hazel Reidy, Chairperson at Kingdom Swimming Club.
“It’s an opportunity for swimmers to test their skills across different disciplines and enjoy a weekend of healthy competition.”
For more information about the upcoming swimming gala, please visit contact Vicki at Kingdomswimmingclub30@gmail.com
THERE was great excitement this week in Kingdom Swimming Club as they welcomed Olympic Swimmer Mona McSharry to the club.
The Sligo native is one of Ireland’s most high profile female swimmers following a very successful Toyko Olympics in 2021, reaching an Olympic final and finishing in eighth place in the women’s 100m breaststroke .
The Marlin’s Swimming Club star continues to shine breaking two Irish records and set three new Championship bests at the Irish Open Swimming Championships last month.
Continued below…
Mona, joined by Ruby Hurst, coach Ballyshannon Marlins, facilitated a Breast Stroke Clinic to our swimmers on Tuesday followed by an Q&A session with the swimmers, parents and coaches.
Swimmers were given a real insight into the journey of an Olympian from her early days as a club swimmer in Ballyshannon Marlins to her current training with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with her sights on Paris 2024.
“A truly inspirational role model, we are extremely grateful to Mona for her time and creating such unforgettable memories for our swimmers,” said a spokesperson for the club who thanked Chairman Pat McTigue for organising the visit and Cara Credit Union for their support.
THE annual Irish National Winter SC Championships took place last week with Kingdom SC represented by three swimmers.
Rory Boyd took part in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke as well as 400m IM, Cian Mason in 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly and Mariia Maryntseva in the 200m butterfly.
Three days of racing saw no less than 11 Irish records broken and the Kingdom swimmers held their own against the cream of the country’s swimming talent in the Sport Ireland NAC.
C0ntinued below…
The three swimmers qualified for a total of four finals (two transitional finals for Cian, one each for Mariia and Rory) and clocked PBs across a number of their respective events.
Highlights included a new PB from Cian Mason in the Transition final of the 200m fly of 2.10.8, followed by another PB in the 50m fly and breaking the 1 minute barrier SC for the first time qualifying for the junior final 100m fly.
Maria Marytnseva continued her successful season of swimming, delivering another fantastic performance in the final of the 200m fly.
There were strong performances over the three days by Rory Boyd including a new PB of 2.12 in the 200m back transition final.
Ger McDonnell , Head Coach, said; “With some outstanding swimming at the meet, where for the very first time an Irish person posted a European record (Daniel Wiffen), it was hugely encouraging to see the three swimmers from the Kingdom mix it with the big guns. Cian, Rory and Mariia have done themselves and the club proud with each attaining a final place. Super pbs and the future looks bright!”
We are pleased to announce our new club captains for the coming 2022/23 season- Cian Mason & Maire O’Sullivan.
Both members of our senior squad, Cian & Maire have represented the club at regional & national level over the years & continue to be great ambassadors for our club.
Ger McDonnell ,Head Coach KSC said; “Cian and Maire are very worthy captains. In truth it was a difficult decision as there were a number of outstanding candidates. Both captains have dedicated themselves to excelling in their sport and can be looked up to as great role models for all in the club.
“I’m sure they will impose their own stamp on the role and I ask each and everyone of the swimmers to get behind their captains and help out in whatever role is required!! ”
Munster Short Course Championship
The Munster Short Course Championship 2022 takes place in UL this weekend Oct 12th & 13th . This level 3 Gala will provide another opportunity for our swimmers aged 13+ from our Junior A & Senior Squads to compete across a number of events. We wish all our swimmers the very best of luck.
Kerry Open
We are looking forward to hosting the Kerry Open, kindly sponsored by Kerry Group, on November 20th & welcoming clubs from all over Munster to the Level 2 Gala. Further details on the event can be found on our website under Gala Calender and will be posted on our social media closer to the time.
Thanks as always to the volunteers for yet another well organised and enjoyable event.
(2) Senior A Squad
Our Senior A Squad resumed training on Tues 6th under Head Coach Ger McDonnell. We wish them all the best for the coming season. We look forward to welcoming back all our other squads later this month.
(3) 2022 International Children’s Games
Congratulations to our Kingdom Swimmers- Lily May O’Gara , Zala O’Connor , Rachel Barry & Laurel Mason, selected as part of the Kerry Team of athlethes for the games ,who travelled to Coventry in August with Head Coach Ger McDonnell and represented Tralee , Kerry and Ireland so well on the international stage
(4) Swimming Lessons
Kingdom Swimming Club are hosting Swim Teacher training on Friday 16th and Friday 23rd of September.
