Avoiding the pool at all costs, we had a visit from cold water specialist, Finbarr Hedderman. Mr. Finbarr pronounced the 9.8c water “toasty” and enjoyed 40 minutes in the sunshine and very swimmable water. Open water swimming in Ireland in December can still be a pleasure! Unusually, though, we got to watch a surfer trying to catch the waves at the Dutchman rocks.
Damian, Finbarr and Bernard post-swim: Myrtleville, December 27, 2012
Myrtleville Christmas Swim 2012 – view from the waterline
Huge crowds on the beach on Christmas morning, swimming for various charities or just for their own sanity. More cars and people than on the busiest Summer’s day. Obviously the health of open water swimming in Ireland is going from strength to strength. Or maybe I’m reading too much into that…. Some swimmers lasted almost a minute in the water…..Thanks to Brian Barry for the pictures.
Myrtleville Christmas Swim 2012 – spot the Munster player…..
Eamon Griffin, Brian Barry, Paul Barry, Kieran & Padraig O’Flynn: intrepid swimmers all
Myrtleville Christmas Swim 2012: last few getting out
January 18th in The Edge Sports, Kinsale Road Commercial Park, Ned Denison will be sharing his considerable experience on Cold Water Swimming and Hypothermia. We’re lucky to have someone available in Cork with Ned’s background in open water swimming in Ireland and around the world , so this is one to go along for.
The timing will be interesting as more than 10 local swimmers will be headed to the cold water champions in London the next week, to compete in 3 to 5C waters…with several trying to join the International Ice Swimming Association by logging a 1 mile swim in an open air lido. Ned will cover:
Ned has also prepared presentation on hypothermia to give the real facts.
Contact Ned Denison to book or with any queries: ned.denison@corkopenwater.com.
Not the nicest of days for open water swimming in Ireland. Bernard reckoned there was a calm bit just beyond the wave breaks, so in we went. He was wrong. It got considerably rougher but great crack, though.
Spot the calm bit……Myrtleville Dec. 11, 2012
Some enterprising person – if not a bit disturbed – spray-painted “Edging Insanity” on the doors of the old boathouse at the top of the beach in Myrtleville a while back. It caught the eye – and the mood – of this group swimming on a November Friday:
Edging Insanity – Fiona Gough, Michelle Glossop-Smyth, Siobhan Russell, Rosaleen MacKeown, Ger Venner & Bonnie…
A good turn-out for 9.6 degrees in the water and 10 degrees on land. We couldn’t have asked for a better day for Lisa Cummins’ Turkey Swim in Myrtleville. Siobhan Russell had the foresight to bring a camera – thanks to her.
Bernard had organised mince pies and mulled wine afterwards – with the generous assistance of Jimmy Long, his daughter, Sheila and granddaughters. So, thanks to Centra Crosshaven for this festive touch and to Jimmy for faciliating us as always, blocking his roadway at the top of the beach!
Bernard, Jimmy Long & Damian outside Jimmy’s house
Mulled wine and mince pies at Myrtleville
One myth put to bed today was that Lisa never, ever, ever gets cold. While she didn’t actually shake so that she spilled her mulled wine, witnesses confirmed she did actually have a slight tremor in her hand after the swim. That’s a first…..
Lisa – definitely cold: we have witnesses
A great afternoon. Thanks to all who came along. The list from Lisa is:
Sun setting by 4.30 as the cold closes in – thought this looked good: couldn’t quite capture how red it was in real life. We are swimming Saturday mornings at 8am and a couple of afternoons about 4.00, if anyone is interested.
Myrtleville sunset – Winter swimming
Owen O’Keeffe, the Fermoy Fish, organised a great evening in the Grand Hotel Fermoy for Ned Denison’s annual celebration of marathon swimming in Cork and a combined event for the first time with the Irish Long Distance Swimmers Association (ILDSA) awards. Several Myrtleville regulars got honourable mention and Tom McCarthy was presented with an award for his Channel Relay swim this Summer. Thanks to Donal Buckley for the picture.
Ned Denison & Tom McCarthy – ILDSA Awards 2012
Myrtleville Turkey Swim – Dec 2, 2012
Liz Buckley & others are organising the 2012 Turkey Series. They have bowed to demand from the swimming public and scheduled a date for the jewel in Cork’s swimming crown….. see you at 13:30 on Myrtleville beach, Sunday, December 2. Be there early, as we’re expecting a huge crowd……maybe our local Lucky Duck, might make an appearance, to support fowl friends. No comments please about who is the biggest turkey.
From Liz:
Format is the same as always, €2 per entry, you can swim, walk, paddle. Proceeds all go towards the prizes at the end. More times you enter, the better your chances!
Bernard Lynch and James Slowey recorded a -1C air temperature for their latest Saturday morning swim, but had the benefit of catching this great sight of the ferry arriving in at sunrise….
We’re still swimming most Saturday mornings, so get in touch if you want to join in. It’s much warmer in the water than on land……a balmy 11.8C last Saturday.
James Slowey took this with cold hands! Ferry arriving past Myrtleville.
Myrtleville Swimmers 