June swim times

Planned swim times for Myrtleville Beach. These are the times most likely that a group will assemble.  However as with everything, it’s not guaranteed.  Email myrtlevilleswimmers@gmail.com if you’re interested any day.  Or tweet @Berlyn1966.  Times starting Monday, May 27.

Swim at your own risk. Don’t swim alone. Always swim in groups.  These times can vary earlier or later, so definitely check in advance if you’re coming on your own.

  • Monday: 18:00
  • Tuesday: 16:00
  • Wednesday: 06:30
  • Friday: 16:00
  • Saturday: 08:15

Summer’s here: make a plan

From Ned Denison:
The cold Spring is OVER. Many are off to their first 2013 triathlon NEXT weekend and needed a dip first, so they’re in the sea this weekend.
Time to get a 2013 PLAN….how about setting your goal for one of these?  Wetsuit swimmers VERY WELCOME at all.
Swim Ireland membership is required ONLY for the Fermoy swim…two of the events are free and one of these is swim optional (so no excuses):
2013 Race Distance Location Fee (€) Web
Sat 8-Jun Garnish Island 1, 3 & 5km Glengariff 23 http://goo.gl/RM9jG
Sun 9-Jun Sandycove  “M” Club Swim 1.7km Sandycove Island 0 http://goo.gl/vqEpD
Fri 14-Jun Martin Duggan  Memorial 2km Fermoy 15 – 25 http://goo.gl/JptaV
Sun 16-Jun Myrtleville to Church  Bay 2km Myrtleville 15 http://goo.gl/bnADs
Fri 21-Jun Paraic Casey –  Celebratory Sandycove Island 0
Sat 6-Jul Vibes & Scribes’  Lee Swim 2km Cork City 25 – 35 http://goo.gl/Ye7AK
Garnish – one of the nicest places in West Cork.  You can chose your distance – so no excuse to miss it.
Sandycove M – come swim with the swimmers who have completed 1,000+ laps in their lifetime!   Get into it…as later in the summer the D Club for 500+ will be run and the M club for 100+ lifetime laps.   Special caps available.  Are you going to be in one of these clubs?  Getting close?
Fermoy – 1 km up the river and enjoy the current on the way back.  A festive atmosphere and well attended by all ages from 12 to 75!
Myrtleville – a straight swim along the coast and if you want to race you’ll find somebody just a % or so slower to beat!   Great view of the lighthouse.
Paraic Casey Celebratory (on summer solstice) – this is the annual event following the tragic loss of Paraic in the Channel last summer.  Come with food, a smile and ready to chat into the late evening.  Swimming?  Well, certainly not after a few burgers!
‘Vibes & Scribes’ Lee Swim 2013 – the classic through the city and under so many bridges.  A great day out and the party continues in town until the early hours.
Dream:   pick one or more of the events
Prepare:   get in the open water soon and get ready
Succeed:  complete the swim, maybe set a new personal best and beat your brother-in-law!
Ned Denison
Cork Ireland – Open Water Swimmer  (Phone:  +353 87 987 1573)

Monday night in Myrtleville

Siobhan Russell got some great pictures last night.  There was a good crowd swimming – even as the sea refused to co-operate and stuck at 9.5c.

Open Water Sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Michelle Glossop-Smyth & Ultan Kelleher

As usual, our safety boat was in place.  It’s big, but we spare no expense in Myrtleville. It was positioned to catch James Slowey on his normal line past Roches Point, but nobody told them he was still in Lanzarote after his fantastic 11hrs 22 min Ironman last Saturday.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Safety Boat at Myrtleville

As a back-up, we had the Navy available also.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Naval support for Myrtleville swimmers

Some of the speed merchants were in the open water last night – probably discussing how to avoid clashing outfits next week..

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

John Russell & Sham Riordan working out who was fastest and advertising Blue Seventy.

Carol Cashell was in for her second Myrtleville swim of the day – 6.30am and 6.00pm – well prepared for the Manhattan Island Marathon in June and her Crosoige Mara Channel Relay in July.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Carol Cashell, Rebeca Power & Maeve Mulcahy

View all of the pictures here.  Forecast is a bit better this week so hopefully we’ll see the temps continue to rise to encourage everyone back into the open water – where we should be!

