Kilkenny swimmers set to make a splash in Portugal

Two Kilkenny swimmers are all set to fly the flag for their country at a major European Championships.

Fionn Denn and Robbie English will leave for Portugal to swim for Ireland at the European Down Syndrome Championships. The local duo are part of a seven-strong team of athletes who will take on Europe's best at the Piscinas Municipais pool in Albufeira.

Fionn and Robbie have been training hard with their coaches, Shauna Morley in Kilkenny and Niall Molloy in Dublin to help them achieve their swimming goals.

With the championships running from October 25 to November 3, both swimmers have a full schedule to look forward to.

On day one they will swim in the 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke events. Day two sees them back in the pool for the 200m freestyle while Denn will also swim the 50m butterfly. Day three will feature the 100m backstroke, with English also taking on the 800m freestyle.

After a rest on day four it's back to the pool for the 200m backstroke before, on the final day of competition, they will have the 50m freestyle, while English also has the 100m Individual Medley.

The rest of the Ireland team is made up of swimmers Kevin Kennedy (Westmeath), David Hogg (Westmeath), Anna Hennessey (Donegal), Eoin Rooney (Donegal) and Eoghan Ashe (Kildare), with the coaching team of Niall Molloy, Johanna Tilly Rock and Sinead Donagher.