Swim Ireland celebrated a year defined by historic performances on the international stage with its annual awards event held on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The highest individual honors went to Ellen Walshe and Daniel Wiffen, whose performances helped lead Irish swimming to multiple successful championships.
Walshe was the recipient of the Female Performance Athlete of the Year. In the 2024-2025 season, she set 15 Irish Records, the most by any Irish Swimmer in a single season. Walshe also competed in five finals at the 2024 Short Course World Championships and two at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships. Her year marked a full-scale return to international prominence and reaffirmed her status as one of the nation’s most all-around swimmers.
On the men’s side, Wiffen earned Male Performance Athlete of the Year after overcoming a mid-season health setback that required surgery following appendicitis. Wiffen placed 8th in the men’s 800 freestyle at the 2025 World Championships, the highest finish by any Irish male swimmer at the meet. HE was then forced to withdraw from the 1500 free due illness.
In para swimming, Róisín Ní Ríain earned Swim Ireland’s Para Swimmer of the Year. She collected three silver medals and two bronze at the World Para Swimming Championships, extending her record as a consistent podium contender across multiple strokes and distances.
Coaching excellence was also highlighted during the ceremony. Brian Sweeney of Templeogue Swim Team was honored as Performance Coach of the Year, recognized for his time spent with Walshe through her record-breaking season and continuing to develop a strong national-level training environment.
John Szaranek of the National Centre Limerick was named Performance Pathway Coach of the Year, rewarded for his role in developing Ireland’s next generation of standouts, including World Junior Champion John Shortt and European Junior medalist Ellie McCartney.
The remaining honorees from the 2025 Swim Ireland Awards included:
- Club of the Year: Bangor Swimming Club
- Male Performance Pathway Athlete: John Shortt
- Female Performance Pathway Athlete: Grace Davison
- Para Pathway Athlete: Dearbhaile Brady
- Masters Swimmers of the Year: Barry Murphy & John Cunningham
- Open Water Swimmer of the Year: Brianna Jackson
- Disability Swimmer of the Year: Matthew Harwood
- Water Polo Players of the Year: Fionn Byrne (male) & Laura Casserly (female)
- Provincial Volunteers of the Year:
- Munster: Eamonn Horgan
- Leinster: Alan Ryan
- Connacht: Teresa Moran
- Ulster: Gillian Simpson
- Outstanding Contribution to Aquatics: Declan Harte, Fiona Burke, Gary Stoops
- President’s Award: Christine Watterson
