Ellie McCartney will be one of nine Irish swimmers competing at this weekend’s European U23 Swimming Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania.  This is the first time the event has been held since it debuted in Dublin in 2019, where Ireland topped the medal table.

That inaugural competition was a turning point for Irish swimming, with standout performances from Mona McSharry, Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen, and Paralympic champion Ellen Keane.

McCartney, now 20, is part of the next generation hoping to continue that legacy, and after what she describes as a breakthrough season, she feels ready for the challenge.

“This year you got to see it in terms of performances,” she said at an Olympic Federation of Ireland Media day this week, reflecting on her upward trajectory.

“The progress had been slowly happening, but doing it off trials, when you have to, made a real difference.”

The nature of elite swimming means that everything hinges on specific races at specific times. McCartney knows that all too well. “It’s no good doing it the week after. In swimming, the windows are so defined — you have to perform on the day.”

And she did. Performing when it mattered at national trials earned her selection for the U23 Europeans, a key step in what’s becoming a promising international career.

From Fermanagh to Limerick

McCartney’s journey has already taken her far from her home in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. At 16, she decided to leave home and move to Bangor to train at a new performance centre, a move she says was instrumental.

“It was hard at that age, but it was the right decision. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I hadn’t done it,” she reflects.

Now based in Limerick and studying Sports Science at the University of Limerick, she is thriving both academically and athletically.

“Last year was all change with a new coach, new training group, new place to live, but this year I knew what to expect and could build towards trials. It’s made a massive difference.”

Training in a close-knit group of fellow student-athletes, McCartney says the environment has helped her stay motivated and focused. “We live together, train together, study together — we all understand what each other is going through. It helps keep you accountable.”

Rising Standards 

McCartney is part of an Irish swimming setup that is enjoying unprecedented success. “The expectation is a lot higher now,” she says. “At Tokyo we were celebrating just making an Olympic final, and now we’ve got swimmers medalling multiple times.”

She credits that shift in mindset with helping athletes push their limits. “Once one person breaks through a barrier, it just makes it easier for others to follow. That’s how it’s felt.”

She knows that experience firsthand.   She was just a tenth of a second behind Mona McSharry at the recent national trials. “I was glad to have her there. I don’t think I’d have performed the way I did without having someone like her to chase.”

Looking Ahead to LA and Beyond

While McCartney is cautious about looking too far ahead, she does admit that the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are in her sights.

“If things keep progressing, LA should be on the cards,” she says, adding that a potential appearance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games is a more immediate target.

Her personal best times already place her within striking distance. Based on the Paris 2024 standards, she would have made a semi-final — and in previous Games, her times would have been enough to qualify for the Final. “We’ll have to wait and see what the LA standards are, but I’m hopeful.”

Balancing Sport and Study

Despite the demands of elite sport, McCartney has managed to maintain balance in her academic life. “The University of Limerick has been brilliant,” she says. “They’re flexible with deadlines and exams if you’re away for competition. It makes a big difference.”

Having developed strong time-management habits during her final school years, she’s applied the same discipline to university life. “You just have to be organised. Dinner, books, bed — repeat,” she laughs.

A Long Journey from the Local Club

McCartney first got into the pool as a toddler on family holidays, and began competitive swimming at the age of nine. “My grandfather founded the local club in Enniskillen, but it was more for the social side than performance,” she recalls. “Then we realised I wasn’t too bad, and things shifted.”

From racing her older brother in local galas to representing Ireland on the European stage, it’s been a steady rise,  one that survived the setbacks of COVID-19, when she spent nearly a year out of the pool. “It was frustrating, but looking back, I don’t think I’d be here without it,” she says. “It gave me the time to make big decisions.”

Big decisions like moving away from home, committing to performance training, and chasing international success. Decisions that are now paying off.

McCartney will dive into competition this weekend in Lithuania with confidence, maturity, and momentum.

If her trajectory continues, she may soon be the one inspiring the next wave of Irish swimmers,  just as her teammates once inspired her.

 

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