Endurance swimmer Daragh Morgan received a warrior's welcome at Galway docks on Saturday evening when he marked completion of his solo circumnavigation of the island of Ireland.
Flares were lit, horns hooted and music played as a flotilla led by Galway Hooker Naomh Crónán escorted the swimmer through the dock gates before sundown on a high tide.
Galway RNLI inshore lifeboat was among the welcoming fleet, as Morgan held a Tricolour on the bow of the 13-metre (43-foot) Naomh Crónán skippered by Dara Bailey.
The 27-year-old from Dunmore East, Co Waterford is the first to have completed a tidal-assisted stage solo swim, spending five months on the 1,468km course.
Endurance swimmer Daragh Morgan received a hero's welcome at Galway docks on Saturday evening after completing his solo swim around the island of Ireland. A flotilla led by Galway Hooker Naomh Crónán, along with a welcoming team from Galway RNLI, escorted him as he proudly held a Tricolour. The 27-year-old from Dunmore East completed the daunting 1,468km journey in five months, logging 338 hours in the water and averaging 15 kilometres per day. His incredible achievement has raised over 28,000 euro for the RNLI and Simon.
It comes three years after the late Army Ranger Henry O’Donnell completed a fin swim around the island of Ireland.
Morgan had set a target of four months and finished in five, with 99 swims in all over 93 days, spending 338 hours in total in the water.
He covered an average of 15 kilometres per day, swimming for four hours, and logging his course on a watch linked to a satellite tracker.
Round Ireland Swimmer Returns to Galway Photo Gallery by Joe O'Shaughnessy
Apart from water temperatures that dropped to 7 degrees Celsius for his last swims off Co Clare earlier this week, he endured many jellyfish stings.
He encountered Lion’s Mane and Mauve stingers during the summer months, and sustained severe chafing, and multiple injuries.
Logistics were provided by a team led by skipper and navigator Dara Bailey of Badóirí an Cladaigh, the traditional boat restoration group involving Peter Connolly, brother of President Catherine Connolly.
“Without Dara, none of this would have been possible,” Morgan has said in tribute to Bailey and a group of volunteers.
He has also credited many communities, including fishing families, who provided support.
The Swim Éire project has raised over 28,000 euro for the RNLI and Simon.
Listen to the Wavelengths podcast with Daragh Morgan and Dara Bailey as he approaches the finish of the circumnavigation here
