Coach Education, Event

Niamh Buffini presents at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Niamh will deliver strategies for dry-land and exercise blocking for age group swimmers at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023 and coaches take away a complete dry-land warm up; dry-land/gym exercise blocking, session breakdown PDF and follow-up video demonstrations via private youtube links.

As a former international Taekwondo athlete she is now best known for her contribution as a strength coach to Nicole Turner, Paralympic silver medallist and Taekwondo Olympic athlete Jack Woolley.

Niamh Buffini is a strength and conditioning professional heavily involved in performance sport. She uses her early life experiences to build her successful skills and experience in helping athletes reach the podium. In dealing with people and communities in sport and business Niamh has built a strong relationship with the sport of swimming has been involved at club and regional level delivering strength and conditioning profiling, programs and on site activation. 

See Niamh at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Sunday 26 November: Dryland for Age Group Swimmers

Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 2023
Regional Sports Centre and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone

BOOK HERE

Coach Education, Event

Coach Ian Armiger presents at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

A well respected, experienced, highly motivated and enthusiastic professional swimming coach, technical advisor, consultant and coach mentor

In a coaching career spanning over 40 years, Ian’s swimmers have won medals, titles and set records at World, European, Commonwealth and British level.

A former Director of Swimming at Loughborough University, Ian has placed swimmers on teams at six Olympic Games, with swimmers making Olympic finals at three of these.

In 2007, Ian was awarded the Mussabini Medal for services to Coaching, was presented with the Loughborough University Medal for outstanding service in 2012, inducted into the British Swimming Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013, and Loughborough University Sport Hall of Fame in 2018.

As a consultant, Ian currently offers a mentoring, technical and strategic consultancy service to coaches and swimming programmes, and advises corporate management on the high performance sport environment and its potential application in the business sector.

See Ian at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Saturday: Creative Warm-Ups
Sunday: Functional Drills for Skill Development
+ Pathway to Performance from Age Group to Senior Swimming

Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 2023
Regional Sports Centre and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone

BOOK HERE

Coach Education, Event

Dr Mike Peyrebrune presents at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

A unique and excellent opportunity for coaches to learn from one of the best and help improve applied coaching knowledge.

Mike Peyrebrune delivers sessions on both the Saturday and Sunday of the conference, introducing coaches to progressions that some of the top swimmers use in their development programmes. These interactive poolside sessions are packed with tips for better technique, training improvement and enhancing race performance.

Mike is a consultant Sports Scientist and Coach for British Swimming and Loughborough University and was part of the Olympic staff at 3 Olympics (Beijing, London, Rio).  He is a former British International Swimmer and Coach and has worked with international swimmers for 30 years. In the last 12 years he has worked closely with Olympic Gold medallists Rebecca Adlington, Adam Peaty and their coaches.

Mike currently works with some of the world’s best swimmers including Ireland’s Dan and Nathan Wiffen, and Conor Ferguson. He has delivered over a hundred workshops and clinics over the past 30 years and has contributed heavily to the coach education programmes in Ireland and the UK. Academically, he has published widely and hi written material is used in the Swim England Level 2 and 3 courses and has been adopted by FINA for their international coach education programme.

See Mike at the Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Saturday: Planning and Sequencing Age Group Programmes
+ Dive Start Progressions
Sunday: Long and Short Axis Turns
+ Pathway to Performance from Age Group to Senior Swimming

Connacht Coaching Conference 2023

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 2023
Regional Sports Centre and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone

BOOK HERE

Coach Education

Skill Clinics for Coaches: Crossover Drill Progressions for Age Group Coaches


Explore the Back-to-Breast Crossover Turn technique and the drills that can be used to support its development.

This 90-minute clinic is aimed at age group coaches working with athletes aged 12 and under, and focusses on Crossover Turn drill progressions. When you register for the clinic, you will receive an outline of our current thinking on the foundations of the Crossover Turn and some of the drills that can be used to support development.

The clinic starts with a conversation on this information which coaches should read in advance to discuss. The session continues on-deck, observing the pool session and the application of the drills. Coaches should arrive on time for the session.

A CPD point will be credited to Swim Ireland profiles on completion of the clinic.

Registration Links

Open to all club coaches, registration will close 48 hours prior to the clinic start date. Host club coaches can enrol free-of-charge, but must register through the links below.

Athlone: Monday 4 December, 1750 to 1920 – CLICK HERE
led by head coach Denise Dolan, Athlone Swimming Club ­

Castlebar: Tuesday 5 December, 1845 to 1945 – CLICK HERE
led by head coach Marian English, Castlebar Swimming Club

Galway: Saturday 9 December, 0730-0900 – CLICK HERE
led by head coach Sacha Djerfi, Galway Swimming Club

Coach Education, Event

Connacht Coaching Conference 2023, Retention Through Motivation

Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 
Athlone Regional Sports Centre and Radisson Blu

TALKS + DISCUSSIONS

  • Pathway to Performance from Age Group to Senior Swimming 
  • Planning and Sequencing Age Group Programmes 
  • CO-OPETITION: The Impact of Coaching Collaboration on Youth Development 
  • Motivational Tools for Athlete and Staff Retention 
  • Challenges and Adversities of Club Level Swimming 

INTERACTIVE CLINICS

  • Dive Start Progressions 
  • Creative Warm Ups
  • Long and Short Axis Turns
  • Functional Drills for Skill Development
  • Dry land Warm Ups, Exercise Blocking and Post-Conference Follow-ups 

