James Slowey and Trevor Malone are heading “out foreign” for two major challenges in the next few days. The very best of luck to both of them. Both have put in a lot of time in Myrtleville and elsewhere this year.
Trevor – waving goodbye!
Rarely out of the news – the paperazzi magnet himself, Mr. Slowey.
We all hope you get the rewards for your considerable efforts.
FROM OWEN O’KEEFFE:
Last week, it suddenly dawned on me that I was little more than a month away from my attempt to swim around the Channel Island of Jersey, a swim that I’d hope to complete in a little over 10 hours. Without any properly long sea swim under my belt this year, I decided that I’d better attempt a 6-hour (standard qualifying swim for English Channel and other solo swims) training swim soon. Bernard Lynch told me that he and Damian O’Neill were planning a 3-hour swim on Thursday so I decided to link up with them for that. With various swimmers kindly agreeing to join me for all parts of the swim, I was ready to try the 6 hours starting at 12:00 and finishing at 18:00 on Thursday, 20 June.
I arrived at Myrtleville at 11:30 to allow the extra time that it takes to get ready for a 6-hour swim, i.e. the time taken to get properly greased up and set up a feeding station. Bernard came down for the start and gave me a very handy bucket with a tyre tube, rope and diving weight – the perfect floating feeding station!
Bernard’s Bucket – patent pending, all rights reserved 🙂
I started at 12:05 with Maeve, Dave, Aidan, Orlando and Roger. Ossi also came to see the start of the swim and Martin came along shortly after. The sea was colder than my usual training spot in the River Blackwater but it was the warmest that it had felt all year! I was still nervous, though, but knew that the only thing to do was to keep putting one arm in front of the other…
On Bernard’s advice, we first headed for Fountainstown. My goggles were fogging up all the way there, but they always settle after about half an hour. It took about 35 minutes to get to Fountainstown, at which point I took an SiS gel – I’d never taken a gel before so wasn’t sure how my stomach would take it, but it went down well and it was handy to be able to have the gels stuffed into the back of my togs! The water felt much warmer in Fountainstown so I was inclined to stay there, but I knew that I had to go back to Myrtleville to get liquid feeds. I headed back (a little faster than I got there as I was going with the wind and had a better line due to clearer goggles) and met Bernard and Damian who were just starting their 3-hour swim.
I eventually found the feeding station and took a few gulps of a Sponser carbohydrate (with electrolytes) drink. Keeping the feed as short as possible, I headed towards Fountainstown again with Bernard. I turned back after about 25 minutes as I was meeting Gábor in Myrtleville at 14:00. When I got there, I met Maeve finishing her swim and spotted Gábor coming down the beach. While he was swimming out, I took some of my High5 4:1 drink for a bit of protein as 2 hours was my longest open water swim this year and stuffed another gel down the back of my togs. I was starting to feel a bit cold at this stage but knew that I’d be alright after picking up the pace a little to stay with Gábor.
We headed off in the direction of Church Bay as the tide had slackened off and I felt like going in a different direction. It was a fair bit choppier and colder in that direction. When we got into Church Bay, I had another SiS gel feed and was anxious to swim back at a good pace to keep warm. It was a tough battle against the chop going back to Myrtleville but we got there in the end! There, we had another feed and decided to head off in the Fountainstown direction again as it was warmer and flatter! We got most of the way there and came back to Myrtleville again. It was now 16:00 and Gábor, Bernard and Damian finished their swims. I felt like getting out too as I was feeling pretty cold, but it wasn’t really an option! After a 5-minute circuit of the beach area, I met up with James, who was planning to swim for 2 hours.
The two of us headed off in the direction of Fountainstown and again, I turned back after about 25 minutes as I had to be in Myrtleville at 16:50 to meet Eoin, who was planning to swim the last part of the swim with me (Eoin and I are on the same relay team for a 2-way English Channel crossing in July). I really felt like getting out at this stage so I told Eoin that a few minutes just to take me to the 5-hour mark would do me – he didn’t seem to mind too much. I was beginning to shiver slightly at every stop at this stage. I took a High5 gel with some caffeine and the two of us took off to Fennel’s Bay. When we got there, it was exactly 5 hours into my swim so I was happy to get out once we got back to the beach. A dense fog came into the beach just at that point so James wasn’t long getting out also. Eoin kindly towed the feeding station in for me and I finished with 5 hours 10 minutes under my belt.
