RNLI swim on July 4 – keep those entries coming!

Posted on June 24, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Several people have mentioned the “must get around to putting in their entry”: Get it done here: RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay Swim 2015

A few more nice pictures from Howard Crowdy from the 2010 event.

Lizzie Lee from Bishopstown and Ivan Kelleher from Friars Walk pictured at the start of the Myrteville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim (pic Howard Crowdy)

Lizzie Lee from Bishopstown and Ivan Kelleher from Friars Walk pictured at the start of the Myrtleville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim.
(pic Howard Crowdy)

Dipping their feet into the ocean at the start of the Myrteville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim were Chris Mintern, Fermoy with Trevor Woods, Ballincollig and Padraig Maguire from Douglas (pic Howard Crowdy)

Dipping their feet into the ocean at the start of the Myrtleville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim were Chris Mintern, Fermoy with Trevor Woods, Ballincollig and Padraig Maguire from Douglas
(pic Howard Crowdy)

Carol Cashel adjusts Sean O'Farrell's swimming cap at the start of the Myrteville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim (pic Howard Crowdy)

Carol Cashell adjusts Sean O’Farrell’s swimming cap at the start of the Myrtleville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim.
(pic Howard Crowdy)

Garnish – great, as ever.

Posted on June 22, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Another lovely day out for swimmers in Glengarriff on Saturday. It’s getting to be an expectation of glorious weather each year at this stage! It’s a beautiful place to swim and a great place for a night out in the Summer.

Siobhan Russell did her usual fantastic job capturing the atmosphere. She was even in the water early in the day, checking it out for camera angles with Maria and Marion.

Very nice to see a splash of Myrtleville T-Shirts and hats throughout the day. Audrey and Brenda were so put out with Ruth for not wearing hers that there was a bit of a debate about whether they’d let her hang around with them 🙂

Orla Houlihan, Maeve Mulcahy, Bernard Lynch, Carol Cashell and Trevor Malone. You’re in with some speedsters there, Maeve!

Tomás came back from Copenhagen for the swim – but may have wished he hadn’t.

While others got their numbers and prepared themselves mentally and physically for the task, that guy I’ve been warning about who’s often loitering in Myrtleville had followed the crowds West and was on another recruitment drive – “Why go in there? Come in here with me…..I will tell you about “fresh” water….we have camps….join me, join me.”

Unfortunately, there are always stragglers on the periphery of the herd who can be enticed away from safety. Where, oh where, was brother Pat to protect poor Eoin?

Those who escaped the North Kork clutches moved on to the pier, to get ready to swim. Siobhan got in front of the lens with one of her heroes, Mr. Redmond.

Mr. Elliot set the high sartorial standards for the kayakers.

Agnieszka, James and Gary – getting ready for the 5km. Smiles everywhere.

Well, smiles almost everywhere. Siobhan captured a lovely shot of Angela Harris as she spotted what her dad was wearing. Even Orla was shocked. Love the hat, Mr. Harris. Ciaran O’Connor also eyes it up. They’re in Centra, Crosshaven, Ciaran!

Anne Sheehy modelled the T-Shirt and Hat combo – as well as the eye of the tiger: focused on the swim at this stage.

And finally to some actual swimming! There were great personal achievements for loads of Myrtlevillians right through the field with first-time 3k, 5k and 7k swimmers. Well done to everyone who swam and to Ossi and Imelda for organisation.

Trevor Malone swam a little 4km in Myrtleville on Saturday morning with Eddie Irwin and Jim Shalloo, then travelled down with Bernard Lynch on Saturday evening and was the fastest around the 7km. He was so fast (1hr 34 mins) that a kayaker told him he’d miscounted and to head off on his third lap. Trevor’s reply was to the point, shall we say. He did a great job considering that Angela – still a bit peeved about Dad’s hat – actually pointed him on to rocks and steered her kayak in front of him. Ah, Angela.

All the same, I reckon Brenda and Marie would have taken Trevor if they didn’t keep stopping for pictures. Proper Gaddin’ About, ladies 🙂

Entries for our own swim on July 4th started to come in on Saturday evening from swimmers on a high and using the Garnish outing as their qualifier! If you’re not entered, do it now – RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay 2015 Entry form.

Mistaken Identity at the 2011 swim.

Posted on June 12, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Get your entries in for the sixth annual RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay swim on July 4, 2015.

You never know, you might get your picture taken – but perhaps not the right name in the Echo. You can’t always rely on d’Echo to recognise even famous mariners like Cpt. Tom McCarthy!

ECHO SPORT – Mick Harris arrives on shore after his 2k Open Water Swin from Fort Camden to the RNLI station in Crosshaven (pic Howard Crowdy)

It’s easy to get confused, though. Here’s one of Mr. Harris – or another famous bearded man – with the winners in 2011. The girl in the wetsuit looks familiar and who did that young guy grow up to be?

Get your entry for July 4, 2015 in here.

Entry form completion – some guidance.

Posted on June 5, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

As the entries come in for the RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay swim on July 4, 2015, it’s noticeable that some swimmers either don’t understand the seriousness of the qualifying swim requirements or are simply trying to trade on past glories. A sample of the – failed – submissions under qualifying swims are as follows:

Qualifying Swims:

20ft paddle in the kids pool in Leisure World May 2013
Plenty
Would you like to see my world rankings for 1500m… will that count 🙂
10 laps of San Francisco Bay (I swear !!)
Managed it last year
Lots (this from the man who in 2014 said: Just lots, more than you can imagine)
Swam in the pool at Source with Bernard

Of course, none of these attempted entries passed scrutiny. Lads (and Lassies – ye’re no better) – there’ll be no living in the past now. The Myrtleville Is Not A Club Annual Best Swim In The World Entry Validation Sub-Committee (or MINACABSITWEVSC for short) won’t stand for this kind of flippancy and blatant flouting of the rules.

