Swim gala to honour Ellen Cassidy

A special swim meet will be held in Cork to commemorate a young woman who died after completing the Cork City Half Marathon last year.

Ellen Cassidy, a champion swimmer, died in hospital after becoming unwell at the finish line of the marathon on 1 June 2025. She was 24 years old.

This Sunday, Dolphin Swimming Club in Mayfield, where Ellen was a member since the age of nine, will host the Ellen Cassidy Memorial Gala, a one-day long-course (50m) meet to celebrate the contribution Ellen made to Cork and Irish swimming.

The announcement of the gala earlier this year sparked widespread excitement, with Dolphin Swimming Club receiving entries from clubs across all four provinces of Ireland, an achievement typically reserved for national-level competitions.

The gala will feature an exceptional lineup of talent, including Irish Olympian and European medallist Ellen Walsh; Paralympic medallist and world para record holder Róisín Ní Riain; European medallist Jack Cassin; and National Centre Limerick swimmers Daniel Farrell, Denis O'Brien, Senan Harvey, and Maria Godden.

Ellen’s younger brother, Charlie Cassidy, an Irish international and current Dolphin senior team member himself, will also be there on the day to compete in several events.

On the day, two special awards will be presented in Ellen’s honour: the Ellen Cassidy Perpetual Cup will be awarded to the fastest female 200m backstroke swimmer, an event Ellen famously dominated; and the Ellen Cassidy Memorial Shield, which will be presented to the highest-scoring club.

The day’s racing will be brought to life by Irish Olympian, commentator, and broadcaster, Andrew Bree.

A dedicated group of Ellen’s friends, former competitors, coaches, and teammates, as well as members of the Cassidy family’s home club, Dolphin Swimming Club, will return to the pool deck as volunteers. Serving as turn judges, call room officials, and event helpers, they will play a vital role in ensuring the day runs smoothly while celebrating Ellen’s enduring impact on the sport.

Ellen proudly represented both the UCD and UCC swim teams at third level, acting as UCC captain for two years at the Irish Intervarsity Championships. With the intervarsities taking place this Friday and Saturday in UL Arena, it is fitting that the Ellen Cassidy Memorial Gala will tie in two big swimming events across the entire weekend, with many of Ellen's former UCC and UCD teammates also travelling to support and celebrate their former captain, teammate, and friend.

This year mark the 125th anniversary for Dolphin Swimming Club.