Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen & Róisín NíRiain Named Athletes Of The Year At Swim Ireland Awards
Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen and Róisín NíRiain were named Athletes of the Year at the 2025 Swim Ireland Awards.
Walshe won the Female Performance Athlete of the Year Award after a season in which she set 15 Irish records and reached five finals at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest, Hungary in December 2024. The 24-year-old then finished eighth in both the 200 fly and 200IM at the long-course worlds in Singapore.
Despite a bout of appendicitis and subsequent surgery, Wiffen won the Male Performance Athlete of the Year Award. Wiffen was Ireland’s highest ranked male in Singapore where he placed eighth in the 800 free before withdrawing from the 1500 because of the effects of appendicitis.
NíRiain won the Para Swimmer of the Year Award for her success at the World Para Swimming Championships in September where she won three silvers and two bronze medals.
John Shortt won the Male Performance Pathway Athlete of the Year Award after becoming Ireland’s first male world junior champion. Shortt secured the 100/200 backstroke double – the latter in a national record of 1:56.19 – while also leaving Otopeni, Romania, with 50 bronze. That followed 100 gold and 200 bronze at the European juniors in Slovakia in July.
Grace Davison was named Female Performance Pathway Athlete of the Year for swimming after winning double bronze at the European juniors in the 100 free and 200IM.
National Centre Limerick Coach John Szaranek – who guides Shortt and Ellie McCartney – and Head Coach of Templeogue Swim Team and guide to Walshe, Brian Sweeney.
Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane – who’ll leave for Cricket Ireland in February 2026 – said “We are delighted to come together, to celebrate the success of our athletes and to honour those that have helped them to get to where they are. It was fantastic to see so many of our community present to celebrate another amazing year for Irish Aquatics.”
2025 Swim Ireland Award Winners
| Volunteer of the Year Award (Munster) | Eamonn Horgan | ||
| Volunteer of the Year Award (Leinster) | Alan Ryan | ||
| Volunteer of the Year Award (Connacht) | Teresa Moran | ||
| Volunteer of the Year Award (Ulster) | Gillian Simpson | ||
| Presidents Award | Christine Watterson | ||
| Club Coach of the Year | Fran Ronan | ||
| Masters Swimmer of the Year | Barry Murphy | ||
| Masters Swimmer of the Year | John Cunningham | ||
| Open Water Swimmer of the Year | Brianna Jackson | ||
| Disability Swimmer of the Year Award | Matthew Harwood | ||
| Official of the Year Award | Mary Haughney | ||
| Outstanding Contribution to Aquatics Award | Declan Harte | ||
| Outstanding Contribution to Aquatics Award | Fiona Burke | ||
| Outstanding Contribution to Swimming Award | Gary Stoops | ||
| Water Polo Player of the Year – Female | Laura Casserly | ||
| Water Polo Player of the Year – Male | Fionn Byrne | ||
| Performance Pathway Athlete of the Year – Male | John Shortt | ||
| Performance Pathway Athlete of the Year – Female | Grace Davison | ||
| Performance Pathway Athlete of the Year – Para Swimming | Dearbhaile Brady | ||
| Performance Pathway Coach of the Year Award | John Szaranek | ||
| Performance Coach of the Year Award | Brian Sweeney | ||
| Performance Para Swimmer of the Year Award | RóisÍn NÍ Riain | ||
| Performance Female Swimmer of the Year Award | Ellen Walshe | ||
| Performance Male Swimmer of the Year Award | Daniel Wiffen | ||
| 2025 Club of the Year Announced |
Bangor ASC |
