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Swim Ireland's National Performance Director, Andrew Reid, has hailed Ireland’s European Championships campaign as "absolutely excellent", saying the results provide a "fantastic reflection of what Irish swimming is building." Ireland sent its largest-ever team to the European Championships, with the 25-strong squad producing a string of standout performances. Ellen Walshe led the way with two European titles, while Mona McSharry claimed three medals (silver and two bronze) in the breaststroke events. Across the squad, Ireland contested ten finals, reached twelve semi-finals and set 11 national records. While the medal-winning performances inevitably grabbed the headlines, Reid said he was also hugely encouraged by the depth and consistency shown across the team. "For me, what is important is creating the right environment for the athletes to perform at their best across the week," Reid told RTÉ Sport. "We've seen a number of season’s best (times), a number of personal bests, a number of Irish senior records. So the athletes have done really well to move things on from the trials in April, and everyone's delighted on their performances." "They enjoy themselves, they have lots of fun. The environment and the energy within the team is through the roof, and that’s something that we want to continue with." The size and composition of the squad have been key factors in Swim Ireland’s long-term strategy, Reid explained, combining established international performers with swimmers emerging from the junior ranks. "The first thing is supporting those athletes as they build into Los Angeles (Olympics), but also we have a group of athletes that have just transitioned out of junior swimming," he said. "It’s important they have the opportunity to develop the skillset to be able to perform in the international arena at senior level." Continued support for Ireland’s "outstanding" medal winners Reflecting on the seven-day championship, Reid described the performances of Walshe and McSharry in particular as "outstanding." He also pledged continued support for the two European medallists, who are both based outside Swim Ireland’s high-performance-centre system. Walshe trains in Templeogue, Dublin, with her long-term coach Brian Sweeney. He has recently been added to Ireland’s coaching staff for international competitions, following Swim Ireland’s expansion of its policy on athletes’ individual coaches. "We’re working with Ellen and Brian to ensure that they have the support around them to help them build into Los Angeles," Reid said, including "opportunities to race internationally." McSharry, meanwhile, is based in Tennessee in the US. Reid said he and Swim Ireland’s head of sports science and sports medicine, Kevin McGuigan, travelled to the US earlier this year to meet McSharry and her coach and discuss their plans for the seasons ahead. "It’s about building the relationships," Reid said. "We want both of them to be part of our programmes, and we want to work with and support them as best we can." On Daniel Wiffen: "We’re not concerned about where he’s at" While Walshe and McSharry enjoyed a slew of podium places this week, Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen endured a more challenging Championships, missing out on the medals in both the 800m and 1500m freestyle. It rounds off a difficult year for Wiffen, and his twin brother Nathan, who also competes for Ireland in the distance events. The brothers moved back to Ireland in Spring, following a brief - and ultimately unsuccessful - spell training in California in the United States. Both are now based at the National High Performance Centre in Dublin, and are in the process of "rebuilding", with their training sessions being scripted by their former Loughborough coach Andy Manley. Reid acknowledged that the arrangement was a little unconventional, but was keen to stress that it was the right solution for the athletes. "It is unorthodox but it’s not unheard of," he said. "It’s something that we felt was required to support Daniel, and it will be a transition as well for Steve (Beckerleg), the coach in Dublin." Wiffen’s eighth-place finish in the 1500m was not enough to concern Reid, who pointed instead to the swimmer’s progress in the 800m. "We’re not concerned about where he’s at. His confidence is there. He’s working hard." "He just doesn’t have the background to work at the moment to be able to back up heats and finals, which again in those distance events is a challenge." "He's now getting settled… I don't really think anything different needs to happen or change." Focus shifts to qualification for LA Olympics The immediate focus will now turn towards the 2027 World Championships in Budapest, and, ultimately, Los Angeles in two years’ time, with the qualification window for the Olympics expected to open next July. "Our target is five or more athletes qualifying for individual events in LA," Reid said. "I do believe we can exceed that, and we’ve probably seen that across the board this week (in Paris)." Relays are another part of the Olympic plan, with Swim Ireland identifying three teams as realistic qualification prospects. And the ambition extends beyond simply getting athletes to the Games. "Obviously, not only do we want to qualify, we also want to go and perform as well." "They’re very professional in what they do, they work extremely hard. They believe that they belong at this level of competition."