Annual General Meeting 2025
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 November 2025 in person in Dublin. Current members will have received a notice via e-mail with the AGM Agenda attached.
Judge 11th At Tayside Trophy
Dillon Judge has finished 11th in the Senior Men’s event at this weekend’s Tayside Trophy in Dundee, Scotland.
The two-time Irish champion got his short programme off to a positive start with a nice triple Lutz-double toe loop combination. However, he popped a subsequent triple flip into a double and then fell on the entry to a change foot camel spin. He received no credit for either element. He also fell on a double Axel. A change foot combination spin registered as Level 3 while both a step sequence and a flying sit spin were graded Level 2. A score of 37.27 points had him in 11th place overnight.
Judge got his free skating under way inauspiciuusly with a fall on a triple flip. He bounced back with a cleanly landed solo triple Lutz with a double Lutz-double toe loop and a Level 2 flying sit spin to follow. He stumbled out of a triple toe loop and was given a Level 1 for change foot camel spin. He nailed a triple Salchow, but slipped to the ice during a step sequence. He closed out his performance with a Level 3 change foot combination spin. He scored 74.16 points which gave him a total of 111.43 points.
Farrell 32nd At Solidarity Cup
Julianna Farrell (18) has finished in 32nd place in the women’s event at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Solidarity Cup in Gdansk, Poland earlier today.
The Irish Junior Women’s champion got her first Junior Grand Prix event off to a start yesterday in the Short Programme. The beginning of her routine proved to be challenging with falls on a triple Lutz combination and a solo triple loop. She regained her composure following those errors to produce a Level 3 camel spin, a double Axel and a Level two step sequence. She garnered Level 4 for both a change foot combination spin and a flying sit spin to close out her short. A season best score of 34.99 points put her in 33rd place overnight.
In contrast to her short, Farrell’s Free Skating got off to a perfect opening as she reeled off a double Axel and a triple Salchow. She next landed a triple loop and then a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination. Unfortunately, she fell on an intended triple loop combination and a triple toe loop. She wrapped up her free with a double Axel-double toe loop-single loop combination, a choreographic sequence, a Level 4 change foot combination spin and a Level 3 flying sit spin. She amassed a free score of 68.98 points giving her a combined total of 103.97 points.
“I had an amazing time and it was such an amazing experience,” Farrell said. “It was so fun to interact with different athletes from different countries. Thank you so much to the ISAI for this opportunity.”
Videos
Julianna Farrell – Short Programme / Free Skating
Farrell Set For Junior Grand Prix Debut
Julianna Farrell (18) makes her first appearance on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating at the Solidarity Cup in Gdansk, Poland this week (2-4 October 2025).
The 2025 Irish Junior champion made her international debut at Cranberry Cup in Norwood, United States of America where she finished 18th. She becomes the 10th athlete to represent Ireland in the women’s category since Irish skaters began competing on the Junior Grand Prix in 2008. Her competition begins on Thursday, 2 October with the Junior Women’s Short Programme and concludes with the Women’s Free Skating on Friday, 3 October.
“I’m really excited to represent Ireland at the Junior Grand Prix in Poland,” Farrell said. “My main goal is to skate with confidence, show the progress I’ve made in training, and enjoy the experience of competing at this level.”
ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Solidarity Cup 2025 will be streamed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.
Team Ireland Competition Schedule (Irish Time)
Thursday, 2 October
08:45-14:00 Women Short Programme
Friday, 3 October
15:30-21:30 Women Free Skating
Olympic Hopes Dashed For Team Ireland In Beijing
Team Ireland’s figure skaters have concluded their competition earlier today at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Olympic Qualifier 2025 in Beijing, China missing out on securing a quota place at next February’s Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy.
Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus laid down a solid performance on the opening day in the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance putting themselves in eighth place midway through their event and less than five points off a coveted Olympic quota place. Their hopes rested on putting down the skate of their lives in the Free Dance. After a positive start to their “Riverdance” routine, Firus wobbled on the duo’s Synchronised Twizzle Sequence and even though they skated well after that it was not enough to recover from the mistake. The three-time Irish champion dropped down one place to finish in ninth overall. Lithuania, Australia, Spain and China took the final four Olympic quota places.
