Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Swim, July 29th

From Ray “The Lovely” McArdle (don’t ask – he insists 🙂 )

The 7th Annual Courtmacsherry Lifeboat Swim takes place at Blind Strand, near the picturesque fishing village of Courtmacsherry at noon on Saturday, July 29th. Courtmacsherry is a 45 minute drive from the Bandon Road roundabout.  The swim will be well sign posted from the village.  Please leave plenty of time for parking and registration. The safety briefing will take place at 11.15am.

The swim course starts on the beach at Blind Strand and proceeds anti-clockwise around 2 markers. 

Participants can choose between 1 lap (1.5K) or 2 laps(3K). Swimmers who elect to do 2 laps will run/walk a short distance on the beach prior to starting lap 2. 

The Courtmacsherry volunteers will provide soup and sandwiches for all participants and volunteers.  This year I’m delighted that IT@Cork Skillnet will once again be our main sponsor, providing the first 150 swimmers registered with a generous goody bag.  Really nice gifts inside each one.

Registration this year is again via Active. Click here to enter.

Registration closes on Thursday, July 27th.  Entry fee is €15 online.  If the event maximum of 150 swimmers is not met, I will accept some entries on the day.  On the day fee will be €25 and all proceeds go to the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.  Swim Ireland membership is not mandatory for this swim. 

If you know of anyone who would like to volunteer to kayak, please have them contact me directly.

Any further updates will be posted on the event web page and emailed to those registered.

I look forward to seeing you for a fun swim on July 29th.

Ray “The Lovely” McArdle (I’m telling ya – he insists).

The Towel – bringing colour to grey lives

Many are the lives which have been immeasurably gladdened by the Hat and, of course, the Towel.  The latest two lucky beneficiaries were Rob Bohane and Ned Denison.  Tired of their grey, goat-ridden existences they strove manfully to break free and join the happy world of the Myrtlevillians.  At first, they were fist-pumpingly delighted with just white. Anything but grey, like their drab T-shirts.

And then one simple reverse and…..joy!  Delight unconfined!  Colour!!

Myrtleville Swimmers.  Spreading happiness and light wherever we go 🙂

Welcome to the bright side, Rob & Ned.

AED Update

Thanks to Glen Barton for getting the AED reinstated in a temporary cabinet and looking into the purchase of a new heated cabinet – subject to being able to connect to a power supply. In the current cabinet, there is no key or code required. Once opened, an audible alarm will sound to act as a deterrent to undesirables.

Right of Reply

Ms. Ann Smyth has demanded a right of reply to my Ode and herewith same:

I’m sorry Damian you were right

I think your ode is a load of shite 😂😂

So here is one that I have done

I thought it sounded rather fun

Here’s a bit of Cockney rhyming slang

Why don’t you come to Myrtleville to meet the selkie gang?

They’re a team attempting to swim the channel

It would’ve been easier going through the tunnel

Harry is the first one up

He should be as he’s the pup

Second is the one called Laurence

He really can churn up a torrent

Now along comes dear John Kiely

Dare I say it he’s always smiley.

Then comes short arse Smyth

“Hurry up”, “Oh fuck all this”

Now comes stealth bomber Sisk

She won’t take any risks

Oh look who’s coming up the rear

Watson – shit, she’s only one good ear

That’s the team, the Selkie Six

After the channel – we’ll be in bits

Published poet, Ann Smyth, composing and being inspired by fellow Selkie, Brenda Sisk(y) while Smiley Kiely looks on.  Frank Hallissey is just photobombing.

Entries open for rescheduled RNLI Swim – July 13th

Entries are now open for the rescheduled RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay Swim on Thursday, July 13th at 7.00 PM.

All entries for June 10th have been carried over.   No need to enter again.  If you can’t take part on the rescheduled date, it would be great if you could let us know – just for organisational purposes.  The RNLI thanks you for your donation, which will be used to save lives at sea  🙂

New entrants, please go to Active and enter here.

The Selkies – an Ode

Poetry is hard to write.  While the Selkies and their non-stop hard work, dedication, abstinence and laser-like focus are undoubtedly poetically inspirational, it’s still fierce hard to rhyme words.  

With apologies to everyone involved  – especially to anyone who wastes a minute of their life reading this – herewith is my all-new, rhymically-challenged, Ode to the Selkies.

If you meet a Selkie down beside the sea
You may not know which one is which, so just enquir(e)y

You can make a start and ask if the name is Harry
Failing that, move right on and try out Laurence (Larry)

If no is still the answer, keep pressing on
Maybe think outside the box and ask is it Watson

If you still haven’t got it, it might be a Kiely
Check for a ‘tache – and he’s often quite smiley

The fifth chance to try is could it be Ann Smyth
If it as and you ask her she’ll say this ode is shit(h)

You’ll never catch the last one as she’s very, very frisky
It’s very hard to pin her down, that one called Brenda Sisk(y)

I promised Bernard Lynch I wouldn’t disgrace everyone in Myrtleville again after my Ballad of Gordon Adair effort.  Sorry about that, Bernard.

Selkies, Open Water Swimming in Cork, Ireland

One of the many ode-inspiring images of some of the hard working, focused Selkies.