Competition Information

Attendance at galas at Club, Leinster and National level is a requirement of the Club for competitive squad swimmers (A, B & C Squads).

The Club’s emphasis is on personal improvement, improving personal best times, rather than winning or medals etc. Competitive swimming is meant to be an enjoyable experience.

Galas should be planned and carefully selected in conjunction with squad coaches. This allows coaches to plan their training program towards specific galas.

It also assists in developing the team spirit within the Club. Gala information is given out through the squad coach or via the website, what’s app or by email. The coach will discuss with each swimmer what galas they should attend and what events to enter. Swimmers can lose too much training time going to unnecessary galas.

It is important that swimmers do not miss training sessions before and after galas as these sessions are crucial to the coaches’ program.

Gala entries will be done through the app.  Late entries will not be permitted and only entries done via the app will be accepted

Please note that different Galas are suitable for swimmers in different squads and by and large club galas, such as St Fiaccs or own Gala are more suited to swimmers in C Juniors and C1 Squad. Provincial Galas (Leinsters) are more suitable for C2 or B Squad swimmers and National Galas (which have minimum qualifying times) are by and large suitable for A Squad Swimmers.

If you have any doubts please ask your coach for further information.

There is a very handy overview document for any swimmers starting to compete located HERE

Gala Information

For every Gala, the Club appoints a Team Manager who is in charge on the day. 

The Club also endeavours to ensure that a coach is present for each gala, although this may not always be the case. 

Swimmers should report to the Team Manager and the coach (if present) when they arrive at the pool and before they leave. Swimmers should wear a Club hat for each race. They should also wear Club gear when poolside as much as possible. 

Swimmers are expected to remain with their team for the duration of the gala and support their team mates in each race. Any swimmer who, having entered a gala, decides not to swim at the gala or decides not to swim in one or more event, must notify the Team Manager prior to the commencement of the gala. 

Failure to do so may result in the Club being fined by the gala organisers, in which case the fine will be passed on by the Club to the relevant swimmer and will be payable by them or their parents. 

Any swimmers taking part in medal ceremonies are required to wear their Club gear. All swimmers entering Galas must be a fully paid up member of Swim Ireland for the current year. It is not sufficient just to have filled in the form.

Payment of €60 is required for registration and cheques can be made payable to Kilkenny Swimming Club. You can download a form by clicking on the link below.

Club Duties At Leinster And National Galas

To enable Leinster and Swim Ireland run Galas they require the co-operation of all Clubs and the support of many individuals. 

They use a quota system regarding gala officials. Each club must provide a quota of officials for each gala. This is based on the number of swims entered not on the number of swimmers. This quota will be set once the entries have been received and clubs are then notified of their duties.

Duties involve team manager, timekeepers, turn-judge, line-up, attendance at technical meeting the evening before National galas etc. Failure to provide officials means that the swimmers are excluded from that session. At National Galas failure to provide officials means the swimmers are excluded from the rest of the gala and the club may also incur a fine from Swim Ireland.

Unfortunately there have been increasing number of times this season where the parent rostered for gala duty has not turned up or failed to arrange a replacement. The Committee has discussed this issue and considers it totally unacceptable. The Committee has decided to introduce sanctions to be applied to swimmers where their parents declined to carry out a gala duty or have not turned up for gala duty or organized a replacement which will come into immediate effect. Where a parent fails to turn up for gala duty or declines to carry a gala duty their son/daughter will be excluded from the rest of the session. 

They will not be allowed entry to any future gala until their parent gives written undertaking to complete any duty they may be rostered at galas and in the event they are unable attend gala that they nominate another parent to carry out their duties for them and enclose a written acceptance from that parent that they are willing to cover both their own and the other parent’s duty.