SPEAKERS

Ian Armiger – Olympic Coach and former director of swimming at Loughborough University
Mike Peyrebrune – Technical Advisor and Sport Scientist for British Swimming Olympic Teams
Niamh Buffini – Performance Strength and Conditioning Coach to Paralympic silver medallist Nicole Turner and Taekwondo Olympic Coach
Nicholas Quinn – Performance Psychologist and Connacht Olympian
Fran Ronan – Head Coach, New Ross Swimming Club and Sports Psychologist
Kate Hills – Head of Safeguarding, Ethics and Youth Development

Weekend Ticket €80 (8 CPD points)
Saturday Only €40 (3 CPD points)
Sunday Only €75 (5 CPD points)

BOOK HERE

Schools Competitions

2023/24 Connacht Minor Schools Championship Update

The 2023/24 Connacht Minor Schools Championship takes place at the Leisureland, Galway on Sunday 21 and 22 October 2023

WARM-UP TIMES

Saturday 21 October 2023
Warm-Up: 4pm (10 minute slots)
Start: 4.30pm

Session 1
Girls 9 years
Girls 10 years
Boys 9 years
Boys 10 years

Sunday 22 October 2023
Warm-Up: 11am (10 minute slots)
Start: 11.30am

Session 2
Girls 11 years
Girls 12 years
Boys 11 years
Boys 12 years

DOWNLOAD FULL MEET INFORMATION HERE

Irish Minor School Championships 2024

The Connacht Minor School Championships is a qualifying meet for the Irish Minor Schools Championships, which takes place at the NAC on 25 March 2024.

Swimmers wishing to compete at the Irish Minor Schools Championships must meet the minimum qualification standard, as outlined in Appendix 2 of the meet information.

Entries for Irish Minor Schools Championships in March will be taken at the Connacht Minor Schools Championship in October.

Psych Sheet

Psych Sheet: Connacht Minor Schools 2023/24

The 2023/24 Connacht Minor Schools Championship takes place at the Leisureland, Galway on Saturday 21 October 2023 for under 9’s and 10’s and Sunday 22 October 2023 for under 11’s and 12’s.

Click here to view PSYCH SHEET

Check all entries and return with all amendments before 5pm on Thursday 19 October 2023 to Patricia, connachtgalasecretary@swimireland.ie

**Strictly no changes on the day**

Psych Sheet

Psych Sheet: Connacht Aspiring Champions Series 2023 (Short Course)

The Connacht Aspiring Champions Series takes place at the Leisure Complex at Lough Lannagh, Castlebar on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October 2023

Click here to view the PSYCH SHEET
Click here to view the MEET DETAILS

CLUB WARM-UP TIMES

Saturday 14 October
Session 1
10:00 to 10:15: Westport, Claremorris, Castlebar, Bluefin, Athlone, Carrick Fins
10:15 to 10:30: Shark, Longford
10:30 to 10:45: Galway, Laser, Tuam
10.45 to 11.00: Ballina Dolphins, Ballina, Ballinasloe,  Sligo, Trident, Comans

Session 2
14:00 to 14:15: Westport, Claremorris, Castlebar, Blue Fin, Tuam
14:15 to 14:30: Ballina, Athlone, Carrick Fins, Shark
14:30 to 14:45: Longford, Comans, Galway, Trident
14.45 to 15.00:  Laser, Sligo, Ballinasloe, Ballina Dolphins

Sunday 15 October
Session 3
10:00 to 10:15: Castlebar, Claremorris, Trident, Westport, Ballina Dolphins
10:15 to 10:30:  Shark, Athlone, Ballina, Ballinasloe, Carrick Fins
10:30 to 10:45: Laser, Longford, Sligo, Comans
10.45 to 11.00: Galway, Tuam, Bluefin

Session 4
14:00 to 14:15: Westport, Castlebar, Claremorris, Bluefin, Carrick Fins
14:15 to 14:30: Galway, Laser, Longford
14:30 to 14:45: Trident, Tuam, Athlone, Ballina Dolphins, Ballina, Ballinasloe, Comans
14.45 to 15.00: Shark and Sligo

Regional Programme

Regional Skills Academy 2023

Congratulations to the 23 athletes selected to join Connacht’s Regional Skills Academy for the 2023/24 season. These athletes were selected to join the programme based on their results from last season’s identified meets.

Bobby Persad, Ciara Lally, Daisy Mulvey (not pictured), Elizabeth Patten, Ellarose Myers, Eoin Connery, Euan Cradock, Eva Harte, Evan McKeon, Fiachra Redington, Grace Newell, Hannah Hussey, Helena Griffiths-Maher, Izabella Lehany McGoldrick, Joe Donohoe, Laura Fox, Luke Lannon, Miya Mulvey, Neysa Connolly, Oleksii Orlov (not pictured), Ronan Henihan (not pictured), Simon Geraghty and Will Browne… from Athlone SC, Claremorris SC, Coman’s SC, County Sligo SC, Galway SC, Longford SC, Shark SC and Trident SC.

The Regional Programme supports athletes working towards selection into the National Programme while increasing depth of competition within the Region. The team dived into the Regional Skills Academy Orientation Day at UL Sport Arena in Limerick on Saturday 7 October 2023 – where they worked with S&C Coaches, Ronan Costelloe and Piotr Romaniewics; Sports Psychologist, Kate O’Farrell and NCL athletes, Maria Godden and Roisin Ni Riain.