Memorial Castle to Castle Swim aims to raise €40,000 for Pieta
Organisers of the Jim O'Connor Memorial Castle to Castle Swim are looking forward to the second year of the 13.5km charity event which is taking place this Saturday, August 24, in aid of Pieta.
The committee has set a fundraising target of €40,000 this year, and at the time of going to print this is looking very promising with €27,011 raised to date. This is thanks once again to the great fundraising effort by the swimmers and to the people of Athlone and beyond for their generosity in donating to this very worthy cause.
Gerard Tiernan of Pieta and based in Athlone says: “We are delighted to be part of this truly wonderful event. Pieta relies on 87% funding coming from events like this to continue our work of providing counselling support for those people who are experiencing thoughts of suicide, those who engage in self-harm and those bereaved by suicide. Thank you to the amazing committee for their professional work in making sure this event is a success. We wish everyone taking part the very best. Thank you for all your fundraising efforts.”
On Saturday next, 17 solo swimmers and 63 relay team swimmers will participate in the 13.5km swim from Rindoon Castle in South Roscommon to the finish line at Athlone Castle as part of the event remembering Jim O’Connor, who passed away in 2018. The Castle to Castle Swim follows the route taken by Jim in the latter half of his 34km swim undertaken in 2012.
On this the twelfth anniversary of his remarkable achievement, Jim remains the only solo swimmer to have covered the length of Lough Ree “in skins” (without wetsuit). His wife Joanne says that she and Jim’s children Niamh, Hannah, Jack, Charlie and Jim’s extended family remain ever proud of what Jim achieved that day and how 12 years later, so many people are looking to experience the challenge and the enjoyment of taking to the water in his memory and for Pieta.
In this year two of the event, the committee has worked hard to ensure that all aspects of the day continue to run safely and smoothly. Considerable investment was needed this year to ensure ongoing safety on the water. The committee wishes to thank the businesses of Athlone who were so generous in their support and sponsorship to help realise this investment.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Dave Warby, a coach with event organisers Athlone Regional Sports Centre, is keen to point out that an event like this does not happen without the help of a lot of local clubs and organisations. The Committee are hugely grateful to have Athlone Sub Aqua Club, Inny Kayak Club, Lough Ree Yacht Club, Waterways Ireland, Baysports, Order of Malta and medical services helping with the running of the swim and providing safety cover.
They also extend their gratitude to Portaneena Marina for their help in organising relay support boats and Viking Tours who will provide families of swimmers with the opportunity to see the start and early stages of the swim. Also thanks to Baysports and Athlone Boat Club for use of their facilities, the army for providing parking and equipment and many others who have helped in a variety of ways.
Members of the public are encouraged and welcome to turn out on Saturday to spectate and support the swimmers who will be coming down the Shannon into Athlone Castle from 12.45pm to 4pm. If last year is anything to go by, there will be a great buzz at the water slipway by the Castle with music and refreshments available for all. The swimmers have been training hard over months and are excited to just get going now. Come on down Saturday if you can and cheer them on. All proceeds from this swim charity event are going to Pieta. If you would like to donate to support a swimmer or just in general, you can do so by visiting www.castletocastleswim.ie