Paddy Conaghan worked in tunnels in Thailand, Hong Kong, Denmark, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and every place from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

But he says his greatest achievement was driving and ducking 515 times at beaches clockwise around Ireland as he celebrated his 82nd birthday.

Paddy set off on his latest quest on 4 December, having previously faced the challenge of diving off as many piers as possible anti-clockwise around Ireland.

His first challenge raised over €100,000 for local counselling service Gemma’s Legacy of Hope. And his chosen charities this time include one close to his heart: the RNLI.

“I chose the RNLI because I am very familiar with the work they do in saving lives at sea,” Paddy said. “We have a lifeboat on Arranmore since 1883 that has saved many lives and I thought the RNLI would be a safe bet if I got into bother in my ventures around the coast. They also rely on fundraising by the public so I hope I can raise some money for them.”

Paddy was supported at every swim by people who turned out to swim with him, supplied him with food, towels and the odd bottle of whiskey to stave off the cold.

Owners of the Arranmore Blue Ferry, Seamus and Louise Boyle supplied him with a van and kitted it out with bedding and cooking appliances and Paddy chose to stay full-time in the van despite many offers of bed and breakfast. Paddy felt it added to the challenge to stay in the van, enduring temperatures of -2 degrees.

Prior to completing his final swim at Maghery beach in Donegal, Paddy was thinking of how this venture might end and came up with the idea of leaving his final swim for somebody else to start a similar challenge.

In Paddy’s own words: “I would really like somebody else to continue this challenge on a yearly basis, always leaving Maghery beach for the next challenger. I am so glad to have completed the circuit twice, it gave me a great sense of satisfaction to do something for the various charities, I wasn’t doing much else with my life.”

Nora Flanagan, Arranmore RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer spoke to Paddy on arrival back in Arranmore last Sunday 13 March and said: “Paddy is the most unassuming, modest man I have the pleasure to know.

“I asked him about his World Open Water Swimming Awards Man of the Year award, an award which celebrates individuals and offerings that embody the spirit of open-water swimming and have positively impacted the community, showcasing their determination, fortitude, sense of adventure, tenacity and perseverance, and he said he didn’t think he deserved it because many people swim in the sea. Yes they do, but not many would dive into the sea several times a day around Ireland in the middle of winter to raise funds for charity.

“The RNLI is a charitable institution which relies on people like Paddy to help keep the lifeboats afloat. Many people volunteer with the RNLI as crew, fundraisers and shore crew and together our one aim is to support the lifeboats to continue saving lives.

“I asked Paddy what he’s going to do now with time on his hands and all he said was, ‘I’m thinking’ and I have no doubt that he is.”

If you wish to donate to Paddy’s charities, visit his iDonate page HERE.

Carrybridge and Enniskillen RNLI were delighted to receive a donation of £1,625 from CrossFit Enniskillen following an eighth anniversary charity workout at their gym.

Over 60 members took part in the event on Saturday 4 February, including one of the Carrybridge crew, Garvan Duffy, in a challenging team workout that took over three hours to complete.

Workouts included completing two marathons on the exercise bikes and one marathon on the rowing machines.

The cheque was presented to Peter Scott from the Lough Erne Fundraising Branch for the Carrybridge and Enniskillen RNLI stations, on Lough Erne in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Scott, lifeboat operations manager at Carrybridge RNLI praised all those who took part in the workouts for all their hard work and dedication raising money for both lifeboat stations on Lough Erne.

“The funds raised are vital to the continuing work of the RNLI on Lough Erne, both at our Carrybridge and Enniskillen stations, and will assist with future lifesaving operations,” he said. “It was great to see the gym packed with people keen to see the work of the lifeboats on Lough Erne go from strength to strength.”

Like their counterparts in Northern Ireland, RNLI lifeboat teams across Ireland are looking for new fundraising volunteers to join their lifesaving crews.

In Dublin, Caroline Gibson is the secretary of the Dun Laoghaire RNLI fundraising branch, having first got involved two years ago when she returned home from England.

“My good friend Jenny Needham, who I have known since I was 14 and has been involved with Dun Laoghaire RNLI for years in various roles including as crew member and deputy launching authority, was the person who encouraged me to get involved,” Caroline says.

“When I returned home from Brighton in 2021 after 16 years away, I wanted to get involved in something local and found that I was attending my first fundraising meeting within a few months.