If you are an improver/advanced child and would like an extra swim session, please contact us kingdomswimmingclub30@gmail.com or fill out the form https://forms.gle/4XQ5pKA9NNY1Q4hf9
Times : Level 3 4, 5 Friday 16th&23rd of September at 5.45-6.15 and 6.15-6.45
Level 6 and 7 Friday 16th&23rd of September at 6.45-7.45
Cost FREE
We are delighted to once again welcome Carlo Boni – Regional Pathway Development Coach for Munster – who has joined us this week to host a number of Skills Development workshops .
Having been selected as one of the centres to deliver the training, we are delighted to welcome swimmers from all over Munster to the workshops.
International Children’s Games(ICG) 2022
After a two year absence due to Covid the2022 International Children’s Games (ICG) returns again next week in Coventry
Kingdom Swimmers Zala Cvar O’Connor, Lily Mae O’Gara, Lauren Mason & Rachel Barry were selected as part of the Kerry Team of athletes to participate in the games,
And look forward to flying the Kerry flag as they participate in a number of both individual & relay events.
The girls head over to Coventry next Weds Aug 10th with Head Coach Ger McDonnell and we wish them all The very best of luck !
Success for Kingdom Swimming Club at 2022 Irish Summer National Championships
Kingdom Swimming Club have just returned from Irish Summer National Championships held in the National Aquatic Centre Dublin July 20th-24th, with much success.
The club was well represented with 5 swimmers – Rory Boyd, Cian Mason, Peter Doyle , Maire O Sullivan & Evelyn Fox – participating in 17 individual events under Head Coach Ger McDonnell & supporting coaches Tim & Mike O’Connell.
After an absence of 3 years due to Covid, we were delighted to once again participate at a national level (amongst 100 clubs from all over the country) in addition to a number of international teams, from Italy, South Africa, England, Dubai, to name a few.
The 5 day event saw our 5 swimmers qualify for 9 finals and achieve 12 PBs across a number of events with The coaches highlight being our swimmers ability to qualify for finals and improve times once again in the finals!!
A young team who gained invaluable experience on the big stage.
Swim Ireland’s 2022 Irish Summer National Swimming Championships got underway on Weds July 20th in the National Aquatic Centre ,Dublin .
Over 100 clubs nationally compete across five days of competition for age group titles.
The year’s Championship return to the 2022 swimming calender after an absence of three years due to Covid-19.
KSC is delighted to be represented at the event by 5 of our swimmers who achieved qualification times for their respective events – Cian Mason, Rory Boyd, Peter Doyle, Evelyn Fox, Maire O Sullivan
Qualification for the event itself is a significant achievement and reflective of the huge training, dedication and commitment put in by each swimmer under Head Coach Ger McDonnell assisted by Mike & Tim O’Connell.
Best of luck to all our swimmers for the remainder of the event , the club is hughly proud of you all!
Photo – Cian Mason,Coach Tim O’Connell,Evelyn Fox, Peter Doyle,Rory Boyd (missing from photo Maire O Sullivan).
Kingdom Swimming Club won 20 medals – 17 individual and 3 relay – following a successful 5 days at the Irish National Division 2 Championships in UL last week.
Impressive performances from our swimmers saw Kingdom take home 12 Gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze medals.
Liam O’Connor winning x 4 individual Gold & Gold in the Boys Relay Team. Mariia Marynstseva taking 3 individual x Gold & Gold in girls relay team also.
31 final swims, from 13 different individuals. 93% pbs achieved!! Great swimming but as the coach always says”room for improvement”..
Training continues this week for our 5 swimmers participating in the 2022 Irish Summer National Championships(50m) in the National Aquatic Centre next week.
Coaches pictured above are Head Coach Ger McDonnell with coaches Ger & Tim O Connell
Gold x 12
Individual x 9
-Liam O Connor x 4 (800 free, 400free,100free,200 free)
-Mariia Maryntseva x 3 ( 200m IM , 100m fly , 200m fly )
-Sean Murphy 200m breast
-Rachel Barry 200m free
Team Relay x 3
-Girls 200m free Relay
Lia Mclysaght ,Anu Hayes , Lily May o Gara ,Rachel Barry
-Boys 200m free Relay
Sean Murphy , Justin O Halloran , Jack Costello , Liam O Connor
-Girls 200m Medley
Zala o Connor , Anu Hayes , Mariia Maryntseva, Jessica mcGibney
1) Irish Nationals Division 2 Championships
After two years of Covid related disruptions,the club is delighted to once again enter a large team of swimmers into the prestigious Irish National Division 2 Championships , having achieved the required pre-qualification times .
