Shane Ryan, Ellen Walshe and Danielle Hill ease into Winter Nationals finals

Shane Ryan is the fastest qualifier into the final of the men's 50m backstroke on the first day of competition at the Irish Winter Nationals swim meet at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin.

The 29-year-old, who just missed out on a medal at the recent European Short Course Championships, finished the preliminary heat in a time of 24.63.

Ellen Walshe, a bronze medalist in the 400m individual medley in Romania earlier this month, eased into the discipline's 200m final tonight and the 22-year-old Templeogue swimmer will also contest the final of the women's 100m freestyle.

Fresh from breaking six national records at the recent Europeans, Danielle Hill is the fastest qualifier into the women's 100m free final and the 24-year-old Larne swimmer will also line up in lane four of the women's 50m backstroke final.

In the first of two heat declared 200 freestyle relays this morning, victory in the men's race went to the local NAC squad comprising of Mathew Walsh, Hussey, Fionn Byrne, Isaac Fitzmaurice and Oisin Tebite in 1:32.19.

The women's race was won by a UCD team comprising of Jena Macdougald, Amy Fitzpatrick, Rececca Lowe and Naomi Trait in 1:47.47.

The finals on day one will be off the blocks at 5pm.