“I remember someone asking at that meeting if there was anyone willing to takes notes. I had a pen in my hand and waved and I have been the secretary ever since!”

Owning a boat herself, Caroline says she and her husband have a deep respect for the work of the RNLI. She finds her involvement with fundraising a rewarding way to contribute.

“At the end of an event, I get satisfaction from counting the money and seeing what we have been able to raise,” she says. “I also get the opportunity to work with a genuinely passionate group of people, some of whom are old hats and have great experience in running such well organised and planned events.

“As a boat owner, I have always had a deep respect for the RNLI and all that the volunteer crew do. I know from Jenny the level of commitment involved on a weekly basis between training and calls outs and I know they do it because they really want to.”

To find out more about how you can sign up to be a fundraising volunteer at one of the RNLI’s branches throughout Ireland, or to apply, visit rnli.org/OneCrewVolunteers.

Howth Yacht Club’s K25 Keelboat Squad have announced an upcoming fundraising dinner at the club on Friday 3 March to support their 2023 racing campaign in their beloved Kilcullen.

Guests will be treated to a star-studded evening, filled with delicious food, great company and a prize raffle, not to mention special guest speaker Enda O'Coineen — a long-time supporter of the squad, accomplished racing sailor and founder of the Atlantic Youth Trust.

Enda will share his experiences and insights on the sport of sailing, as well as his thoughts on the importance of supporting young sailors.

Tickets for the event at 7.30pm next Friday 3 March are €60 each and are available HERE.

Cyclists will once again ‘Lap the Lake’ to raise funds for Lough Derg RNLI on Saturday, 6 May.

Following on from last year’s successful event, in the 2023 edition participants can choose between a full 120km circuit of Lough Derg to and from Dromineer or a shorter 65km route just beyond Killaloe.

“The scenery along the way is unparalleled and gives participants a chance to appreciate the beauty of the River Shannon,” the organisers say.

Terrain-wise there is one big climb up Portroe Hill to challenge riders “but it is short and sweet and before you know it you will be flying down the other side”.

After a break in Portumna the route becomes undulating, providing plenty of small hills to keep riders working hard right up to the last kilometre.

Upon return to the lifeboat station at Lough Derg Yacht Club in Dromineer, participants can shower, relax and enjoy some food and well-earned drinks.

Event tickets are €65 per person (€50 for the shorter route) and include a goody bag. All funds raised will go to Lough Derg RNLI.

To find out more and to book your place among the riders this year, visit the Eventbrite page HERE.

Flying Fifteen sailor John MacAree was part of a major fundraising effort in aid of Wicklow RNLI by the members of Swim Smooth Ireland, who presented a cheque for more than €10,000 at the weekend.

The swimming club’s big charity swim took place on Saturday 10 December at the Killashee Hotel in Naas, where members swam 5km or 10km in the pool where they regularly train, as the Wicklow People reports.

Smooth Swim Ireland chose the Wicklow lifeboat as their fundraising recipient as Wicklow Harbour is a used for some of the members’ training during the summer months.

On Sunday morning (29 January) the lifeboat team said they were delighted to welcome Maxine Stain from Swim Smooth Ireland along with members of the swimming squad to present a cheque for €10,640 to Wicklow RNLI.

Karen Boyle of Wicklow RNLI’s fundraising branch accepted the donation on behalf of the RNLI — before some of the swimmers took the opportunity for a cold-water dip in the harbour.

NFU Mutual agents and staff in East Antrim recently nominated Larne RNLI to receive a donation of more than £3,000 from its national £1.92m Agency Giving Fund.

The leading rural insurer has launched this fund, now in its third year, to help local frontline charities across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Agency Giving Fund forms part of NFU Mutual’s £3.25m funding pledge for both local and national charities in 2022, to help tackle the ongoing effects of the pandemic and assist with recovery.

To ensure these donations reach all corners of the UK and are directed where they’re needed most, NFU Mutual’s agents, with over 295 offices nationwide, have been given the opportunity to nominate local charities to receive a share of the fund

Allan Dorman, Larne RNLI lifeboat operations manager said: “As the charity that saves lives at sea, we are very grateful for this generous donation which will help us continue to power our lifesaving work.

