Monday Nights are back!

Posted on March 31, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

A good crowd last night considering the near gale – but it was Westerly so we had lots of shelter. A few people discovered it’s a bit harder to swim back into the gale than out with it, though 🙂

Water around 9c so it’s definitely got a bit warmer. Bunny Swims this weekend – 07.00 on Good Friday and 08.15 on Saturday, as usual.

Open water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland.

Some of the first Monday night group. Lots of black and some pink (but not Carmen – she’s in Violet).

Rory Coughlan – down for his second swim in Myrtleville and Breda ‘it’s very hard swimming into that wind’ Maguire.

Gary Frost attempts a photo bomb on the Twomey family portrait but he’s just too far away.

Monday nights and Safe Swimming: Always.

Posted on March 30, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

They’re back! With the sea temperature around 9℃ and the forecast for a bit of WSW wind, tonight at 6.00pm is the first Myrtleville Monday evening swim of 2015. Last year we had nights where between 5.00pm and 7.30pm over 200 swimmers took to the water.

Sea swimming is fantastic, but let’s just have a quick reminder that safe swimming is what it is all about. Never take a chance in the sea.

Each individual swimmer is responsible for their own safety.

We all swim at our own risk.

Monday nights have become so popular because they give an opportunity to swim with others. That’s great, but don’t make the mistake of swimming too far from the beach just to stay with a group. Even in a group don’t go too far out to sea – stay inside (well inside) the line between the Dutchman Rocks and Bunnyconnellan. You don’t ever need to be more than 100m out from the coast – and less is better.

Plan your swim. Go only as far as you can comfortably go, while remembering always that you have to get back to where you started. There’s no point swimming 750m to the Dutchman and then struggling back, or needing help. That’s not only pointless, but dangerous. Why not swim 50m or 100m from the beach, then swim back? If you feel good, do it again – as often as you want to and in complete safety.

There are always swimmers looking to do shorter distances – just speak up: ask what people are doing, see if it suits you and only do what you can accomplish safely. Over time, you can build up to longer distances, if that is what you want to do. Be Safe – Always.

Now’s a good time to read for the first time or remind yourself of some very good advice on safe swimming in Myrtleville.

Swim at your own risk.

D’Eclipse – de video and d’outtakes.

Posted on March 27, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Congratulations once again to the fabulous film-making team of Condon and Sheehy. The Eclipse video is excellent.

Anne does a great job of taking the raw materials from Denis and producing smooth, slick videos. Of course, it’s not always that straightforward in the creative process. There may be the odd bump in the path when people don’t do what’s wanted when the director wants it done. Director Denis is not always happy – especially when he has to count the actors in again.

In this next one – something’s happening or at least Denis tells us it is. Just don’t follow Pat – Denis won’t like that. Oh, speaking of Pat….we can hear what you were saying to our Siobhan on this video, Mr. Lowry. She can sing if she wants to sing and don’t you be a bully boy telling her to sing So Low. You leave our Siobhan alone – you brat. Voice of an angel, she has, an angel 😉

Great work Anne – nobody need ever know how much you had to cover up with Bonnie’s singing.

Munster OWS calendar 2015

Posted on March 26, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Thanks to Finbarr Hedderman, the first draft of the 2015 Open Water Swim calendar is now available here.

The highlight, of course, is the RNLI Myrtleville to Church Bay swim on July 4 😊 but there are lots of other great events to plan for.

Peace breaks out – HARCON PLC goes public.

Posted on March 23, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

In breaking business, legal and sporting news this column can exclusively reveal that the feuding empires of the Condon and Harris Shower companies have let business logic come to the fore and have joined forces as HARCON Plc. This new entity will combine the polished, established credentials of the Harris Shower company with the guerilla marketing tactics of the younger upstarts in Condon Showers, to seek world domination of the post-OW swim shower market. All ongoing legal actions between the two companies worldwide have been dropped.

Chairman and CEO of HARCON Plc on a corporate day out to celebrate the new company.

Speaking at the company launch, Mike Harris (Chairman), commented that combining the first three letters of each of the existing company names to create HARCON seemed the perfect naming solution. Mr. Harris noted that they had considered the first three letters of his name and the last three of Mr. Condon’s. However, it was felt that HARDON Plc could potentially have some negative connotations. Given that same was also anatomically impossible after a cold water swim this might open the door to misinterpretation by customers – with potential legal challenges. “And we’ve had enough of those”, said Mr. Harris, wryly.

New promotional shot of the HARCON Shower in use.

