Wiffen & McSharry Head Up Irish Roster For European Championships

Swim Ireland has revealed its 26-strong roster headed to Paris for the 2026 European Championships this summer.

The likes of Olympic medalists Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry will be joined by European champions Ellen Walshe, John Shortt and Danielle Hill set to represent the nation in the hopes of improving upon its 18th-place finish at the 2024 edition of the competition.

Wiffen has recently returned to Dublin after a stint at Cal, where the 800m free champion from the Paris Olympics was stationed until a, in his words, sub-par Irish Championships. Look for more on this move back to his homeland in a separate post.

Twin brother Nathan Wiffen will also be on the roster, opting to race in the Open Water event, which will take place in the River Seine prior to the pool program.

Speaking on the team announcement, Swim Ireland National Performance Director Andy Reid said, “To bring an Irish team of this size and quality to the European Aquatics Championships is a significant moment for our programme. We have Olympic and European champions leading the way, athletes looking to convert short course success onto the long course stage, and a strong group of emerging performers gaining valuable championship experience. That blend is critical as we continue building towards LA 2028.

“For this Championships, we incorporated U23 standards within our senior selection policy, ensuring we capture athletes transitioning from junior to senior level and support their progression more effectively.

“Equally important is the strength of our junior pathway. While teams are smaller this year, we are encouraged by the depth building in our younger cohorts, reflecting the excellent work being done across our clubs.”

In 2024, Hill reaped gold in the women’s 50m back and silver in the 100m back as the sole medalist from the nation.