“The average annual training cost for each individual crew member is £1,400. The funds raised will enable us to kit out a volunteer crew member with the essential kit they need when they respond to their pager and prepare to go to someone’s need at sea.

“As a charity we are reliant on voluntary donations such as this to do our work, without which we would not be able to provide our 24/7, 365 days a year on call service.'

Richard Lee of NFU Mutual added: “We chose to nominate Larne RNLI as our chosen charity because here in County Antrim we have so much coastline and the RNLI is keeping our waters safe.

“They, like many others, have been hampered with fundraising activity due to the pandemic so to be able to make this donation was a no-brainer for us.

“To visit the station on their weekly training night and have the opportunity to see how our donation will be used was a great, interesting way to spend an evening!”

Following a two-year break due to the pandemic, Galway RNLI’s Sample Our Soup fundraiser will return to the streets of Galway on Saturday 11 February.

The fundraiser — which sees proceeds raised go towards powering the lifesaving work of the volunteer lifeboat crew — has gone from strength to strength over the years and continues to be one of the station’s favourite events enabling the team to get out and about to highlight their work and say thanks to those they meet for their ongoing support. Even Stormy Stan, the RNLI’s mascot, makes an appearance.

The heartwarming soup is prepared by Mark Hopkins, head Chef at The Seafood Bar at Kirwan’s Lane. Volunteers from Galway RNLI will be located outside Taaffes Bar on Shop Street from 11am on Saturday 11 February to serve the soup to Galway shoppers.

Annette Cullen, Galway RNLI volunteer lifeboat press officer said: “Without volunteers like those in our fundraising team and our lifeboat crew who selflessly give of their own time, our lifeboat couldn’t function and continue to be rescue ready.

“As a charity, we are reliant on the generosity of the public in supporting this work through fundraisers such as Sample Our Soup, so in advance of Saturday, we would like to say thank you.

“Thanks too to our sponsors Kirwans Lane, Raftery’s Centra Claregalway and Cater Rent Ballybrit Industrial Estate for their continued support of this event.”

This story has been updated to reflect the change in date for the event.

Tony Blair’s former spin doctor has bestowed an unusual honour upon the Port of Kinsale’s special Christmas tree.

Earlier this week, Alastair Campbell named the lobster pot creation by local fisherman Eamonn O’Neill has his ‘Unusual Tree of the Day’ on social media.

According to the Southern Star, O’Neill first installed the tree — comprising 170 lobster pots stacked 15ft high next to the harbour master’s office — a year ago, with the help of the local maritime community, to support Kinsale RNLI.

At the time, O’Neill said he was inspired by similar structures he’d seen while fishing along the west of Scotland.

This time around, as the Kinsale Advertiser reports, the lobster pot tree was dedicated to raising funds for The Well Project, which unites three local charities related to mental health and wellbeing.

And there may still be time for those in the area to make a donation and guess the number of pots in the tree for some fantastic prizes.

Campbell currently co-hosts the podcast The Rest is Politics with former Conservative MP Rory Stewart.

Following a two-year break, Arklow RNLI’s Hurry to the Curry fundraiser returns on Friday 27 January at the Arklow Bay Hotel from 8pm.

Also known as Dan’s Lifeboat Special, the event has gone from strength to strength and continues to be one of the most enjoyable and well supported nights out in the events calendar, the lifeboat station says.

Culinary masterpieces prepared by Anne and her team of volunteers range from hot curry dishes and a wonderful array of fresh sea food — prawns, lobster, crab, monkfish and salmon— to cold-meat platters, vegetarian dishes and salads of all kinds.

Advice is to come to the bash good and hungry: “It’s the best value meal you’ll have had since [the last] event and quite simply the best craic to be had on the east coast.”

There are spot prizes galore and some lovely raffle and auction items. Music will be provided by the Joe Dolan Experience followed by a DJ till late. There might even be some special guests.

Arklow RNLI’s crew are pulling out all the stops to ensure a magical night is had by all. Lifeboat press officer Mark Corcoran says: “Without volunteers like our fundraising team and our lifeboat crew who still to this day give of their own time, our lifeboat couldn’t function and continue to be rescue ready. We would love to see everybody at the Arklow Bay Hotel on Friday 27 January.”

Tickets are €20 and are available from the Arklow Bay Hotel and Arklow RNLI Fundraising committee members, or you can email [email protected]