Ireland enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 Para Swimming World Series in Barcelona, with Dearbhaile Brady and Luke Brennan both claiming silver medals on the opening night of competition.
Seven Irish swimmers were in action against a high-calibre international field, with Brady, pictured above, delivering the standout performance of the evening. The National Centre (Dublin) swimmer powered to silver in the 50m Butterfly (S6) final, touching the wall in 36.48. That effort marked an improvement of 0.22 seconds from her morning heat swim.
“I feel quite good,” Brady said afterwards. “It’s still off my PB, but I’m happy with it. The target is always to go quicker if you have a heat and a final, so I’m very happy that I came back faster tonight.”
Brennan also made his mark, earning youth silver in the 100m Freestyle (S8). The Blackrock swimmer, who made his international debut at the same meet last year, clocked 1:07.25 to secure his place on the podium. Teammate Luke O’Donoghue of Kingdom SC finished just outside the medals in fourth, posting a time of 1:05.39.
“I’m delighted – it’s an amazing achievement,” Brennan said. “Last year I didn’t even make a final in this event, so to get a silver this year shows how much I’ve improved. Wearing the Irish flag is the biggest honour for me – the medals are great, but that’s what matters most.”
There was also a positive start for Róisín Ní Riain, who opened her campaign with a lifetime best of 1:01.67 in the 100m Freestyle (S13) heats. The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer returned for the final later in the evening, where she clocked 1:01.68 to underline her consistency.
Among Ireland’s emerging talents, Ellie Lynch impressed with a personal best of 1:13.19 in the heats of the 100m Freestyle (S9). The Celtic Waves swimmer went on to place in the youth final, recording a time of 1:15.12.
“I felt strong in the water,” Lynch said. “I was quite tired after this morning, but I think I did quite well. Swimming a new personal best fills me with confidence, and I hope I can build on it. I’m looking forward to my main event tomorrow.”
Earlier in the day, two-time Paralympian Barry McClements clocked 1:01.18 in the S9 heats of the 100m Freestyle, while Brady also competed in the same event in the S6 classification, recording 1:19.34. Maya Hogan of Asgard SC added another encouraging performance with a time of 1:11.49 in the S10 category.
Racing continues today, with seven of Ireland’s nine-strong squad set to compete.
The Para Swimming World Series Barcelona takes place from 19th – 22nd of March 2026 and forms part of the World Para Swimming World Series circuit, which features international competitions held throughout the year. Organised by World Para Swimming, the series brings together elite Para swimmers from across the globe to compete at key events on the international calendar.
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Image Credit: Paralympics ireland
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