Hosts & winners!
SLIGO Surf Lifesaving Club were recent hosts of the Water Safety Ireland National Surf Lifesaving Open Water Championships for Nipper and Junior age groups at Mullaghmore.
Not only was being hosts an achievement in itself, with the scenic north Sligo venue providing the perfect setting, weather conditions were ideal as well.
Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club were further delighted that their Nipper team came second overall at national level. The Nipper age group is for competitors aged 9 to 14 years and the Junior category caters for those aged 14 to 18. Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club’s teams in both of these age groups had been training on a weekly basis at the beaches of Rosses Point and Enniscrone since the start of June for last month’s event.
Sligo’s surf lifesavers earned their national ticket by coming through the regional qualifying event that was held in Rossnowlagh, Co. Donegal, in August.
The surf lifesaving competition events include an open water swim race, a boards race, skis race, water rescues, beach sprints, relays and flags.
For the Nipper team from Sligo to finish second overall at this national competition was “a fantastic achievement” according to Lisa Dunne, PRO
Water Safety Ireland Sligo.
The Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club is the sports element of Water Safety Ireland Sligo.
Participants from the age of nine upwards learn many lifesaving skills both in the surf/open water (summer months) and the pool (winter months). Over 150 Nipper and Junior competitors, including children and teenagers, were active members of Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club this summer, training weekly at Rosses Point and Enniscrone.
The skills learnt weekly are the core foundations for the skills needed to be a lifeguard. Indeed, several members of Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club are current or past lifeguards on the beaches of Sligo and further afield.
Many of the Senior and Master age group members of Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club assisted with water support at the national championships in Mullaghmore.
Many of the Master age group (age 30 plus) are also coaches of the Nipper and Junior age groups at the club. Lisa Dunne of Water Safety Ireland Sligo added: “The national competition in Mullaghmore marked the end of the surflifesaving season for the Junior and Nipper age groups.
“It was brilliant to host the national competition and to showcase our beautiful county to the many visiting teams from all over the country.
“The club thanks all the coaches who are volunteers and give of their time weekly during the summer surf lifesaving season,
“The club also thanks the [organising committee] and the many parents who helped to make sure that the national event was such a success.”
Grace Foley and Aoife Cullinan of Sligo Surf Lifesaving Club competing in the Nipper girls flags event on the Mullaghmore beach.