Longest Day Swim Returns to River Corrib this Weekend

29th June 2022

Lorna Siggins

The River Corrib Longest Day Swim route. The swim returns to Co Galway on July 2, 2022

The River Corrib Longest Day Swim returns to Co Galway on July 2, 2022. Credit: Galway Swimming Club/Facebook

The “Longest Day Swim” on Galway’s river Corrib takes place this Saturday after a two–year break due to Covid-19.

North American Olympic gold medallist Joseph “Gunnar” Bentz has been invited to lead the event on July 2nd.

Bentz won two gold and two bronze medals at the FINA World Junior swimming championships, and holds silver and bronze medals from the Pan American Games.

Two courses – four km and 2.5km – have been set from Glenlo Abbey and Dangan, with both finishing at Steamer’s quay, Woodquay, in Galway city.

Galway Swimming Club (GSC) is hosting the event, with funds going to the young people’s mental health charity, Jigsaw.

The timed river swim is open to competent open water swimmers who must be over 18, and must be members of Swim Ireland for insurance purposes.

. “We’re delighted to bring back the Longest Day Swim and to promote the physical and mental health benefits of swimming,” GSC chairman Mark Gibbs has said.

“I’m particularly happy to welcome Jigsaw on board as our charity of choice this year.”

Places are said to be “filling up fast” and more details are here

Published in Sea Swim, Galway Harbour

Published in Sea Swim

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About The Author

Lorna Siggins

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Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award

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