The club will be well represented across a wide number of events from freestyle to relay at the 5 day event which kicks off July 6th in UL .
At the Team Briefing held Friday , head Coach Ger McDonnell outlined details on both the event and the intense training plan currently underway for all swimmers attending .
(2) In House Coaching
On Thurs June 9th ,The club hosted a Butterfly Development Clinic ,led by our Head Coach, Ger McDonnell, in association with @swimireland;
Attended by coaches throughout Munster , the clinic outlined the current thinking on the foundations of the Butterfly technique and the drills that are beneficial in developing a strong technical foundation .
(3) Swimming Trials
A large number of prospective swimmers attending our swimming trials on Sunday .
The successful swimmers will be warmly welcomed into our Development Squad when training recommences in September.
KINGDOM Swimming Club were delighted to host their Invitational Club Gala last weekend for the first time in over two years.
The club greatly appreciated the opportunity to welcome teams from all over Munster and Connacht to compete in a Swim Ireland Level 3 meet.
The Level 3 meet provided swimmers the opportunity to achieve times to qualify for the Irish National age group championship in UL in July.
Continued below…
A number of the club’s members achieved personal best times and were well represented on the podium.
A number of presentations were made on the day including a presentation to Cara Credit Union
in recognition of their support from the Lauri Healy Sponsorship award.
A presentation was also made to Marii Maryntseva of a 3-month gym membership, kindly donated by Tralee Sports Complex, to welcome the International Synchronised swimmer from Ukraine to the club.
The club thanked coaches, team managers, officials, committee members, volunteers and many sponsors, who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the event. They would also like to acknowledge the support from Cara Credit Union. Scroll down for photos…
KINGDOM Swimming Club have welcomed their newest member into the A squad.
Mariia Maryntsera from Donetsk in Ukraine had to flee from her country with her mother and brother, leaving her sister and father behind.
Her sister is a trainee doctor and is helping wounded soldiers. Mariia is a member of the Ukrainian Junior Artistic Swim team (synchronised swimming) and has won many medals.
Continued below…
Her team’s hopes of travelling to the World Championships in Canada have now been dashed because of the war.
Tralee International Resource Centre made contact with Spela Cvar, secretary of Kingdom Swimming Club and between them they arranged entry to the club.
Marie Fitzgibbon of Swimheadz generously donated swimming gear for Mariia. Mariia is now a student of Mercy Mounthawk and on her first day recognised some familiar faces having met them at training in the Sport’s Complex.
The club is thrilled to have Mariia in their ranks and hope that more clubs around the town will welcome the new arrivals from Ukraine.
KINGDOM Swimming Club’s Senior Squad returned to training after an eight month Covid enforced break last Wednesday.
The junior squads are returning to training later in September. Head Coach, Ger McDonnell, said that “all the swimmers were delighted to be back in training and looking forward to upcoming competitions.”
As a welcome back, all swimmers in Kingdom Swimming Club will receive a welcome back bag sponsored by Swim Ireland, Swim Headz, Lee Strand and Benners Hardware.
KINGDOM Swimming Club swimmer Jack Grace recently won gold at the National Irish Short Course (SC) Championships for the 100 Freestyle at the National Aquatic Centre Dublin.
This was a huge achievement for the 21 year old Listowel native and another step closer to his dream of making an Irish Olympic or European Championship swimming team.
Jack, a longstanding Kingdom swimmer since the age of 10, progressed up through the squads in the Club to the Senior squad under head coach Ger McDonnell.
Continued below…
He competed at provincial and national level over the years making finals at summer nationals. While obligations for Leaving Certificate and intermittent shoulder injuries caused his performance to plateau somewhat in his late teens, he decided to commit fully when he started University at UL nearly three years ago.
While in 1st year studying Chemical and Biochemical Engineering he was chosen to join the Swim Ireland Performance Pathway Squad at the National Centre Limerick. By 2nd year he was awarded the Swim Ireland scholarship, an award he received again this year.
Now in 3rd year of his degree at UL, Jack trains nine times per week under Swim Ireland coach John Szaranek.
Five of these sessions are early mornings with Jack poolside at 5.15am finishing at 7.30am. He has four evening sessions per week of two hour duration also.
This doesn’t include his gym work which can be two-three times per week. His biggest challenge is trying to eat enough food to fuel all the training!
