The scene was set in the fine town of Athlone, the heart of Ireland and, depending on who you ask, the unofficial capital of the Midlands. While the swim itself starts on the far side of Lough Ree in Roscommon, all roads eventually lead back to Athlone Castle and, more importantly, Sean’s Bar.
On Saturday morning, Galway Triathlon Club’s finest (or at least three of them) headed to Athlone to take part in the Jim O’Connor Memorial Castle to Castle Swim.
The event, now in its fourth year, sees swimmers cover 13.5km from Rindoon Castle in Co. Roscommon to Athlone Castle in Co. Westmeath, raising funds for Pieta. This year an incredible €82,000 was raised for the charity.
The day started exactly as you’d order it for a long-distance swim. A mild late-summer morning, no wind to speak of, and pleasant temperatures. Competitors gathered at Bay Sports in Hodson Bay for registration and the race briefing ahead of an early start. The solo swimmers had their own briefing elsewhere while the relay teams compared boats, swimming plans and levels of nervousness.
Our relay team consisted of Colin O’Donnell, Andy Ainley and myself, proudly representing Galway Triathlon Club as Team R9. Given our team number, it felt only right to embrace the nickname. Whether people thought of the original Ronaldo or simply three lads trying to recreate former glory is another matter.
A late addition to our crew was captain Kevin Clabby, who arrived with Luna Sea, a beautiful vintage Fletcher speedboat that was celebrating its 40th birthday.
At 9am we departed Hodson Bay and headed for the start line at Rindoon Castle with all three swimmers on board. The journey itself was worth the trip. It was brilliant to see dozens of support boats, RIBs and speedboats making their way across the lake towards the various start positions. The atmosphere was building long before anyone got into the water.
As relay team nine, our scheduled start time was 10:09. However, when relay team six failed to make the start line on time, we were unexpectedly promoted and sent off a minute early.
Now, Team R6 deserves a special mention. Featuring fellow GTC member Aoife Lowry, they arrived with what can only be described as a budget-conscious maritime operation. Their vessel was literally rolled out of the back of a car and inflated that morning using a foot pump. Despite this, the team was full of laughter and completely unfazed. While the rest of us admired shiny speedboats and polished RIBs, they seemed determined to prove that enthusiasm could compensate for horsepower. How that boat passed the safety inspection remains one of the great mysteries of the Shannon, but fair play to them, they never stopped smiling.
I got the nod to start for Team R9. Our strategy was simple: 30-minute rotations throughout the swim. We had a whistle on board, with one blast at 10 minutes, two blasts at 20 minutes and a final whistle signalling it was time for the next swimmer to jump in.
The plan worked well. We quickly closed down the first relay team ahead of us. Andy got in next and continued the momentum by making ground on two more boats. Colin then took over and finished the job, powering past both teams and moving us further up the field.
The first half of the swim flew by. Each of us covered roughly 1.8km during our 30-minute stint, and before long we found ourselves weaving through a bit of boat traffic while trying to navigate around teams ahead. Thankfully, we came out the right side of it.
By the time I got back in for my second stint, we were beginning to encounter the solo swimmers. Many of them were swimming in skins. Watching them power along while the three of us bounced around in wetsuits led to a discussion on board that perhaps “Floaty Boys” wasn’t the most accurate description of our team. In hindsight, “Soft Boys” may have been more appropriate.
Along the way we passed fellow GTC member Sarah McNamara, accompanied by Gabe in the kayak. Sarah was taking on the full distance solo for the second year running and doing it in skins. Fair play to her, that’s a level of toughness the rest of us were happy to admire from the comfort of our wetsuits.
The course itself was very swimmer-friendly. Large yellow inflatable buoys every 500 metres made sighting straightforward, which meant there was less time staring at the horizon wondering if you were still travelling in the right direction and more time simply getting into a rhythm.
As the kilometres ticked by, the routine became swim, eat, drink, recover and repeat. We each covered roughly another 1.8km during our second 30-minute rotation and before long the finish started to feel achievable.
For the final stretch we switched to 15-minute rotations before all three swimmers entered the water together for the last 300 metres.
Without doubt, the final 1.5km was the highlight of the day. After hours crossing open water on Lough Ree, the course narrowed as we entered the River Shannon and made our way towards Athlone. Swimming under four bridges with spectators lining the railings above created an atmosphere unlike anything else in open-water swimming. Every bridge seemed packed with family, friends and supporters shouting encouragement as swimmers made their way towards the castle.
There was one final tactical masterstroke in the closing stages. As we approached Athlone, Andy apparently decided that overtaking a female solo swimmer in togs was absolutely essential to our relay ambitions. Whether it was a competitive instinct, a sudden surge of energy from seeing the finish line, or simply a refusal to be outsprinted after spending half the day on the water remains unclear. Either way, he got the job done.
Crossing the finish line at Athlone Castle in 4 hours & 5 mins was a brilliant feeling. We collected our medals from Joanne O’Connor, grabbed our goodie bags and immediately turned our attention towards hot food and warm drinks. The finish area was buzzing with swimmers, supporters, volunteers and family members. With music playing and stories being exchanged, it was a fantastic atmosphere and a fitting end to the day.
A huge thanks must also go to our captain Kevin Clabby. Not only did he keep us on course and safely navigate the various boats spread across Lough Ree, but he also somehow managed to spend an entire day listening to three triathletes offering completely unnecessary advice from the water.
And because no trip to Athlone is complete without it, the celebrations continued afterwards in Sean’s Bar. As Ireland’s oldest pub and, naturally, Ireland’s best pub, it seemed only right to toast a great day’s swimming there.
The Castle to Castle Swim is one of the most enjoyable endurance events I’ve taken part in. It’s extremely well organised, supports a fantastic cause and seems to gain more attention every year. If you’re looking for a challenge that’s tough enough to be memorable but enjoyable enough to have you planning your return before you’ve even left Athlone, I’d highly recommend it.
Useful Tips for Future Participants
- Bring plenty of snacks. Sandwiches, Haribo and anything else that’s easy to eat between swims.
- A Dryrobe is worth its weight in gold.
- Find a captain who knows Lough Ree and the Shannon well.
- Bring more layers than you think you’ll need for sitting on the boat.
- Don’t forget the sun cream.
- Have your rotation plan agreed before the start.
- Most importantly, enjoy the day. The atmosphere is every bit as memorable as the swim itself.
One final update on Aoife Lowry’s Team R6 (the aquaholics!): if you’re wondering, they did indeed make it to Athlone Castle – in an impressive 4 hours & 12 mins! More remarkably, their inflatable boat also survived the journey, was safely deflated afterwards and somehow fitted back into the boot of the car for the trip home.