Either do the required qualifying swims – in 2015, mind – or entries just won’t be accepted. ‘Tis a disappointment, really. I’d expect it from the fella below, but the rest of ye? Sure, you can’t be doin’ that lads.

Proper entries to be submitted here!

Is it Bulman or Bullman?

Posted on June 2, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Sometimes trying to piece together what happened at swims from the pictures taken, can get a little confusing. I thought the spelling was Bulman, but then wasn’t sure if it was Bullman or Bull Man. Siobhan Russell did her usual fantastic job and by all accounts, it was a great event. That wasn’t where my problems lay – it was in the extra pictures I found referring to bulls and swims. Anyway, I worked out the order and what was happening in the pictures – I think.

Firstly, Finbarr reconfirmed his Myrtlevillian credentials and introduced his family.

Open water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland.

Finbarr and his gang from Myrtleville. Myrtlevillians Abú, says the Big Man.

From comments on the web, it seems Ned Denison was being unusually lenient in allowing last-minute entrants. The arrival of a large group of same was spotted by Finbarr.

It’s fair to say that there was some concern on the faces of other swimmers when they realised that the new group was being allowed to enter.

Representations were made to Ned by Gary and Landy, but Ned felt he couldn’t turn down the late-comers – although he was a bit dubious about it as he eyed them up.

It’s from here on that the pictures and Bulman vs. Bullman confusion caught me out. I think the shot of the start below confirms the late entrants just took over and it’s Bullman and not Bulman. That’s definitely Rob Bohane leading out – sure, who else?

Safety cover from Tom was superb as always – although it’s a different boat to usual. Lots of drafting going on too.

Hope I pieced this together properly. Here’s a few more nice shots from the day – in no particular order.

Play GTA the OWS way

Posted on May 30, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

As we tick down to just five weeks to go to the RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay swim on July 4, 2015, we’re going back to 2011 for the always popular OWS GTA (Guess The Ass) competition! Go on, guess, who could it be?

Competition entries on an e-postcard or interweb wire-telefax thing to thebigman@skulltogsrule.com.

Actual entries – i.e. to get your ass entered for 2015 – can be submitted here.

Mystery man makes a splash as he enters the water at the start of the RNLI 2k Open Water Swim in Crosshaven in 2011 (pic Howard Crowdy)

Paddling in the Park.

Posted on May 25, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Finbarr Hedderman’s Paddle in the Park went off really well on Friday night. Great idea to make use of the river closer in to the city.

Don’t forget the next event – the Bulman swim, this Saturday, May 30th. Click here for entry details. It’s another qualifying swim for the RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay swim on July 4th!

Opem water, sea swimming in Cork, Ireland.

Marie Watson follows up her first Fountaintstown-Myrtleville 2km with an evening at the Paddle in the Park.

Kieran Murphy and Audrey Burkley – always so dour: never a smile out of them.

The Hat makes people smile! Brenda Sisk at the Paddle in the Park.

Smiles all round on Friday night. Well, nearly….

Angela – such an inscrutable face. So hard to tell what might she be thinking. (Back off now, Gordon, now, now….)

On Saturday, Gary Frost had great plans and organised a 2km or 4km swim. Really, he organised everything and rounded up the crowds. Didn’t quite go to plan.

Gary’s crowds…..not even a Gary.

It could be that he got lost. Some places are very hard to find. Gary recently drove all over Crosshaven without seeing this small little place.

Get entered for The Bulman swim.

RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay: July 4, 2015: Six weeks to go.

Posted on May 22, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Six weeks to go to the sixth running of the RNLI Myrtleville – Church Bay Swim. Don’t miss this event. Get swimming and entering.

In the earlier days of the event, there wasn’t a clear distinction between Administration staff and Competitors.

B. Lynch would give the safety briefing, then run to the nearest phone box (tough going from Myrtleville, to be fair) and change in to his superman Orca costume. Ta Da!!

Crosshaven swimmers Bernard Lynch, Brian O’Connell, Caroline Fagan and Jane O’Connell all set for the Myrtleville to Church Bay RNLI Sea Swim 2010 (pic Howard Crowdy)

This is great, isn’t it? Pictures of Bernard in a wetsuit! Whooda Thunkit?

Get swimming and entering for the 2015 event. Not to be missed.

Paddle in the Park 2015 tomorrow – Friday 7pm: Lee Fields

Posted on May 21, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Online entries close tonight but Finbarr Hedderman will take entries on the night.

Forecast is good so, get your entries in now. There are 1km and 2km options.

Entry is just €12, for Cork Lions Club.

Get out there tomorrow night to get the Open Water Season started, support a great cause AND get your qualifying swim done for the RNLI Myrtleville to Church Bay Swim!

RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay: July 4, 2015: Seven weeks to go

Posted on May 17, 2015 by myrtlevilleswimmers

Seven weeks to go. Don’t miss this event. Get swimming and entering.

In 2011, the swim was moved to Camden, due to unfavourable weather at Myrtleville. Judging on the picture below, they bashed down the metal fences to get in there – although that could have been done by Micky, Kenneth or Roy, I suppose.

Then a mad fella in a wetsuit sent them forth into the sea. Plenty of them looked dubious about it. Good to see Moz had used a few bottles of fake tan and had waxed for the day.

RNLI Myrtleville-Church Bay Swim 2011 Safety briefing (pic Howard Crowdy).

To be fair, it must have been bad if even No. 55 was biting his nails in anticipation.

ECHO SPORT – Event organiser Bernard Lynch shows some of the competitors the route prior to the start of the 2nd annual RNLI 2k Open Water Swim at Fort Camden, Crosshaven (pic Howard Crowdy)