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Open Water Swimming News from Ireland
Jane Hogan, respected teacher and prolific photographer who cherished swimming in the sea
Tributes have been paid to Galway teacher, photographer and open water swimmer Jane Hogan who died recently at the age of 77. As The Sunday Independent reports, Hogan, who was one of the Kenny Bookshop family, was a competitive swimmer…
A normally busy but deserted Forty Foot in Sandycove in June 2019 due to a temporary bathing ban resulting from a wastewater leak
More than half of Ireland’s bathing waters were affected by swimming bans this past summer, an investigation by Noteworthy has revealed. While four in five coastal and inland bathing spots were classed as excellent in 2022, that statistic runs counter…
Swim in Pink- Participants can “dip”,” swim” or “splash”, and will receive a free “Swim in Pink” cap on registering for €25
The National Breast Cancer Research Institute is calling on as many people as possible to “Swim in Pink” during October to help raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. The institute says that one in seven Irish women will…
Triathletes, masters and open water swimmers may benefit from a skills and training session which Swim Ireland is running
Triathletes, masters and open water swimmers may benefit from a skills and training session which Swim Ireland is running this weekend in the University of Limerick pool. The two-hour session will be held with one of Ireland's top performance coaches,…
Participants in a previous Frances Thornton memorial swim across Galway Bay
About 100 swimmers will set off this morning on the annual Galway Bay swim, one of the largest open water events of its type on the West Coast calendar. As Afloat reported previously, the swimmers will leave Aughinish on the…
The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat crew that rescued the sea swimmer included Coxswain Mark Gannon, Mechanic Stuart Russell, and crew members Ken Cashman, Donal Young, Denis Murphy, and Kieran Boyle
A sea swimmer in West Cork was rescued by an RNLI lifeboat crew in thick fog this morning.  The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat "Val Adnams" was called early this morning (Saturday, September 9th) by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine…
Wotjek Petasz completed his Galway Bay swim for Cancer Care West last weekend with safety boat support provided by Paddy Crowe of Inis Oírr, Páraic Conneely of Tigh Ned and Cáít Fieldman
The 2023 Galway Bay Swim, which has been postponed twice due to weather, is due to take place this Saturday (Sep 9). If conditions, permit, the fundraiser for Cancer Care West will set off from Aughinish on the Clare side…
Brendan Wall (left) and Ivan Chittenden
Ireland’s national governing body for triathlons says it did not sanction the swim event at the weekend in which two men died in separate incidents. Afloat.ie previously reported on the tragedies in Youghal on Sunday (20 August) during the Ironman…
Ironman Cork logo
RTÉ News reports that two men have died in separate incidents during the swimming portion of a triathlon in East Cork on Sunday morning (20 August). A man in his mid-60s and another man in his mid-40s were both pronounced…
Dun Laoghaire’s inshore lifeboat returns to the harbour after rescuing swimmers at nearby Dalkey Island on Dublin Bay
A group of swimmers were rescued by Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI this morning near Dalkey Island on Dublin Bay. The crew was on a training exercise in the station’s inshore lifeboat when they were alerted to an incident unfolding at Dalkey…
Prior warning - A Galway City Council notice at Grattan beach in Galway city, one of 36 tested swimming areas affected by heavy rainfall runoff and contamination
Bathers and open-water swimmers are urged to check swimming areas which are at risk of contamination due to recent heavy rainfall. A list of 36 beaches with “restrictions” has been published on the beaches.ie website, which also lists areas which…
File image of Roker Beach in Sunderland, England
Nearly 60 people fell ill after taking part in the swimming portion of events at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Sunderland at the weekend. As the Guardian reports, at least 57 triathletes out of some 2,000 who took part…
Barbara Conneely O’Brien aims to raise funds for the Aran lifeboat by swimming solo across Gregory’s Sound
A Connemara nurse aims to raise funds for the Aran lifeboat by swimming solo across Gregory’s Sound. As The Irish Independent reports, Barbara Conneely O’Brien, who is from a well-known Aran island fishing family, hopes to swim the three-kilometre tidal…
If you see somebody in trouble on the water or along the coast or think that they are in trouble, use Marine VHF Ch 16 or dial 112 and ask for the Coast Guard
To mark World Drowning Prevention Day, July 25, Water Safety Ireland, the Coast Guard and the RNLI are calling on people to “Do One Thing or Improve One Thing” to help prevent drownings. Participation in a wide variety of year-round…
Open Water Events Hosted by Swim Ireland
Open water swims off Enniscrone Pier, Co Sligo, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Rathmullen, Co Donegal, and Roscommon’s Lough Key are being hosted by Swim Ireland over the next two months. The Enniscrone Pier Swim on July 29th offers a “festival of…
Participants in the 2022 Frances Thornton Galway Bay Swim. The 2023 swim has been postponed due to weather
Weather has forced postponement of the Galway Bay sea swim which is one of the largest open water events on the west coast calendar. The 16th Frances Thornton memorial swim was due to have been held today (Sat, July 15),…