Thomond Swim

kilburn

Splashes off at 7pm tonight.
Starts at St. Michaels Boat Club, race up to Thomond Bridge and back to Howleys Quay. All money raised goes to the lads at Limerick Marine and Search rescue, which we all agree is at great cause. So if ye can get out and watch it and throw a few bob in the buckets.

Amazotheamazing

cheers for reminding me, tough swim, good luck to everyone involved.

Kess73

Have no interest in watching the swim, but as I will be out at St Camillus' hospital later, I will make a point of passing that way to donate to what is a fantastic local service.

banjobongo

I will be doing the swim this evening, looking forward to it and to the well earned pint afterwards!

kilburn

Good man banjo, im impressed, hope you do well !

CCSL

Loads more over at http://munsterimages.ie

jamezy

Wow those are some brave people! Fair play to them. Im with them in spirit. There is a baby in the house so i wade through poo everyday.

Raiser

jamezy wrote: »

Wow those are some brave people! Fair play to them. Im with them in spirit. There is a baby in the house so i wade through poo everyday.

Joking aside (I think!) anyone got any opinions about the water quality in the Shannon Estuary?

- I know People swim in Kilteery Pier (~20 minutes out the N69 turn right), apparently there used to be a walled off Swimming Pool at Ringmoylan Pier (~15 minutes out the N69 turn right)

Question is how clean or dirty is it, is there raw Sewage pumped into the Shannon as it winds through Limerick? What colour would you be when you came out and if you swallowed a mouthful by accident would you keel over!!!

kilburn

There is no sewerage pumped into the River Shannon in Limerick.
In the weir, there is a pipe that brings the sewerage out to the waste water treatment plant at bunlicky. The Shannon is the cleaniest it has ever been, I cant comment on the fair side of the country though feeding down into Limerick.

Kess73

CCSL wrote: »

Great pic CCSL.

I always keep an eye out for your shots around Limerick as there are always a few gems amongst them.

Amazotheamazing

kilburn wrote: »

There is no sewerage pumped into the River Shannon in Limerick.
In the weir, there is a pipe that brings the sewerage out to the waste water treatment plant at bunlicky. The Shannon is the cleaniest it has ever been, I cant comment on the fair side of the country though feeding down into Limerick.

You can swim in the Shannon in the city now with no worries to your health unless you drown, afaik. The water quality is good enough. Above the city I often swim in Castleconnell and the water is perfect, as is the water in Lough Derg, I've also swam in the Shannon in Athlone and the water is fine. i would hope in a few years we will see proper areas set aside in the city to swim in the Shannon, the only reason I don't swim there now is I don't think it's ever safe to swim alone in that stretch of water.

I can't speak for anywhere below the city but unless there a point of serious pollution between here and Kilteery you should be fine.

peckerhead

On a related point, can anyone tell me how exactly to get to the nice lake I'm told is "out the road just past Kildimo and take a right"? I've gone driving up a couple of boreens but haven't been able to find it. Apparently you've to walk across a couple of fields to get to it, maybe I'm just missing something obvious...

P.S. Lovely pics CCSL, and well done to all who did the swim.

Edit: Ah, I think I may have just found it. The Google Imagery for that part of the world just took a big jump in quality!

Itsdacraic

peckerhead wrote: »

On a related point, can anyone tell me how exactly to get to the nice lake I'm told is "out the road just past Kildimo and take a right"? I've gone driving up a couple of boreens but haven't been able to find it. Apparently you've to walk across a couple of fields to get to it, maybe I'm just missing something obvious...

P.S. Lovely pics CCSL, and well done to all who did the swim.

Edit: Ah, I think I may have just found it. The Google Imagery for that part of the world just took a big jump in quality!

Go to the County Limerick Forum.
There are detailed directions in a newish thread there.

Kess73

Raiser wrote: »

Joking aside (I think!) anyone got any opinions about the water quality in the Shannon Estuary?

- I know People swim in Kilteery Pier (~20 minutes out the N69 turn right), apparently there used to be a walled off Swimming Pool at Ringmoylan Pier (~15 minutes out the N69 turn right)

Question is how clean or dirty is it, is there raw Sewage pumped into the Shannon as it winds through Limerick? What colour would you be when you came out and if you swallowed a mouthful by accident would you keel over!!!

I swim and fish at Kilteery pier at times. The water there is generally fine, but the current can be very strong at times, same goes for further down river at Glin pier, and would not be a spot for anyone who is not a strong swimmer and in good shape imho.

The old outdoor pool at Ringmoylan is not in use to the best of my knowledge. The last time I was on that pier, about four years ago, the pool was filled with muck and rubbish.

There is an outdoor pool in Foynes if that interests you. It is just a few hundred yards past the main entrance to Foynes harbour as you head out towards Loughill.

agentreid

CCSL wrote: »

Loads more over at http://munsterimages.ie

excellent photos.

topper75

I was up in the Headrace in Ardnacrusha last night. It's grand and clean.