“It was not the best day at the office, but I’m very proud of how far we have come this season,” Firus said. “We came very well trained for this event and, although it was not the result we wanted, it’s always an honour to represent Ireland at such a high level.”
“I am happy about how we handled ourselves out here,” Soucisse said. “We worked extremely hard to be ready for this event and, although there was a mistake in the Free Dance, we have no regrets. We are leaving Beijing extremely proud of ourselves and thank you to everyone who’s been supporting us.”
For Dillon Judge in the men’s event, it was always going to be a very tough ask to bag one of only five quota places in his category. He increased the technical difficulty in his Short Programme by adding in a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination which he fully rotated albeit with a hand down to save the landing. In the Free Skating, he began positively with a triple flip and two triple Lutz jumps (one in combination and one on its own) landed early on in his programme. Some errors did creep in as his four minutes on the ice progressed. Nevertheless, he still managed to post an ISU personal best for the Free (83.53 points) to add to the ISU personal best from the Short (50.20 points) in his debut event of the 2025/2026 season. The Men’s Olympic quota places went to an Individual Neutral Athlete, Mexico, South Korea, Ukraine and Chinese Taipei.
“I felt the competition went pretty well from a jumping perspective,” Judge said. “There were too many errors on spins which will obviously now be worked on for future competitions. I really enjoyed the experience and I handled the pressure well being in such a big venue. I was happy I landed the triple-triple for the first time trying it even though not with perfect GOE (Grade of Execution). It leaves us with space to work from and improve in the season.”
Judge’s goal over the coming months will be to attain the Combined Technical Minimum Score required to be eligible for selection to the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, United Kingdom in January. Soucisse and Firus already possess the scores necessary for that event, as well as for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czech Republic this coming March.
Videos
Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus – Rhythm Dance / Free Dance
Dillon Judge – Short Programme / Free Skating
Irish Figure Skaters Seeking First Ever Olympic Quota Place
Dillon Judge (Men’s Singles – Co. Down) and Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Ice Dance – Co. Wexford) have arrived in Beijing, China ahead of this weekend’s ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier 2025, the final opportunity for figure skaters to secure quota places for their nations at next February’s Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Soucisse and Firus are the first of the Irish in action when they take to the ice on Friday, 19 September for the Rhythm Dance and again on Sunday, 21 September for the Free Dance along with teams from 18 other countries vying for the four quota places on offer at Milano-Cortina. The three-time Irish champions made a promising start to the season last month at the International Ice Dance Dordrecht event in The Netherlands where they picked up a silver medal. They train with Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Toronto, Canada.
“We are feeling the most prepared we’ve ever been at this time of the season,” Soucisse said. “We have worked very hard and are proud of the training we’ve put in. We’re really looking forward to showing our new programmes!”
“We are super excited for this event and fully prepared,” Firus said. “We look forward to performing both programmes to the best of our abilities and to making history!”
Judge is making his season debut at China’s National Indoor Stadium on Saturday, 20 September in the Short Programme with the Free Skating on 21 September. The two-time Senior Irish champion is going up against 26 other athletes who will all be competing for one of the remaining five quota places for their countries. He is coached by Barbara Luoni in Bergamo, Italy.
“My goal is just to learn and take in the environment,” Judge said. “I go into this event with no pressure as it is my first competition of the season. I know if I’m calm and collected, I will do my best and that’s all I can hope for. I’ve trained better than ever and found a new level of motivation so I’m ready for this season to start.”
ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier 2025 will be streamed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.
Team Ireland Competition Schedule (Irish Time)
Friday, 19 September
05:15-07:55 Ice Dance Rhythm Dance
Saturday, 20 September
03:00-06:55 Men Short Programme
Sunday, 21 September
03:00-06:10 Ice Dance Free Dance
06:45-11:20 Men Free Skating
Three Irish Skaters Beijing Bound For Final Olympic Qualifier
The final opportunity for figure skaters to earn quota places for their countries at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games is the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier 2025 – Beijing to be held at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on 19-21 September 2025. Ireland will be represented by Dillon Judge (Men’s Singles) and Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Ice Dance).
