While Irish swimmers struggled on the third and final day of the European short course swimming championships in Sheffield yesterday, it was the turn of Britain to surprise the elite from 35 countries.
They finished second overall in the table with 225 points, behind Germany with 283 points.
The combined Irish team failed to reach a single final, which left them wallowing somewhere behind Latvia, who finished 29th overall with one point.
Ireland's best placing on the final day emerged from Belfast as Emma Robinson came 15th in the 50 metres breaststroke in 33.41.
Among other results, Cormorant's Colin Louth was 33rd in the 100 metres butterfly in 56.90; Chantal Gibney of Trojan was 24th in the 200 metres freestyle in two minutes 4.16; Nick O'Hare of Coolmine and Hugh O'Connor of New Ross were 27th and 29th respectively in the 50 metres freestyle in 23.35 and 23.87.
