Open Water Swimming in Limerick

panda100

Just wondering where are the best/safest spots in Limerick city or county for open water swimming? I've been out to Castleconnell a few times with the Tri Club but hoping to try out a few other spots too. Is there anywhere in the city or out near Foynes that anyone would recommend?

Mockba

The tri club also swim in O'briens Bridge which is much safer than castleconnell. with no rowing boats to take you out.

phog

I grew up near Ringmoylan and that was our port of call for swimming. The pool there is long since demolished but you can still swim in the river when the tide is in.

Beagh Castle is also another access point to Shannon.

Both of these locations are salt water swimming.

panda100

phog wrote:

Beagh Castle is also another access point to Shannon.

Mockba wrote:

The tri club also swim in O'briens Bridge which is much safer than castleconnell. with no rowing boats to take you out.

Thanks guys. Would these be regulalrly used by swimmers? Would it be fairly safe to go swimming there by myself?

Treepole

panda100 wrote: »

Thanks guys. Would these be regulalrly used by swimmers? Would it be fairly safe to go swimming there by myself?

Kilteery Pier near Glin is probably the most regular swimming spot along the estuary and has lifeguards (or at least used to) on duty there during the summer.

I've been to Beagh Castle once and it just seemed to be people swimming / bobbing between the slip and the pier, didn't looking much actual swimming going on and the current around the end of the pier looked strong.

I think there is an open water swimming group in Askeaton. Definitely an annual swim in the Deel anyways.

Mockba

panda100 wrote: »

Thanks guys. Would these be regulalrly used by swimmers? Would it be fairly safe to go swimming there by myself?

Its never wise to go swimming by yourself but yes there are swimmers there regularly and you could swim by the bank if needed.

aidanki

I guess you would need a wetsuit for open water swimming, unless you want to freeze after 10mins

had a nasty cold for the last 2 weeks in bed every evening, don't feel like developing another..........

panda100

aidanki wrote: »

I guess you would need a wetsuit for open water swimming, unless you want to freeze after 10mins

had a nasty cold for the last 2 weeks in bed every evening, don't feel like developing another..........

Only the real hardcore swimmers would go swimming without a wetsuit at this time of the year!

zulutango

There used to be a group who swam regularly in the Shannon above Plassey, near where the Mulcair joins the Shannon. I'll see if I can find out if they're still going. If they're still at it you could cycle out the river path to it and join them. It's only 5 minutes beyond UL.

LimerickCity

I remember swimming in Plassey. Must be more than 25 years ago now.
Jumping off the black bridge, the bottomless bridge and swimming across from Sandy to the other side.
Does any this still occur?

panda100

LimerickCity wrote: »

I remember swimming in Plassey. Must be more than 25 years ago now.
Jumping off the black bridge, the bottomless bridge and swimming across from Sandy to the other side.
Does any this still occur?

Where is the bottomless bridge and Sandy? I sometimes see people swimming near the boathouse in UL when the weather is nice

Also, has anyone on here ever done the Thomond swim before? I'm thinking of doing it this year as fancy the challenge. How strong of a swimmer would you have to be for it

aidanki

panda100 wrote: »

Only the real hardcore swimmers would go swimming without a wetsuit at this time of the year!

what thickness of wetsuit would you need to swim in open water at this time of year

LimerickCity

panda100 wrote: »

LimerickCity wrote: »

I remember swimming in Plassey. Must be more than 25 years ago now.
Jumping off the black bridge, the bottomless bridge and swimming across from Sandy to the other side.
Does any this still occur?

Where is the bottomless bridge and Sandy? I sometimes see people swimming near the boathouse in UL when the weather is nice

Also, has anyone on here ever done the Thomond swim before? I'm thinking of doing it this year as fancy the challenge. How strong of a swimmer would you have to be for it

Sandy is between the black bridge and the bottomless bridge.

panda100

aidanki wrote:

what thickness of wetsuit would you need to swim in open water at this time of year

Well I have a tri wetsuit that has different thicknesses depending on body part its covering but it ranges from 1.5 to 5mm. Im sure any wetsuit would do. I also use a thick swim cap as your head can get pretty cold when your in the water for an extended time.

aidanki

LimerickCity wrote: »

Sandy is between the black bridge and the bottomless bridge.

thats along the riverbank, at the back of UL I think

panda100

I'm back with my swimming questions! Does anyone know of any place local that does swim analysis? I'd prefer not to have to trek all the way up to B2R.

Also, does anyone know any good swimming coaches in Limerick who would work with adult swimmers on form and technique? Thought I would get more local answers here than on the triathlon forum

aidanki

panda100 wrote: »

I'm back with my swimming questions! Does anyone know of any place local that does swim analysis? I'd prefer not to have to trek all the way up to B2R.

