Success at Irish Down Syndrome National Swimming championships

The Irish Down Syndrome National Swimming Championships attracted a big entry to the William Street Baths last Sunday and local swimmers battled their way to a total of 22 championship medals against opposition from all over the country.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th May 2015, 19:00 BST
The Mayor, Councillor Elisha McCallion pictured during her visit to the National Swimming Championships held by the Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation in the City Baths on Sunday. Included are, from left, Seamus McAnee, Secretary of the City of Derry Swimming Club, Gerry Craig, event organiser, Margaret Carroll, Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation, and Angela Thompson, Foyle Down Syndrome Trust. DER2015-131KMThe Mayor, Councillor Elisha McCallion pictured during her visit to the National Swimming Championships held by the Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation in the City Baths on Sunday. Included are, from left, Seamus McAnee, Secretary of the City of Derry Swimming Club, Gerry Craig, event organiser, Margaret Carroll, Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation, and Angela Thompson, Foyle Down Syndrome Trust. DER2015-131KM
The Mayor, Councillor Elisha McCallion pictured during her visit to the National Swimming Championships held by the Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation in the City Baths on Sunday. Included are, from left, Seamus McAnee, Secretary of the City of Derry Swimming Club, Gerry Craig, event organiser, Margaret Carroll, Irish Down Syndrome Sporting Organisation, and Angela Thompson, Foyle Down Syndrome Trust. DER2015-131KM

Competitors from the Team Ireland squad were joined by others from Down, Donegal, Dublin, Westmeath, Kildare, Offaly, Galway, Killkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and of course Derry, and to the enthusiastic cheers of the packed spectators , they collectively produced an exciting afternoon of competitive swimming.

Local swimmers from the FINS club - Foyle Inclusive Swimmers - Tori McNeill, Aoife Burke and Declan Feeney each won double championship gold medals and Liam Craig, Mark Faulkner, Brendan Lavery and Benjamin Thompson won one each. Aoife, Benjamin, Liam, Mark and Declan added a silver each to their collections, Julie McCallion won silver and bronze, Laura Duddy took silver and double bronze, Brendan also won bronze as did Mark O’Kane.