Dolphins Minnows Gala puts the focus on fun at Mayfield Pool

THE Dolphin Minnows Gala was held at Mayfield recently. 

The event is the final club invitational gala on the Munster calendar and is geared towards the younger stars of the future. It is always a highlight on the regional calendar, with an emphasis on fun and closing out the season for these young athletes.

The outstanding performance of the two-day meet came from the host club’s Seb Dunne. Swimming in the 10-11 year age group, Dunne had four victories and one second-place finish. His victories came at 100m IM, 1:31.01 with Fionn O’Leary, Blackrock in 2nd on 1:34.04. Dunne also topped the 100m freestyle podium on 1:21.83 with clubmate Eoin Manson in 2nd on 1:24.65 and O’Leary again in 3rd on 1:25.06. 

Dunne led an all Cork podium at 50m butterfly on 41.06, with Cobh’s Frederic Tuytten in 2nd on 42.75 and Adam Herlihy, Dolphin completing the podium on 44.10. Dunne’s 4th victory came at 50m backstroke 40.23, with Hanson again in 2nd on 42.96 and Aongus O’Neill, Blackrock completing the podium on 43.01. Dunne had to settle for second at 50m breaststroke 48.24 behind Rory McDonnell, SWSC on 46.73 and Fionn O’Leary in 3rd on 49.40. O’Leary had a fourth bronze at 50m freestyle 36.83.

The first final of the meet saw the girls in the 12-13 age group produce a nail-biting finish in the 100m freestyle final. The top three all posted times 1:15 seconds. Claire Bugler clinched victory for the hosts 1:15.08 with Kate Cronin, Limerick and Molly O’Halloran battling it out for the remaining medals. Cronin touched ahead of O’Halloran to split the home girls, Cronin on 1:15.26 and O’Halloran agonisingly close behind on 1:15.28 to claim bronze.

Bugler added two silver to her tally posting 1:25.50 at 100m IM ahead of clubmate Isabella Malley on 1:29.01 for 3rd place. She also placed 2nd at 50m butterfly 38.52 behind clubmate Laura Garcia Villa 35.52 with Beatrice Carvalho, SWSC in 3rd on 39.15.

Garcia Villa added two further victories at 50m backstroke 37.71 with Lucy O’Mahony, SWSC in 2nd on 38.70. Her third victory came at 50m breaststroke 43.48 with clubmate Katie O’Connor in third on 44.46.

Philippa Costello collected a set of medals in the 10-11 age group. She won the 50m butterfly 42.01 with clubmate Aoife Song in third on 46.62. She was 2nd at 100m freestyle 1:21.66 behind Alexandra Egar, Blackrock on 1:19.69. Costello was third at 100m IM 1:31.81, Egar was ahead of her again with 1:29.91 for second place. 

Egar added two further silver medals. These came at 50m breaststroke 46.87 with Song in 3rd on 48.92 and at 50m backstroke 42.12. Martha Walsh of Streamline, Cobh won that 50m backstroke final on 41.91 with Blackrock’s Roisin McGrath completing the podium on 44.13.

Charlie Barrett, Blackrock was the star for Blackrock. Swimming in the nine-year-old age group, he was victorious at both the 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke. He swam sub-minute at the 50m breaststroke to win on 59.72 ahead of Ryan Herlihy, Dolphin on 1:00.33 and clubmate Henry Packham on 1:01.32. He had a very narrow victory at 50m backstroke 54.44 with Herlihy just a fraction behind on 51.64. Kristian Jakobsen, Blackrock completed the podium on 56.58. Jackobsen touched ahead of Barrett in the 50m freestyle to take silver on 45.66 with Barrett on 46.24 for third.

Rebecca Sheehan (9), Blackrock won the 50m breaststroke 56.23 ahead of Panna Sipos, Streamline Cobh, on 57.08 and Eve Courtney, SWSC in third on 1:03.09. Sheehan was the bronze medallist over 50m backstroke 56.40. 

That final was won by her clubmate Lucy Donovan with an impressive 49.75. Courtney was 2nd on 54.01. The Cobh girls also featured on the 50m freestyle podium with Donovan in 2nd with 45.05 and Sipos in 3rd on 49.03. Sipos added a second silver at 50m butterfly 1:04.27 with Imogen Riordan, Dolphin in 3rd on 1:17.08.

Killian McCarthy, was impressive for SWSC. He won the 12-13 50m butterfly final 35.77 and the 50m breaststroke final on 42:36, but had to settle for third at 100m IM 1:23.35.

Others to feature among the medals included Ewan O’Connor (9), Blackrock. Adam Mikolaj (13), Dolphin. Cillain Turner, (10), Streamline, Cobh.