The 6ft 4’ athlete is also a triplet. “I was supposed to be born in March but due to complications we came early on the 26th December,” said Jack. “Sadly my brother Mark passed away at 12 days old but I have my sister Hannah and we are very close. People don’t believe we are even related as I’m so tall & she is only 5ft 2’ but I’m technically two minutes older than her!”
While in previous years Jack made finals at the National SC Championship, he didn’t medal. He says “it has taken the last three years of me consistently working hard and adjusting to the training at UL for me to finally see progress and reach the podium this year, gold being a massive bonus for me.”
Where he used to train 6-7 times per week covering up to 13-15km, he now trains at least 9 times per week and covers 45-50km. His training with John has also become more individualised to his own events.
This achievement has Jack feeling confident heading into the 2020 Long Course (LC) season. “I feel better at long course swimming in the 50m pool, dives and turns are not my forte so long course just suits me better”.
Winning gold at the National SC is a good indicator for the LC season ahead. ‘My ultimate goal this year is to qualify for the Irish 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay Team or 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay Team either for Olympics or European Championships. Competition is fierce but I have a chance’. This will all be decided in April at the Irish Open Championships which incorporates Olympic trials.
Commitment and hard work are clearly not an issue. Jack says he simply loves to swim and it is very much part of his life.
“Many of my friends are from Kingdom Swimming Club or through swimming. I live with my best friend Cillian Tierney, an Irish Triathlete (also from Kingdom SC), my sister Hannah (his triplet) who trains with the Swim Ireland Para Development Squad and other swimmers from the Performance Pathway Squad. We all love what we do and have a lot in common.”
“Kingdom Swimming Club is where competitive swimming started for me. Coaches Mike and Tim O’Connell and Ger McDonnell spent hours and hours working with me on technique, turns, dives, all the different strokes and some gruelling endurance work. I wouldn’t be where I am today in my swimming career without each of them. I’m loving representing Kingdom and am looking forward to building on my success in the future.”
Everyone at Kingdom SC are so proud of Jack’s achievements and wish him every success this year.
Ger McDonnell head coach stated “Jack is a testament to a determined goal driven swimmer. Jack always set himself high goals since he joined the Kingdom S.C. Despite numerous setbacks Jack got himself back up, dusted himself down and set about reaching his goals again. It would have been very easy for Jack to give up on his dreams once he went to college but through determination and no small amount of sweat he is now realising his potential.”
“Here in Kingdom SC we are rightly very proud of Jack but also very proud of the club for the assistance, knowledge and support we have provided in enabling this delightful young man in chasing his dream. All our swimmers young and old now have a recognisable role model to aspire to. Go on Jack Grace”.
A TEENAGER with Kingdom Swimming Club has been named in the final national squad for the F4-24 Programme.
Grace Reidy (14) will take part in the programme for the Swim Ireland Performance team to develop a group of female athletes capable of qualifying a Female 800m Freestyle Relay to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
This would be the first Irish Female Relay team to qualify for an Olympic Games in over 50 years, the last and only occasion being in 1972.
Grace will train in the Limerick hub giving her regular access to long course water time at the UL Sports Complex up to three times per week.
Continued below…
She will also be supported with a personalised long term athletic development plan with gym sessions working in synergy with her development in the pool.
All this is in conjunction with her club training schedule at home with Kingdom Swimming Club at Tralee Sports & Leisure Complex, under the watchful eye of Head coach Ger McDonnell.
While this is a huge achievement for Graceand a wonderful opportunity for further development as an athlete, it comes with a significant commitment.
After a fantastic 2018/2019 season with Kingdom Swimming Club — which led to Grace being shortlisted for the programme in the first place — she is certainly starting off the 2019/2020 season on a high note.
THE strides being made among the youth in Kingdom Swimming Club were rewarded recently when eight members made the Munster swimming team squad.
The eight members, who range in age from 12 to 16, are Rory Boyd, Jack Costello, Aisling O’Connell, Kim McTigue, Joe Reidy, Grace Reidy, Evelyn Fox and Jack Doyle.
They started training about two weeks ago with the rest of the squad at the pool in University of Limerick and this training will run all the way until next summer.
Continued below…
“It’s a great achievement for them and this training will push them on to a higher level. The next step up from this international level,” said Pat McTigue of Kingdom Swimming Club.
The club’s swimmers have competed with great success at local, regional, national and international level in the past and with the current crop that success is sure to continue if they keep up their training and commitment.