Dillon Judge is a two-time Irish senior national champion. He is currently coached by Barbara Luoni at Ice Lab in Bergamo, Italy, an ISU Centre of Excellence.
Married couple Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus were the first Irish ice dance partnership to compete at European and World Championships in 2024. They are three-time Irish senior national champions and are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Toronto, Canada.
At the Beijing qualifier, countries seeking to earn quota places will have one entry in each event. There will be five quota places up for grabs in men’s singles and four in ice dance.
Provisional Schedule (Irish time – Subject to change)
Friday, 19 September
ICE DANCE – Rhythm Dance (Begins 04:30am)
Saturday, 20 September
MEN – Short Programme (Begins 03:00am)
Sunday, 21 September
ICE DANCE – Free Dance (Begins 03:00am)
MEN – Free Skating (Follows above)
Silver Season Start for Soucisse and Firus
Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) have opened the 2025/2026 season by taking a silver medal in the Senior Ice Dance event at the International Ice Dance Dordrecht in the Netherlands this weekend.
The three-time Irish champions performed two new routines for the first time internationally and it was a valuable opportunity to compete them for the first time and get feedback from the technical and judging panels. First up was the 1990s themed rhythm dance and Soucisse and Firus choice for the season is a New Kids on the Block medley. Their opening sequential twizzles were graded Level 3, a pattern type step sequence Level 1, as was their midline steps. They closed out with a Level 4 rotational lift and a choreographic rhythm sequence. Their score of 65.27 points put them in second place overnight.
The Irish ice dancers had debuted their “Riverdance” free dance at the end of last season at the Irish Championships. They commenced with a Level 3 dance spin, a choreographic slide and Level 1 one foot turns. Soucisse garnered Level 2 for the synchronised twizzles, while Firus obtained a Level 1 for the same element. Both parts of the straightline lift and rotational lift combination were Level 4, while a serpentine step sequence was Level 1 and a stationary lift Level 4. They wrapped things up with choreographic steps and assisted jump. They scored 94.81 points for the free which gave them a total of 160.08 points keeping them in second place in the final standings.
Farrell 18th At Cranberry Cup
In her competition debut representing Ireland, Julianna Farrell has finished 18th in the Junior Women’s event at the Cranberry Cup International in Norwood, United States of America.
The 2025 Irish Junior champion had a rocky start to her short programme when she fell on a planned triple Salchow combination and popped the proscribed loop jump into a single. She settled herself with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a nice double Axel and closed out with a Level 2 camel spin, a Level 1 step sequence and a Level 2 change combination spin. A score of 28.74 points had her in 21st place overnight.
Farrell skated in Warm-Up Group 1 of the free skating the following date and opened with a double Axek and a triple Salchow. The loop jump proved to be her nemesis again with a single on her first attempt and a fall on a triple. Aside from that, she had a much improved performance from her short with two clean jump combinations – a triple Salchow-double toe loop and a double Axel-double toe loop-double loop. She received Level 3 for a camel spin and Level 4 for both change foot combination spin and a flying sit spin. She amassed 68.37 points in the free for 17th in the segment and rose to 18th overall in the final standings with a total of 97.11 points.
Photo: Robin Ritoss
2025/2026 National Team Members Named
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland has selected the following athletes to represent Ireland in international competitions during the 2025/2026 season:
Figure Skating
Senior Men – Dillon Judge (County Antrim)
Senior Ice Dance – Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus (County Wexford)
Junior Women – Julianna Farrell (County Cork), Eeva O’Brien (County Wicklow)
Short Track Speed Skating
Senior Men – Sean McAnuff (County Antrim), Liam O’Brien (County Cavan)
Speed Skating
Junior Men – Thomas Steele (County Dublin)