Swim England’s Silver
Swim School of the Year and Swim Teacher of the Year (Neil Ireland)
Swim England’s Silver
Swim School of the Year and Swim Teacher of the Year (Neil Ireland)
Neil is the principal teacher and founder of Daddy Shark Swim School – and in 2024, he was recognised as one of the best in the business, receiving Swim England’s Silver Swim Teacher Award!
A Swim England Level 2, STA Baby & Preschool, and Autism Swim certified swim teacher, Neil has always loved swimming and all things water-related, from scuba diving to kayaking. As a teenager, he swam competitively for Ormskirk Otters and City of Liverpool swimming clubs
Neil lives in Ormskirk with his wife, Emma, and their daughters, Erica and India.
Before founding Daddy Shark Swim School, Neil ran what his daughters fondly called “sweet shops” in Ormskirk and Liverpool. Several years ago, he and Emma sold the shops, quit their jobs, and took the girls on a year-long adventure across Europe in a motorhome. When they returned, Neil became a stay-at-home dad until both girls started school. At that point, he combined his natural connection with children and lifelong love of swimming to become a swim teacher – and so, Daddy Shark Swim School was born!
– Laura
– Kate
– William (age 5)
Wife to Neil, mum to Erica and India, Emma is mainly found behind the scenes managing the daily operations of Daddy Shark Swim School.
Emma has an MA in Philosophy from Cambridge University and spent many years practising as a solicitor/team leader before becoming full-time Mummy Shark some three years ago. As a Swim England Level 2 and STA Baby and Pre-school swim teacher, she’s qualified to teach babies and children of all ages and abilities to swim and is Autism Swim certified. She thoroughly loves her time in the water teaching.
Emma’s big passion is yoga and she has recently spent a month in Goa training to be a yoga teacher. She also enjoys going to the gym and setting herself challenges – the latest is London Marathon 2025!
“Dear Emma, I think you’re so good at managing Daddy Shark. You’re so organised and are great at attending to the details. I like how you write emails so clearly and considerately. What a super team you are!”
Alya
“I want to thank Neil and Emma, from the bottom of my heart… Firstly, Emma was so reassuring over messenger, even helping me pick the best costume from the array I’d purchased…”
Joanna
“The best swim school around!!!… I contacted Emma to find out more about Daddy Shark 1:1 lessons and she was so helpful, everything she said they offered has been delivered.”
Jennifer
“The trial lesson on offer is such a good idea and Emma was so helpful at the start of the lesson explaining how to keep my daughter warm in the water etc.”
Amy
Anna started her swim career as a lifeguard and is an STA certified swim teacher and baby and pre-school swim teacher.
Anna is a professional singer: The Golden Age Songbird. She specialises in Wartime, jazz and vintage tunes and has sang at a 100th, 105th and 108th birthday party!
Anna enjoys hiking, sewing and cross stitching.
She has a leapard gecko, Speckles.
“I have just seen Beth take a lesson and the progress of that student throughout the lesson was just amazing. So much so that I would consider a set of one on one lessons for us!”
Dennis
– Sam
Lynne is the newest member of our Daddy Shark Swim School teaching team, and we’re delighted to have her on board. With a lifelong passion for swimming — and as a parent whose daughter has been part of Daddy Shark for several years — Lynne was excited to join the team when the opportunity arose.
Outside the pool, Lynne works as a postie, bringing the same warmth and friendliness that she shares with our swimmers. In the water, she creates a calm and encouraging environment that helps children feel confident and proud of their progress.
Over the past few months, Lynne has been shadowing Neil and has already received wonderful feedback from families for her caring and supportive teaching style. This summer she achieved her Swim England Level 1 Swimming Assistant qualification, along with safeguarding training, and she is on track to complete her Level 2 Swim Teacher qualification by the end of September.
Lynne will continue to be mentored by Neil as she builds her experience, and we know she is going to be a fantastic teacher. She is passionate about celebrating every achievement in the pool — from the smallest kick to the biggest milestone.
Kate is a Swim England Level 2 and Autism Swim Certified Swim Teacher.
Kate made the decision to become a swim teacher in November 2023 after her son started having Stage 1 swimming lessons with Daddy Shark and she decided she would love to be a part of the team! Since that time her younger daughter has also started Parent and Child swimming lessons so it really is a family affair!
Kate enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and going on muddy dog walks with her two young children.
Kate is passionate about helping children to learn an essential and invaluable life skill.
Isaac is one of our fantastic swim teachers here at Daddy Shark Swim School. He has a strong background in swimming, having competed with Garston Swimming Club and for his school teams. His own experiences as a competitive swimmer have given him a real understanding of how swimming builds confidence, determination and joy in young people.
Alongside his swimming, Isaac is also a dedicated Muay Thai athlete, training and competing nationally. That same focus and discipline carries through into his teaching, where he loves supporting children to achieve their milestones in the pool.
Isaac studied Politics at the University of Leeds before joining Daddy Shark Swim School, but it’s here, working with children, that he’s found his true passion.
At home, Isaac is kept busy by his two cats, Herbie and Ninja, who provide plenty of entertainment and cuddles.
Grace is one of our brilliant swim teachers here at Daddy Shark Swim School. Grace has been swimming competitively since she was 11, training with Bolton Metro Swimming Club and making it to the regional finals for the 50m backstroke. Now, she swims competitively for Edge Hill University while studying Educational Psychology in her first year.
Her passion for working with children, especially those with SEND, shines through in her experience as a support worker and assistant for Bolton Council, where she provided personal care and support.
She’s been involved in swim teaching since she was 15, volunteering as an instructor before completing her official Swim England Level 2 swim teacher qualification.
During her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, Grace took on a new challenge, switching from swim training to triathlon training—because why stop at just one sport? She’s also worked at a kids’ summer camp, proving she’s just as brilliant on land as she is in the water.
Outside of work, Grace is a huge animal lover, sharing her home with two Cumbrian Cocker Spaniels, Bracken and Luna, and a cat named Belle.
Amy has worked in the leisure industry for over 20 years – from her early days as a swimming coordinator to taking the plunge and becoming a swimming teacher.
She’s taught everything from parent & baby classes to toddlers, school-age swimmers, children’s lifeguarding lessons, and lots of adults finding their confidence in the water.
Patient, encouraging, and brilliant at helping swimmers from the start of their swim journey all the way through to Swim England Gold awards, Amy’s made a difference to so many swimmers over the years that we think she’s right to be proud of her achievements – we know our little sharks really are in the safest of hands!
When she’s not in the pool, Amy loves travelling and sharing cosy evenings around the fire pit with her husband, teenage children and Golden Retriever, Roxi!
Joshua is one of our brilliant swim teachers at Daddy Shark Swim School. He has an outstanding sporting background, having swum nationally for City of Liverpool, specialising in breaststroke and butterfly sprints. Although he no longer competes, he still enjoys swimming regularly today.
Away from the pool, Joshua is equally dedicated to sport. He plays volleyball for John Moores University and competes nationally in karate as part of the England Squad, where he has achieved his black belt.
Alongside his sporting achievements, Joshua has also excelled academically, completing a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University.
At home, Joshua shares life with his much-loved pet tortoise, Scooby, who at 55 years old enjoys a well-deserved slow-and-steady pace of life.
We are proud to have Joshua on the Daddy Shark team. His combination of high-level swimming experience, multi-sport discipline and supportive teaching style makes him a fantastic role model for our swimmers.
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Daddy Shark Swim School is a trading name of Daddy Shark Ltd, Company Number 12635111.