Swimming in the city itself though would just feel funny, even though it is only a few miles downstream.

Raiser

topper75 wrote: »

I was up in the Headrace in Ardnacrusha last night. It's grand and clean.

Swimming in the city itself though would just feel funny, even though it is only a few miles downstream.

I was talking to someone who said they had a Relative involved with Search and Rescue once who said that they've had to pull bodies of the water intake grilles? They went on to imply that when they open the gates to allow in water People can get sucked in by the currents created?

- What do ye reckon Folks? Tall tale or a grain of truth?

Itsdacraic

Raiser wrote: »

I was talking to someone who said they had a Relative involved with Search and Rescue once who said that they've had to pull bodies of the water intake grilles? They went on to imply that when they open the gates to allow in water People can get sucked in by the currents created?

- What do ye reckon Folks? Tall tale or a grain of truth?

Sounds extremely far fetched.
Surely you would hear about this in the papers?

Amazotheamazing

Raiser wrote: »

I was talking to someone who said they had a Relative involved with Search and Rescue once who said that they've had to pull bodies of the water intake grilles? They went on to imply that when they open the gates to allow in water People can get sucked in by the currents created?

- What do ye reckon Folks? Tall tale or a grain of truth?

Nonsense, though I'm sure people have killed themselves on that stretch of water which probably gave rise to the myth.

Amazotheamazing

topper75 wrote: »

Swimming in the city itself though would just feel funny, even though it is only a few miles downstream.

I can see what you mean, but hopefully that will change if people start to swim in the city more frequently. Not necessarily the city centre but out by Corbally, UL and Shannon banks.

topper75

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

out by Corbally, UL and Shannon banks.

I would swim in the spots you mentioned (i.e. in the moving river waters) but I have a strange thing about Corbally baths and wouldn't go near them. Weren't they out of bounds there for years with fears of contamination? Can someone shed light on this?

Amazotheamazing

topper75 wrote: »

I would swim in the spots you mentioned (i.e. in the moving river waters) but I have a strange thing about Corbally baths and wouldn't go near them. Weren't they out of bounds there for years with fears of contamination? Can someone shed light on this?

Where are the safe (relatively) spots to swim in the above? I usually swim in Castleconnell which is a bit far out if you fancy a quick swim.

The river was a lot dirtier before the main drainage came in, the baths probably weren't safe to swim in up to two or three years ago, pollution wise. I've never been to them, i understand they are pretty derelict now? Pity they haven't been maintained.

topper75

Worral's End in Castleconnell is good. I also swim along the Headrace at Ardnacrusha bridge or about a mile further up at some concrete steps (walk along bank in Clonlara direction). I haven't gone there myself but I'd imagine UL's new boat club could be deep enough for a dip in the Shannon. Only about another month left anyway before the water gets too chilly!

Amazotheamazing

topper75 wrote: »

Worral's End in Castleconnell is good. I also swim along the Headrace at Ardnacrusha bridge or about a mile further up at some concrete steps (walk along bank in Clonlara direction). I haven't gone there myself but I'd imagine UL's new boat club could be deep enough for a dip in the Shannon. Only about another month left anyway before the water gets too chilly!

true.

it's not really the depth i'm worried about, more about places without strange/dangerous currents nearer (or in) the city. Ardnacrusha is fine alright.

I should really take myself and a camera off to Corbally baths and report back on their disintegration.

banjobongo

I did the swim and really enjoyed it, water quality was fine, temp was fine, I was 4th fastest swimmer on the day, did it in 27 mins 50 secs, was happy with that! This was my 3rd Thomond swim and I will def be doing it again!

Raiser

topper75 wrote: »

I would swim in the spots you mentioned (i.e. in the moving river waters) but I have a strange thing about Corbally baths and wouldn't go near them. Weren't they out of bounds there for years with fears of contamination? Can someone shed light on this?

I can confirm that 6-8 years ago someone I know who swam there got odd skin peeling on their hands......

- This may not be the case anymore as has been pointed out - But I'd be in no rush to try.

Amazotheamazing

banjobongo wrote: »

I did the swim and really enjoyed it, water quality was fine, temp was fine, I was 4th fastest swimmer on the day, did it in 27 mins 50 secs, was happy with that! This was my 3rd Thomond swim and I will def be doing it again!

Congrats man, was jealous watching ye. Will have to up my training and swim it next year.

CCSL

banjobongo wrote: »

I did the swim and really enjoyed it, water quality was fine, temp was fine, I was 4th fastest swimmer on the day, did it in 27 mins 50 secs, was happy with that! This was my 3rd Thomond swim and I will def be doing it again!

I have more pics that I didn't upload might have got you!

banjobongo

grand. I was the really good looking swimmer....!

slinky2000

Fair play Banjo, I did it yesterday too, Done trerribly though. I started cramping about half way through so had trouble with my legs on the entire second leg. Finished it though.