He’s back, baby!

This post was going to be titled, “Have you seen this man?”, referring to inter-county man of mystery, Alan Craughwell.

Last seen chasing a turkey in Myrtleville in December, he disappeared from the sea since then. Some said he had emigrated, or moved back to the town named after him in Galway. Others suspected hibernation – he’d be out when he got hungry, or found flashier togs.

Whatever the reason, today was the day. Coaxed from his den by Riana Parsons, his only comment was, “Yep, it’s cold outside”.

Welcome back, big man.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Riana Parsons & Alan Craughwell – he’s back!

“Where else would you be…..”

To quote B. Lynch, when he passed us swimming back from his early start this morning.  Flat calm and sun rising.  Lots of new faces and old ones returning this week.  A big crowd on Monday night and more returnees yesterday afternoon.  We can’t keep waiting for the Summer – we’ll just have to convince ourselves it’s here.

Yet another picture of Myrtleville – I believe this is known as “lazy posting”, but I don’t mind.  It’s fair to say, if you don’t like pictures of Myrtleville – this isn’t the site for you 🙂

A reminder again to get entries in for the Church Bay swim.  We had a big increase this week and want to keep this going.  A couple of guys came down on Monday night, swam 1,500m to the Dutchman and back, went home and entered.  I like their style!

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Myrtleville sunrise – 15 May, 2013

Reminder: RNLI Myrtleville to Church Bay Swim – Entries open

The RNLI Myrtleville to Church Bay 2km open water sea swim takes place on Sunday 16th June at 10:00am on an incoming tide.

Entries can be made here. Entry fee is €15, payable on the day and donated to Crosshaven RNLI, but you must have submitted your entry online.

All participants must be able to verify a minimum of one 1,500m open water swim in 2013. We strongly recommend you have done a longer distance – or several 1,500m swims. This is a fantastic, but challenging swim and not to be attempted without proper preparation.  If you want to practice, come to Myrtleville any Monday night at 6pm. Check the swim times on this site each month or join our google group for updates.

Better than the pool….

With 90 km/h gusts, this morning wasn’t looking too positive for the open water.  Amazingly, because the wind was more Westerly than South West at Myrtleville, we had a 200m stretch of calm sea, perfect for swimming.  Just a hundred metres further out, the waves were howling past, but the cliff beneath Bunny’s had us sheltered. So, we did laps of a long outdoor pool – with no chlorine.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Calm in the storm – Myrtleville at 06.30 – May 9, 2013

Sure, where else would you be at that hour of the day?

Calm in Crosshaven

With strong South Westerly winds making Myrtleville a bit lumpy and foamy, we moved to Crosshaven and swam to Camden Pier and back this morning.  James went for resistance training to prepare for his Lanzarote Ironman next week and stayed out in the tide on the way back – into the full flow during the third hour of the tide fall.  Arms like Popeye on him when he got out 🙂

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

James Slowey and George Fuller in calm Crosshaven – 8 May, 2013

The sign behind them says “Triathletes are protected by law”.  Not a lot of people know that, but it’s true in Crosshaven.  Something to do with the Crosshaven Challenge Tri, I suppose.   Same time and place tomorrow.  06.30.

Lee Swim – Red Drive challengers

It’s getting busy around Myrtleville these days.  Several of the determined group preparing for the Lee Swim Red Drive Challenge were at the beach on Friday and Saturday. The water has gone back up over 10℃, so the pool to sea transition is going well. Aisling Barry sent this picture of some of the group.

Open water sea swimming in Cork, Ireland

Lee Swim Red Drive Challengers

First day of Summer

Beautiful swim this morning – if a bit chilly at just 8.6°c.  Water calm and very clear with fish visible around the rocks and kelp on the Dutchman, but it was still deep enough to take the inside channel. Four fast swimmers in today – and me ploughing along to make five 🙂 Great start to the day and the Summer!

Open water swimming in Cork, Ireland

Sunrise – first day of Summer, May 1, 2013