Words by Maureen McCoy, Photography by Paul Hinds
Four women who regularly swim together and compete in open water swims around the country decided they would like to make their mark on a pioneering swim… to cross an almost diagonal route of Lough Neagh, the largest lake by area in the British Isles. At some 32km long and 14km wide, the lough can throw up several challenges to the swimmer becoming very unsettled and choppy in the exposed central waters.
With one swimmer from each province in Ireland; Ulster, Munster Leinster and Connaught, the Swim Sisters team wanted to raise awareness and money for the Make a Wish Foundation (Ireland & Northern Ireland). https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/swim-sisters-lough-neagh-swim
The challenge began on Saturday the 10th September (2016) at 6.26am when Ulster swimmer Claudine Hughes walked down the slipway at Kinnego Marina in Co Armagh to start the teams epic swim. To claps and cheers from her team mates aboard the accompanying boat, piloted by South Shore Marine’s Paul Quinn, Claudine moved quickly into a brightening dawn. As her team on the boat organised their belongings and did final sun-cream, goggles and caps checks, the Safety Officer Chris Walsh and ILDSA Observer Maureen McCoy watched every stroke Claudine took.
As the sun came up the team moved out towards the wider expanse of the lough and the first hour of the swim was nearly complete. Under Channel Swimming Association rules the ladies swam in an ordinary swimsuit, cap and goggles each for 1 hour, following the same order of rotation until the swim was completed.
After Armagh-born Claudine, the second swimmer in was Connaught’s Lynsey Dunne, a seasoned open water swimmer with two English Channel relays behind her, one the first successful Irish two person relay and several marathon distance solos, including Lough Erne 25km this very year. Lynsey powered through the water giving cheeky smiles every time a camera pointed her way, without even breaking her stroke.
The sun began to peep through the cloud as Leinster’s Mary Bolger-Hinds took the third hour of the swim. Having moved into the broads of the lough the wave size began to increase but spirits were high and the swimmers taking all in their stride.
As that hour flew by fourth swimmer, Maighread McMahon from Munster prepared for her first leg of the swim. Maighread swim had to contend with the waves increasing in size as they were came in from the west.
The tenacity and good humour of these ladies lasted the entire day, not once was a cross word said, each was eager to get back in for their next swim and conversation on board was upbeat with jokes and story sharing.
The hours flew by as one by one they each completed a second hour long swim and the eel fisheries of Toome began to come into focus.
As Toome loomed nearer the swimmers went into a third rotation and in the narrowing inlet the water began to calm again, very soon the swim would be over and Mary was able to bring the team in all the way to Toome Lock, touching the jetty at 5.14pm after 10 hours and 48 minutes of team effort swimming.
Through the generosity of the team’s sponsor Hose Doctor.ie, the swim sisters team has managed to raise a considerable amount for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and are very close to their target.
To help them reach this target please use the link; https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/swim-sisters-lough-neagh-swim
In the pictures Above.. from left to right Boat pilot Paul Quinn , Maighread McMahon-Munster, Claudine Hughes -Ulster, Christ Walsh Saftey Officer, Mary Bolger Hinds -Leinster, Lynsey Dunne – Connacht & Maureen McCoy Independent Observer.