Owen O’Keeffe’s Swim Map – 5hrs 10mins on June 20, 2013
I was cold when I got out but my shoulders and mouth (long swims give you a salty mouth) were feeling pretty good for 5 hours in the sea. The general consensus was that the water temperature was about 13ºC in Myrtleville, a little warmer in Fountainstown and colder in Church Bay. Siobhán took our photograph when we were changed and it was up on Facebook before I even got home! Sincere thanks to Bernard for all his help in getting the swim set up and to Maeve, Dave, Aidan, Orlando, Roger, Damian, Gábor, James, Eoin and everyone else who swam with me on the day – it was much appreciated. I may not have done the 6 hours but I did manage to achieve all of my other objectives in the 5 hours 10 minutes that I did swim for…
Owen O’Keeffe, Eoin O’Riordan, James Slowey & Niall O’Herlihy
Lots going on at the beach, with several groups swimming during the morning and day at the moment. Ned Denison and Carol Cashell kicked off with a dawn swim yesterday.
Dawn 20 June, 2013 – http://www.swimmersrock.com
Mad stuff, but the view made up for a 3.45am alarm call. Lots more great pictures on Carol’s site, including one of Rob Bohane trying to slide into Myrtleville without being noticed again. Spies everywhere, Rob, spies everywhere. We’ll have your Myrtleville Swimmers T-Shirt ready for you soon.
Owen O’Keeffe was aiming for a long swim preparing for his Crosoige Mara channel relay and Jersey Island swims. He went into the water at 12.00 yesterday. He was joined at various stages of the more than five hours he did by several swimmers including Maeve Mulcahy, Bernard Lynch, Gabor Molnar, Aidan O’Herlihy, James Slowey, Eoin O’Riordan and others. I’m sure he’ll detail them all on his site soon. He certainly appreciated the support from all.
Owen O’Keeffe, Eoin O’Riordan, James Slowey & Niall O’Herlihy after the swim
He also had a friend he may not have been aware of (top left below), who hung around the beach waiting for him to come back out to play for a while. Spotted by Siobhan Russell.
Seal just can’t understand why Owen has gone home.
Great to see so much activity and also some new swimmers down this morning for the 6.15am swim in flat calm, clear waters.
Myrtleville, Friday June 21, 2013 – the longest day
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
Tom McCarthy at Varne Ridge
Tom McCarthy is a Myrtleville regular and a great help to all the swimmers there and throughout Cork. He is always happy to share his unique, vast knowledge of the sea and often volunteers to provide expert safety cover for events. Last July, Tom was a late addition to a relay team swimming the English Channel and as would be expected by all who know him, he performed brilliantly. One member of the team, Sue Oldham (the oldest woman to swim the English Channel solo) wrote a lovely account of Tom’s involvement in the team and we’re delighted to post it here:
Sue Oldham: “As a background and due to ill health two of our original four man relay team had to pull out – Tony Parbery who had swum in the 2006 oldest relay team and did his solo swim in 2008 and Les Stewart at 76 and also a member of the 2006 relay team. We had been very fortunate that when Tony withdrew Roger Allsopp the oldest person to solo swim the channel agreed to join Kathy Phillips from Perth and myself. When Les withdrew Tom agreed to join us.
Barracuda Aquaholics team of Kathy, Roger, Sue & Tom on the beach at Dover prior to 2012 relay swim
From the very first Tom became a firm friend, delighted to join our Aquaholics relay team and experience his first challenge at the English Channel. Kathy and I regarded ourselves very fortunate that our relay team consisted of Roger Allsopp and Tom and immediately the four of us joined forces, training together in Dover Harbour. Swimming the English Channel is regarded as the Everest of open water swimming and this was Kathy and Tom’s first experience although neither Roger nor I regarded this crossing as something to be undertaken lightly.
At our first training session in Dover Harbour our coach Pauline Pratt was immediately delighted by Tom’s breaststroke, recognising it as near perfect (more so when she discovered he had not had any professional coaching).
We met down at Dover Harbour in the early hours of July 22nd on a cold and windy morning and once all gear and supplies were loaded onto Anastasia, our pilot, Eddie Spelling, took us around to Samphire Hoe for our start. Pauline nominated the order of the relay as Roger to start, followed by Kathy, Tom and myself. In that order we would swim in a one hour rotation until we reached the shores of France. Tom of course immediately established himself as the experienced sailor he is and when it was his turn to jump into the cold, dark ocean he was quite at home. Some of us suffered mild cases of hypothermia (although not Tom) but eventually as the hours slid by the sun came up displaying a glorious sunrise, we gradually warmed up and the sea calmed down. After ten hours or more and with the coast of France in sight, the sea lost its glassiness, with the light breeze picking up enough to ensure we would all have to swim another round, making it four each (although as last swimmer mine was only a fraction of the hour) we gradually and slowly swam our way onto the French coast.
