Each weekend, we highlight some of the performances that light up the Irish sporting landscape.

This weekend, we highlight action in Athletics, Swimming and Gaelic Football.

This week’s Champions of the Weekend is brought to you by Lidl, one of Sport for Business’s key partners, and supporters of our coverage of Women in Sport.

 

Kate O’Connor

Another Major Championship medal for Kate O’Connor, winning Bronze at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Poland on Sunday night.

This result continues a remarkable run of success at major championships for O’Connor. In 2025, the Dundalk athlete claimed medals at the European Indoor Championships (bronze), World Indoor Championships (silver), World University Games (gold), and the World Outdoor Championships (silver). Only two Irish athletes, Sonia O’Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan, have now won more individual global medals at senior championships.

John Shortt

Ireland’s John Shortt has demolished yet another Irish Record, this time, the 19-year-old has taken down Shane Ryan’s 2019 record of 53.73 in the 100m Backstroke. Shortt, who set a new standard of 1:56.07 in the 200m Backstroke on Saturday, scorched 53.37 to take a silver medal at the Giant Open in Paris.
The National Centre (Limerick) swimmer had a previous best of 53.80 from the Semi-Final of the 100m Backstroke at the World Junior Championships in August last year, the Galway man went on to win gold in the final in 53.86.

Ellen Walshe

Also, in action in Paris, Ellen Walshe claimed her third silver medal of the weekend clocking 2:10.97 in the 200m Individual Medley, Ellie McCartney was fourth in the same final in 2:12.60, just seven hundredths of a second outside the medals. In the 100m Butterfly, Jack Cassin was seventh in 53.32.

Para Swimming Relay Team

At the Para Swimming World Series in Barcelona, Ireland capped off the week in golden fashion as Barry McClements, Dearbhaile Brady, Ellie Lynch and Luke O’Donoghue won gold in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay in 4:42.41.

Allianz League Football

Every point mattered in the battle to avoid relegation from Division One of the Allianz League and TG4 and Nemeton TV had it all covered on a dramatic Sunday afternoon.  It could have been Armagh, but then they secured a draw against Kerry, it could have been Galway, trailing for five points against Dublin, but in the end it was Dublin who join Monaghan in the drop to Division 2, with Cork and Meath coming in the opposite direction.

Longford Gaelic Football

Longford secured promotion to Division Three and a first trip to Croke Park in almost a decade coming from ten points down to beat Wicklow in Division Three of the Allianz League, scoring the winning point they needed in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

 

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Image Credit: Sport for Business

 

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