300 lifeguards from across Ireland travelled to Donegal last weekend to take part in the National Surf Lifesaving Championships.
Rossnowlagh was the venue where Senior (16+) and Masters athletes (30+) battled it out on the sand and in the surf for the National Titles on offer, with Donegal Masters winning the overall Master’s trophy and Donegal ladies coming 3 rd in the Senior category. Participants throughout the day in ten different events.
Surf Lifesaving racing gives an opportunity for lifeguards and water enthusiasts to test their skills in lifesaving racing which range from sea swimming, board paddling, and beach sprints to lifesaving simulated rescues such as board rescue.
In this event, one swimmer swims 250 metres out to a marker buoy to signal to a board paddler to paddle out, pick them up and then the two athletes paddle into shore together.
In the Masters 30-39 category Triona Mc Menamin, Letterkenny, came away with individual gold in the swim, board and ski teaming up with Lisa Dalton and Lisa Anderson to win gold in the Taplin relay event.
Anderson also picked up a silver in the surf race with Dalton picking up silver in the board race. Triona has just returned from the European Senior Lifesaving Championships in Belgium where she won a bronze and silver medal representing Ireland in the board rescue and scenario event.
Donegal Masters also had great points from Lynn Anderson and Gillian Fitzgerald. Brian O Reilly had a great day of racing with gold in the surf swim and board with Brendan Ruane third in the same swim.
James Mc Intyre, Ballyshannon, picked up silver in the surf ski race in a very close finish on the line. Alan Evans picked up silver in the board and gold in flags adding to the Donegal Masters Tally.
Great points also came in from Simon Mc Garrigle, Paddy Bond, Johnny Kennedy, Sean Mc Fadden, Adrian Gormley, Kieran Sommerville, Hugh Gallagher and Denis Shields Donegal had a 1, 2, 3 in the ladies 50+ swim with Karen Crawford, Letterkenny in gold, Sarah Meehan in silver and Marcella O Reilly in third.
Louise Alcorn, Letterkenny, also in the 40-49 age group had a fantastic ski race for her first outing in surf lifesaving coming home with a National bronze medal with Sarah Meehan adding valuable team points with silver in the ski and board.
The ladies were well supported in points by Ann Morrow, Darina Barrett, Sinead Diver, Lela Curran, Threase Barrett, Sharon Bradley and Irene Mc Fadden – many racing at this sport for the first time.
In the Senior category Mia Monaghan, Rossnowlagh won a fantastic gold in the beach flags supported in second by Sarah Patton, Ballyhshannon and Orlaith Fogarty, Letterkenny in fifth.
They were also joined by lifeguards Derbhla Moore, Emma Vaughan and Cara Nulty in the final.
The girls’ team of Sarah, Mia, Una Britton and Dineka Maguire won a silver in the sprint relay. Una Britton joined up with Dineka Maguire, Ballyshannon in the rescue tube race to come in in third place, while also in bronze medal position was Ayesha Garvey, Rossnowlagh and Triona Mc Menamin in the board rescue event.
In the ladies Taplin event Triona, Dineka, Sarah and Una finished in a fantastic silver medal position against the best lifeguards in Ireland.
In the Senior Mens Kevin Murray, Bundoran had the best result in the surf race in fifth position while the board rescue team of Odhran O Neill and Garbhan Mc Closkey made the Senior Men’s final.
Congratulations must go to Donegal Water Safety, chaired by Seamus O Neill, Ballyshannon who ran a fantastic event in conjunction with Irish Water Safety.
The boat crew on the day were fantastic, with Simon Mc Garrigle, John Shannon, Callum Mc Kinley, Kevin Mc Closkey, Charlie Kennedy and Dara O Malley Daly all lending a big hand.
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