Solving by the Shannon 2023

The tables at St Munchins College filled early over the weekend of July 22 to July 23 as solving mats clicked and timers reset across two packed days of action. A total of 111 competitors gathered for Solving by the Shannon 2023, turning the venue along the river into a hive of activity. With 12 events scheduled across 19 rounds, the cubing competition carried a palpable sense of discovery as a massive wave of participants took to official tournament stations for the very first time in various disciplines.

The 2023 gathering in Limerick, Ireland showcased an influx of newcomers who expanded their competitive horizons across multiple formats. For dozens of solvers, this WCA competition marked the moment they moved from casual practice to navigating the strict scrutiny of official regulations. From standard twisting puzzles to complex rotational novelties, the event floor gave emerging talent a stage to measure their growth alongside seasoned veterans.

Ciarán Beahan delivered an extraordinary weekend across several core categories, taking five individual victories. In the headline 3x3x3 Cube, Beahan led a deep field of 109 entrants across three rounds of play, securing first place with an average of 8.02 seconds and a single of 6.99. Cillian Hainbach finished second with an 8.28 average, while Hungary's Gábor Slezák completed the podium at 8.57. Beahan's 3x3 results set the tone for the rest of his dominant run through the multi-layered schedule.

Beahan extended his reach through the larger puzzles and specialized events, earning top honours in the 4x4x4 Cube with a winning average of 27.31 seconds ahead of Slezák and Gergely Novotni. He then captured the 5x5x5 Cube in 43.93 seconds and took the 6x6x6 Cube with a mark of 1:16.37. Adding to his haul, Beahan secured the 3x3x3 One-Handed title with a decisive 12.85-second average, completing a demanding slate of speedcubing excellence across the two-day schedule.

Short-format speed cubing provided intense drama of its own. Kalin Doherty topped a field of 98 competitors in the 2x2x2 Cube, taking the title with a sub-two average of 1.97 seconds, finishing ahead of Enda Loftus at 2.43 and Lucas Patrick Dowling at 2.67. Loftus claimed his own silverware elsewhere, winning the Pyraminx with an average of 1.85 seconds and mastering the memorisation challenge of the 3x3x3 Blindfolded event to take first place in 1:26.05.

Away from the top steps of the podium, the deeper story of Solving by the Shannon 2023 unfolded in the remarkable progress made by under-the-radar competitors taking on extensive programmes. Donnacha Ryan logged massive personal bests across five events, dropping his Skewb mark to 7.17 seconds to improve by 58.3 percent, his 2x2x2 time to 2.73 for a 40.5 percent jump, and his classic Rubik's Cube time down to 16.05. Arabelle McCann entered seven events and slashed her 2x2x2 best by 61.1 percent down to 3.30 seconds, while Andrew Culligan cut his 3x3x3 One-Handed time by 37.5 percent to 27.84 and his 4x4x4 best by 32.9 percent to 1:19.98. Ronan Lane also dropped substantial time, setting a 2x2x2 mark of 2.68 seconds to go 48 percent faster.

Many other dedicated participants embraced entirely new challenges by logging their first official attempts in unfamiliar events. Oisín Mulkerrin tackled 11 events, securing 5th place in Megaminx while recording debut attempts in Clock at 20.49 seconds, Skewb at 7.21, and Pyraminx at 8.78. Charles Mac Alister took on all 12 events on the programme, finishing 9th in 3x3x3 Blindfolded with a debut single of 4:10.52 while also trying Square-1 and Clock for the first time. Kim Hackett contested eight events, posting a debut 5x5x5 time of 1:53.13 and finishing 9th in Square-1, while Laura McHugh took on five events and posted her first official attempts in 2x2x2, Pyraminx, and 4x4x4.

The remaining specialist disciplines rounded out the weekend with strong showings across the board. Cathal Burke captured the Skewb crown with an average of 3.40 seconds, William Carey won the Clock title with a 7.39 average, Rían Burke triumphed in Square-1 in 16.75 seconds, and Gergely Novotni led the Megaminx field with an average of 38.33. Across all events, host nation Ireland secured 26 podium spots, alongside seven for Hungary, two for India, and one for Ukraine.

As the final timers were packed away at St Munchins College, the weekend confirmed the rapid development taking place across the Irish competitive circuit. With debutants gaining vital tournament experience and experienced competitors setting sharp benchmarks, Solving by the Shannon 2023 delivered a memorable showcase of skill and growth that will resonate throughout the rest of the competitive season.