31/03/2026
PRESS RELEASE
31st MARCH 2026
New swim club for Athy
Athy is set to benefit from Ireland’s newest swimming club. Stingrays swim club is a brand-new club set up and ready to start training in April based at the K-Leisure facility in the town.
“It’s about time Athy had its own swim club,” said James Ryan, Stingrays club chairperson. “The facilities are second to none and there is real appetite in the community for the club. Swimming is getting more popular and is a lifelong skill as well as a highly competitive sport. A lot of work has gone in behind the scenes and we are delighted to be able to launch in the coming weeks.”
The club will be holding a welcome day and swim trials at K-Leisure on Sunday 12th April at 10.30am and those wishing to participate should visit the club page and register their interest.
Stingrays is also looking to the town and its business community to get involved and help out where they can through sponsorship and other forms of support. Those who might be able to help are encouraged to contact the chairperson.
The club will focus on improving members’ swimming skills and performance in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The coaching will be top quality and focused on technique. Through Swim Ireland affiliation, swimmers will be able to compete in official galas and meets and those who get quick enough will have access to elite regional and national coaching programmes and squads. There will be a competitive Master’s section for those over 18.
“We are just getting going and have a lot to learn,” continues James, “but one thing we do know is that swimming should be fun, and children should enjoy every session and look forward to the next one. We aim to create a great place to make friends and to train and compete together. At the same time, the coaches coming on board are skilled and experienced and have all competed at a high level themselves, so they know what it takes and how to support those swimmers aiming for elite levels of achievement. It’s going to be great for the town.”
ENQUIRIES TO:
James Ryan, Chairperson. 087 6671002 [email protected]
Meet the experts dedicated to helping our swimmers reach their full potential.
Head Coach: Debbie Carr
Assistant Coach: Melissa Ryan
Assistant Coach: Nicole Turner
Assistant Coach: Nikita Bondarevs
Our expert coaching team offers specialized performance coaching, focusing on enhancing technique and bringing passion for aquatic excellence in every session. They all bring a wealth of competitive experience, technical expertise including video analysis and one coach even has a Silver Olympic Medal having represented Ireland in the Tokyo Paralympics Games in 2021.
Follow the page for further bios in the coming days…
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Stingrays swim club is a new swim club undergoing the final steps of affiliation with Swim Ireland.
https://www.facebook.com/StingraysSwimClubAthy/
Swim Ireland is the National Governing Body for swimming on the island of Ireland and administers the sport and its competitions at every level:
https://swimireland.ie/
Stingrays is a new competitive swimming club based in Athy, Co. Kildare.