Tom was a wonderful team member, he enjoyed each and everyone of his turns, swimming strongly every time and finding the cold water quite exhilarating. As Tom’s last hour-long swim didn’t quite make the French coast I had the privilege of taking us in with Tom continuing to swim in behind me finishing on 23rd July in an official time of 15 hours 3 minutes.
Tom McCarthy during one of his relay legs
What can I say, Tom is a great chap, a good friend and team mate who was always ready to give a helping hand. I dont know if we will make the records as the oldest four man relay team to swim the Channel with an average of 64, but with a team comprising of two world record holders, Kathy who swam well and with great determination despite suffering badly from the cold and Tom McCarthy as our secret weapon who impressed us all with his strong and steady breaststroke. I would love to see him trying for a solo crossing, he has the ability and tenacity to achieve it and should he ever consider another relay crossing I would quickly put my hand up to be on his team.
As always, be it a relay or a solo swim, accolades must go to the skipper Eddie Spelling and his crew, our coach Pauline Pratt, the tireless support of assistant Tony Parbery and to our observers. ” Sue Oldham, 14 Oct, 2012.
Barracuda Aquaholics Relay team route 23 July, 2012
Before we post Ned Denison’s swim report, Bernard Lynch and Damian O’Neill have to say we were delighted to be asked to – quote – “play with the Big Boys” last Saturday. Thanks, Ned….
Bernard & Damian with Ned “one of the Big Boys” Denison
Sunrise at Myrtleville
Safety boats arriving at sunrise
9 swimmers waded out to two ribs and then tried to bundle up in jackets to stay warm. Off then from Myrtleville towards Roches Point
Boat 2 ready to go
Tom Lynch, Frank Lynch, Bernard Lynch & Dominic Baxter.
Tom McCarthy & Billy Kelleher: the Safety Men
These kinds of swims do not happen without volunteers – so, many thanks folks. The swimmers made a donation each to the RNLI.
Waiting for the Tanker to pass at Roches Point.
Ready to go at Roches Point
Just missed the ferry!.
Paraic’s Cafe – thanks to Riana and Lisa
After lots of swims in Myrtleville (with and without her dolphin, Myrte) and Crosshaven to Camden (not to mention Sandycove, Garryvoe, Inniscarra etc.), Carmel is gone to Dover and waiting for her window to swim the English Channel. Best of luck from everyone. Nobody could have worked harder to get ready for this. Here’s a pic with the oldest year-round Myrtleville swimmer, Tom Bermingham:
Tom Bermingham & Carmel Collins 18 July, 2012
It is with great sadness the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation confirms the death of an Irish swimmer whilst attempting a solo crossing of the English Channel early this morning, July 22.
Páraic Casey from Cork, Ireland began his swim at 9.13am on Saturday morning and was just 1km from the coast of France at around 1:30 this morning when he took ill. Attempts were made by crew to resuscitate him before a French rescue helicopter arrived with medics who tried further resuscitation. Mr Casey was a member of the Sandycove Swimming Club in Cork, Ireland.
He is survived by his wife Riana who has issued the following statement:
“Páraic was an amazing, healthy, tough, loving husband, friend, brother, uncle, son, nephew and cousin who’s recent passion for swimming brought him to great places. I would like to thank everyone for their love and support. We ask that our privacy is respected during this difficult time.”
CSPF Chairman
Michael Oram
All media enquiries to Frances Thornton
+44 (0) 7716505667
frances@francesthornton.com.au
St Patrick’s Marymount Hospice in Cork, for whom he was fundraising, in Páraic’s words, ”is a very worthy cause and I would very much appreciate your support in helping me to raise funds for this charity”.
Here is the link to Paraic’s account if you would like to donate.
Páraic was also raising money for St Vincent de Paul. The link he created to their site seems to be down but general link is here:
Our sincere condolences to his wife, Riana, their families and friends. Páraic was a wonderful man.
6am in Myrtleville. Carmel Collins – with seven weeks to her Channel swim – takes a break after the ship got tired and stopped.
Leaving no stone unturned in his preparations for his Channel Relay next week, Tom McCarthy was swimming at night with Bernard Lynch. Some poor unsuspecting young couple on the beach had their plans interrupted when Tom materialised from the dark and insisted they take this picture for posterity. I hope the two young ones are still together and the trauma didn’t break them up…
Night swimming on Myrtleville Beach
Myrtleville Swimmers 