Latest news with #StPatrick'sGrammarSchoolArmagh
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Daniel Wiffen makes five-figure donation to former school as fans hail his ‘amazing gesture'
DANIEL Wiffen donated £25,000 to his former school St Patrick's Grammar School Armagh through the Olympic Legacy Fund. The donation was used to help fund a new gym for the school which 4 Wiffen cut the ribbon for the opening of the new gym Credit: @WiffenDaniel 4 The St. Patrick's alumni were joined by current students at the opening of the gym Credit: @WiffenDaniel 4 The 23-year-old was widely praised for giving back to his former school Credit: @WiffenDaniel 4 The school will now boast state of the art weight lifting equipment Credit: @WiffenDaniel The Olympic Legacy Fund is a Northern Irish initiative where Olympic medallists can choose a club or organisation to receive a donation on their behalf. £100,000 was funded by the Department of Communities to be split between six athletes who won medals at Paris 2024 Olympics for Team Ireland and Team GB. They split the fund as £20,000 for a gold medal, £10,000 for a silver and £5,000 for a bronze. Thanks to Daniel Wiffen's Read more on Irish Sport Fellow Team Ireland medal winners The Olympic 800m freestyle record holder spoke about the donation on X: "St Patrick's Grammar School Armagh, the school that believed in me from the start. "The new gym will support the next generation of Armagh athletes. Legacy isn't just about medals – it's about giving back." The lovely gesture was hailed far and wide online. BBC GAA journalist Thomas Niblock praised: "This is incredible. Most read in Olympics "Amazing gesture Daniel, and one that will support the development of all athletes of all sports at St Pat's. I'd imagine some of the staff will benefit too. Well done man." Similarly, Nancy Farrell added: "What a wonderful gesture and legacy." Leaked medical document 'proves Imane Khelif is a biological male' after winning gold in women's boxing at Olympics Lastly, someone else commented: "You really are a lovely fella Daniel." Principal of St Patrick's Grammar School, Dominic Clarke, recalled: "I think Nathan and Daniel might have been 15 or 16 when we did a number of videos in the school about up-and-coming people and the two guys were interviewed. "At that stage, they said they would like to go to the Olympics and Paris was their target." Now around eight years later, Wiffen is back at the school with two medals around his neck and a £25,000 donation. The 2024 BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year, has turned a new chapter in his career having competed for his In February the Loughborough swimmer came away with three gold medals - the 1500m freestyle, 800m freestyle, and 400m freestyle. HIT THE BUCS It marked the end of a very successful chapter in his career, with it being his final time competing at the BUCS Championships. Wiffen caps off his run with six BUCS records, over 18 titles, eight men's championships, and eight team championships. It was his first time in the pool since the Paris Olympics, and came a year after he won a World Championship gold medal. The Magheralin native has since won He finished ahead of his brother Nathan who came second in the 1500m race. However, Daniel came away disappointed as he had hoped to break a world record at the Irish Open this year. The Wiffen twins' focus will now turn to the 2028 LA Olympics qualification and hopefully they will bring more medals home for Team Ireland.
Belfast Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
NI sporting hero Daniel Wiffen ‘really proud' to donate £25k Olympic fund to former Armagh school
The swimmer (23) made history last July after becoming the first Northern Ireland athlete to win an individual gold medal since 1972. He won gold in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1,500m freestyle for Team Ireland in the French capital. Sharing photos as he returned to old school St Patrick's Grammar in Armagh, the athlete was pictured with current pupils at the school and the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin. In a post on social media, Wiffen said: 'From Armagh to Paris and back again. 'Really proud to donate my full £25,000 Olympic Legacy fund to St Patrick's Grammar School Armagh – the school that believed in me from the very beginning. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. "Their support meant everything on my journey to becoming an Olympic Champion 'When I heard about the Legacy of Paris programme, I knew straight away where the funding should go. The school had plans for a new gym to support local athletes, but funding was a challenge. This donation helped bring that vision to life. News Catchup - Monday 9th June 2025 'It was a special moment to return with my brothers Nathan Wiffen and Ben Wiffen to open the new facility – one that will inspire future swimmers, GAA stars, hurlers, hoopers and more 'Massive thanks to Mr Clarke, Archbishop Eamon Martin and the whole school community for the warm welcome and continued belief. 'Legacy isn't just about medals — it's about giving others the chance to dream too.'
