The swimming club was established in 1959 shortly after the opening of the City Baths in William Street. Ever since the Friday night club sessions at 'the Baths' have marked the official start to the weekend for generations of Derry families.

Fifty years on, the personalities associated with the club may have changed but come Friday night there will still be swimmers of all ages and abilities at the traditional club session in the City Baths. The more competent swimmers will be thrashing up and down in the big pool, while next door in the learner or 'wee pool' the learners and improvers will be splashing around, with the usual quota of over-anxious and over-protective parents looking on.

Among the club's founding committee members were Baths Superintendent and City of Derry's first coach Frank Bradley, who lived on the premises. Gerry MacManus - who cut a dashing figure on the pool bank in his plusfours – was another stalwart of the club in the early days. He patiently taught youngsters to swim in the shallow end and then, when he felt they were confident enough to swim a length of the pool; would get into the water himself and swim alongside them from the deep end as far as the rope.

As the club gathered momentum, many others – far to numerous to mention individually - got involved. Suffice to say that one of the strengths of the club in the early days was the strong family ethos, and that's still its hallmark today. As a result of this vibrant tradition associated with the Club, many past and present members are involved in teaching younger swimmers today and some of the parents and even grandparents helping out during the various sessions have come up through the club's ranks.

Before long, the early morning training sessions – still a feature – began to pay off and City of Derry started to produce its first competitive swimmers. They soon put down a marker for future generations, setting club, Ulster and Irish records, at least one of which not only still stands today but which can never be beaten. Charlie Hegarty set the Ulster record for 50 yards freestyle just before all records went metric!

When Englishman Alan Pollard took over the reins as coach in 1968, he brought with him fresh ideas and training regimes and introduced the senior squad to calistethics, life saving and even synchronised swimming. Alan left Derry in December 1971 and was replaced by Dubliner Carmel Gorman, who has been chief coach and mainstay of the club ever since.

Over the years the William Street club has produced countless provincial and national champions, as well as many swimmers who qualified for the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. One of the club's best-known members was the late great Liam Ball who swam for Ireland in both the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and in the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

The organisers of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations are currently working on a history of the club and would like to hear from former swimmers. One of the first to get in touch with them was Michael MacManus, who is now living in Japan where he lectures in Miyagi University of Education. He swam with City of Derry in the early 'sixties and says he is forever grateful to the club for teaching him the basic swimming techniques.

Now in his 'sixties, Michael is a regular competitor in Masters Swimming competitions and is currently ranked Number 1 in Japan in 200 Individual Medley (60-64 years age group) and holder of the 200 metres and 100 metres backstroke titles. He usually trains about four times a week, doing between 2,500 and 3,000 metres.

"Frank Bradley filled us with dreams and I try to continue his work by encouraging my students on the university swim team to reach national level. When I was younger, while I did figure in the medals, I was never a champion like Charlie Hegarty or Conal Casey, nor did I manage to emulate my father Gerry who was Irish backstroke champion for three successive years. But every time get a medal these days, I dedicate it to him and Frank Bradley."

Michael says that he never fails to impress his Japanese colleagues and students with stories of the City of Derry's 'Spartan training' and basic facilities, like the time his father 'threw them off piers into the freezing waters around Ireland' or how they had to swim without goggles and dive off handmade wooden starting blocks. But despite the undoubted hardships of no goggles and cold dips, Michael has very fond memories of the William Street Pool.

"I remember with a full heart the support of everyone at the Baths: a gruff Charlie Ming and a quiet young Mickey Doherty, along with Eddie who looked after our clothes. McDaid's shop in William Street across from the baths and Harley's fish and chip shop in Creggan Street were our dating and nutritional and dating support agencies! We were looked after by an organising committee, made up mostly of parents from all sections of the community, just as we were.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have supported the club throughout the last 50 years and helped give the same pleasure we enjoyed to hundreds maybe even thousands of young people from the city," he adds.

If you have any memories, newscuttings, photographs, scrap books or other memorabilia associated with City of Derry Amateur Swimming Club - also known for a time as City of Derry YSAU (Young Swimmers Association of Ulster), the organising committee of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations would like to hear from you. Please contact them at admin @ derryswimming.com or visit the club's website www.derryswimming.com