The second annual Galley Head Swim will start from one of west Cork’s most popular beaches Long Strand on Saturday August 8th at 9am.
The 10km swim consisting of 50 boats, 19 solo swimmers and 21 relay teams who will go from Long Strand to Warren Beach with the first swimmers expected to cross the finish line between 11.30 and 12pm.
The idea for the swim came about back in January 2019 when a group of friends from Clonkility and Rosscarbery were having pints together on holidays in Austria.
Geoff Wycherley one of the committee members said:
“We were talking about how the West Cork Underwater Search and Rescue volunteers had to buy their own equipment and felt something needed to be done about it.
“The conversation later moved on to the bereavements suffered within the group – one had lost his wife to cancer in 2018 and the another’s sister was in Marymount Hospice at the time (she sadly passed away later in April 2019).
"The one thing that came across was that both received wonderful palliative care in the hands of Marymount’s highly trained professional team."
The conversation ended in a goal to raise much needed funds for both organisations by swimming together.
A committee was formed that night consisting of Pat Mulcahy, Justin Crowley, Geoff Wycherley and Tony Rafferty who made the decision that they would hold a 10km “marathon” swim around the iconic Galley Head.
The aim was to raise funds for both Marymount Hospice and West Cork Underwater Search and Rescue.
The event was so well supported by local boat owners, fishermen and businesses that all costs were covered. This meant that the entire €17,400 raised by the swimmers went to the two charities.
With an increase in numbers this year it is hoped they will raise over €35,000, full details of the race can be found on www.galleyheadswim.com