This is a good-news business story for all concerned – except the customers, as shower prices have now been doubled. “Monopoly?”, CEO Condon was quoted as saying, “I haven’t played that for years. ”

Delighted that all the issues are resolved, Chairman of HARCON Plc, Mr. Mike Harris, made his way to the mecca of OW swimming and gave thanks.

Audience with Eilis – de pictures.

Posted on March 20, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Thanks very much to Eilis Burns for an excellent talk last night. Those who didn’t know her got an insight into why she’s the best coach around and those who did know her still learned something new – or got told they couldn’t swim, like Bernard.

Eilis with the audience fully engaged! Thanks also to Yvonne for tech support.

Eilis & swim model Cashell show how it’s done.

Eilis refused any money for the night but insisted on a T-Shirt – ‘priceless’, she said.

Bernard Lynch looking delighted to have found a new master salesperson in Ros O’Brien. Ros is now in charge of all T-Shirt sales!

Pat Higgins and Tom Bermingham – sorted for the Summer with new T-Shirts.

Some similarities in fashion sense beginning to emerge.

Unusual one of Siobhan in front of the camera – with Breda Maguire and Barbara-Anne Richardson.

What did I learn tonight…?

Audience with Eilis – tonight 7.30.

Posted on March 19, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

The venue is the Coastguard Station in Crosshaven. If you don’t know where it is, it’s opposite the entrance to the RCYC on the way in to Crosshaven or view it on Google Maps on this link:

Location: http://bit.ly/1wZM7p0

Don’t be late for this woman – even if she is 🙂

In praise of LSD.

Posted on March 17, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

I get asked sometimes where I come up with the stuff that appears on this site – the less sane stuff, rather than the public service announcements. I’m not a bit shy about it – all the strange things that occur to me and get posted here are from when I’m on LSD.

Some people swear by Speed to get the blood pumping and creative juices flowing. Ned Denison, for instance, is a Speed Freak of the highest order. When I try Speed, I just lose the run of myself and flail around like a lunatic chicken. So, I stick with LSD – it’s calmer, less frenetic but still gets you there.

I find LSD takes me out of my normal setting and allows my thoughts to wander. Here’s me physically in the Carrigaline pool, but this is how I see myself in my head….

I can’t wait for the Summer – getting out in the open is better for LSD.

Sometimes, really strange thoughts do intrude. Ooooooh. Bad trip.

Overall, though, I have to say – LSD: I’d recommend it to anyone.

When One becomes Many.

Posted on March 16, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

The Fourth Aphorism of the Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians tells us that The One becomes Many. The Unity becomes Diversity. The Identical becomes Variety. Yet the Many remains One; the Diversity remains Unity; and the Variety remains Identical. Despite years of study, I didn’t have a notion what that meant, until it all became clear to me when I saw the pictures from the weekend. There was One… …..who became Many….. …..but still, as we say in Cork….there’s always one…. Gordon’s friend, Wilson, above is courtesy of Kieran Murphy. Another deep thinker, like myself.

And now…..from the people who brought you Turkey….it’s BUNNY Swims!

Posted on March 12, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

From Carol Cashell and Angela Harris:

To welcome the change of season to Spring and daylight saving, we are proposing a mini series of swims over Easter Weekend. The Idea is similar to the Turkey Swims, it’s all about the craic (and Cake)!. No payment, No prizes, just times to add to your Diaries that we can have groups swimming. The Sandycove times are from the schedule and Myrtleville swim 08:15 every Sat and 18:00 every Monday (from Easter).

In BOLD I have ‘Bunny Times’ where we will try and get a good group to swim together and have a chat (maybe no cake on Friday!, but other days will be fine) I have also listed other times if people can’t make a Bunny Swim Time. (There is a good chance to catch the sunrise on Good Friday @ 7am!.)

So pick what suits you, hopefully weather will behave and it’ll be inviting enough to get people back in the sea after winter hibernation, and the seasoned winter swimmers will have company for a change.

Remember, if this is your first weekend back, be smart, don’t stay in too long, swim with someone for company, and wrap up warm afterwards. This weekend schedule is all about starting to reacclimatise and the social catch-up!

EASTER WEEKEND	LOCATION	BUNNY TIME	Other Swim Times
FRI 3RD APR	MYRTLEVILLE	07:00	SC – 16:30
SAT 4TH APR	MYRTLEVILLE	08:15	SC – 17:00
SUN 5TH APR	SANDYCOVE	17:30	MV – 12:00
MON 6TH APR	SANDYCOVE	18:00	MV – 18:00

Suggested garb for swims.

Myrtleville Swimmers

Open Water – Sea Swimming in Cork, Ireland

Monthly Archives: March 2015