ESB Swimming Club's Claire Gavaghan wins Annual Liffey Swim

Seventeen-year-old Claire Gavaghan, a member of the ESB Swimming Club in SPORTSCO, has been swimming competitively since she was 7 or 8 years of age. An enthusiastic swimmer, Claire took part in the finals in the Irish National Championships over the summer and won a medal in the Long Course in the Nationals which took place in University of Limerick. She also travelled to Lisburn to participate in the Short Course competition.

Claire, who is a daughter of Joe Gavaghan in ESB Networks, is a 5thyear student at Maryfield College and will be doing her Leaving Cert. in June 2008. A member of the Group A team in Sportsco, Claire and her colleagues train twice daily on Saturdays and Sundays and on Monday through to Thursday evenings. As well as Group A there is also a Group B team in the Club.

The competitive season finished in July with the Nationals and the Oudoor Season runs from June to Sept. The Liffey Swim, which is the blue ribbon of the outdoor season, took place on Sept. 9th and Claire emerged the winner in the 2.2km race. The course ran from Watling St. Bridge to Custom House Quay. There are a series of swims over the summer months in Dublin and the competitions operate on a handicap system which allows weaker swimmers a fair chance of winning. Claire completed the swim in 21 minutes, while Shane Drumm also of the ESB Swimming Club came second in the Men's and Marika O'Reilly came 6th in the Ladies. When we spoke to Claire she was heading off to a gala event in Manchester.

A dedicated group indeed who look like going on to bigger and better things. Jimmy Reilly is the Chairman of the Oudoor Committee, himself an ex-ESB Stations and Cables Supervisor and the coach is Bill McCarthy, ex-Meter Reading (whose son Earl swam in the Olympics). Congratulations and well done.