Teen swimmer aims to become youngest to complete Irish Triple Crown challenge

A Newry teenager is aiming to become the youngest person to complete the Irish Triple Crown swimming challenge.

Secondary school student Daniel Smyth (17) has already become the youngest solo swimmer to cross the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland.

He also completed the Galway Bay swim earlier this month and now has his eye fixed on the Fastnet swim in Co Cork to finish the Irish Triple Crown.

Daniel is hoping to become the youngest to do the challenge, as well as completing the three swims in the shortest period of time.

He admitted his focus on swimming only started to aid his waterpolo performance, but he soon caught the bug of distance swimming.

He took part in the youngest team of people to swim the North Channel, around 35km, from Donaghadee in Co Down and Portpatrick in Scotland last September, and followed that up by becoming the youngest individual to complete the swim in July in a time of 12 hours and 26 minutes.

He completed the 10.5km Galway Bay swim on August 30 in a time of two hours and 31 minutes, and is hoping to complete Fastnet, a 20.5km swim from Fastnet Rock and Baltimore Pier in Co Cork this month.

With Newry pool currently closed, the training demands for the Abbey Grammar School student includes having to travel very early in the morning to pools in Banbridge, Dundalk and Craigavon, all before his day in school.

His mother Elena said Daniel still manages to balance the demands of school and achieved an A and three Bs in his AS Levels earlier this summer.

While many channel swimmers battle jellyfish stings, Daniel said he managed to escape them during his solo swim, describing the currents as a tougher challenge.

He said as he approached Scotland, he had to battle a current for three