It Begins And Ends In Beginish

It Begins And Ends In Beginish

Steven Munatones 07/08/2011 Open Water Swimming No Comment
Off the rugged cold-water west coast, Ireland will showcase many of its finest distance swimmers. Their talents will be on display as they circumnavigate Beginish Island.

Ned Denison explains, “In one lap around the Island the swimmers will experience all the possible conditions. It starts at low water from a sand spit. The first 500 meters is through the weeds between two islands. Rounding the first corner takes swimmers along a sandy beach. Then the trick is to sight the gap in a reef between two islands. The effects of the North Atlantic can be felt as swimmers near halfway. Now fully exposed to the western swells the lighthouse provides visual comfort. Out of the worse of it and the swimmers pick a course near to, but just off, several reef heads. Finally there is a mile long straight sprint back to the starting location.” Vincent Kidd the proprietor of The Royal Hotel in Knightstown Valentia Island, said, “Commercially this swim is one of the top three annual events on the island. Last year I participated in a successful relay team and fear that I was so happy behind the bar that I forgot to charge for half the pints I pulled!” Last year, local Cornelia Lyne waxed about swim, “It was great to be the first local to complete the 4 mile Beginish Island swim. There will be several more going for it this year as open water swimming is catching on here in the islands.”

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
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