Also, does anyone know any good swimming coaches in Limerick who would work with adult swimmers on form and technique? Thought I would get more local answers here than on the triathlon forum

regarding swim analysis the triclub do it every so often, I haven't done it unfortunately, check on the website, Im sure you will find it advertised.

regarding swimming coaches Id advise to ask in the University, every now and then you see some one on one coaching going on in the pool.

The triclub also do some group sessions in the evening time, well they did from Jan to Mid April, it was v good, you break down the stroke, and swim slowly focusing on one thing. There is a coach instructing you, I was swimming a mile in an hour every Monday night. Going slow allows you to focus and do one aspect of the stroke correctly. Thanks to this, I now can do bilateral breathing, I couldn't before last Feb.

panda100

aidanki wrote: »

regarding swim analysis the triclub do it every so often, I haven't done it unfortunately, check on the website, Im sure you will find it advertised.

regarding swimming coaches Id advise to ask in the University, every now and then you see some one on one coaching going on in the pool.

The triclub also do some group sessions in the evening time, well they did from Jan to Mid April, it was v good, you break down the stroke, and swim slowly focusing on one thing. There is a coach instructing you, I was swimming a mile in an hour every Monday night. Going slow allows you to focus and do one aspect of the stroke correctly. Thanks to this, I now can do bilateral breathing, I couldn't before last Feb.

Thanks Aidanki and well done for swimming a mile in under an hour! No small feat. Yeah I missed out on the tri club swim sessions at the beginning of the year as I had other stuff on. Bilateral breathing is also a goal of mine so I will ask around at UL.

aidanki

Bilateral breathing is easy enough to master.

Triclub advise - get a set of flippers for practicing, this will allow you to get 50% more propulsion from you legs, and you will now be able to swim comfortably the length of the pool using your legs only. Put hand by your sides and practice breathing to both sides.

I didn't get 10m and got dizzy if anything rolling to both sides, on the first tryout, but after 100m I had a basic grasp, the secret was to roll slowly, which you can do when you have the flippers as you will fly along.

Buy the flippers a size too small for you as the rubber gets a bit flexi when wet and warm in the pool, if flippers are too big will fall off and they don't have shoe laces on them.

panda100

Great advice. Thanks Aidanki

KierKenn

I'd really appreciate some help with this.
I am a regular sea swimmer (daily)
I am moving to Limerick - prob going to live in Castletroy area.

Could anyone advise where I could have a quick morning swim that is within a maximum 15minute cycle of that area?
Ideally somewhere near UL campus.

Thank you

zulutango

KierKenn wrote: »

I'd really appreciate some help with this.
I am a regular sea swimmer (daily)
I am moving to Limerick - prob going to live in Castletroy area.

Could anyone advise where I could have a quick morning swim that is within a maximum 15minute cycle of that area?
Ideally somewhere near UL campus.

Thank you

There's a group that regularly swim in the Shannon River at Plassey (near the UL campus). They'll have good local knowledge. I'll see if I can find out details for you. Limerick Triathlon Club sometimes hosts swimming events from the old slipway beside the UL rowing club pontoon so that must be swimmable to some extent. Just be careful. Swimming in rivers is quite different to swimming in the sea. You're less bouyant and there are very strong flows in places. It might be something to leave until the summer time when the flow is much less. Castleconnell and O'Brien's Bridge are good spots for swimming (and I would say safer too as there's a gentler gradient and therefore lower flow) but they are that bit further away.

KierKenn

Thank you for that Zulutango. I agree - I plan to be very careful - and to seek out local knowledge.

If anyone or you has further information on "There's a group that regularly swim in the Shannon River at Plassey (near the UL campus)", I'd be very thankful for same.

panda100

KierKenn wrote: »

Thank you for that Zulutango. I agree - I plan to be very careful - and to seek out local knowledge.

If anyone or you has further information on "There's a group that regularly swim in the Shannon River at Plassey (near the UL campus)", I'd be very thankful for same.

Great to see a fellow open-water swimmer in Limerick, welcome to our tribe KierKenn

Since I started this thread I have become fully immersed in the Limerick open water swimming world and I reckon Zulutango's information is fairly outdated from what I can see.

The tri club, rarely if ever swim in the city centre. They do coached session starting in May at O'Briens Bridge, which will probably be a about a 30minute cycle from Castletroy. A few of its members, of which I am one, sometimes organise their own swims in the city centre.

The main group for open water swimming is the Limerick Masters and I tend to tag along to all their swims. During the summer they swim out in beautiful Castleconnell most evenings. This would probably only be a 15 minute cycle from Castletroy. During the winter they have a cold-water swimmers whatsapp group. They might go for a swim in the city, tide depending, but it might be out in Killaloe or other spots as well.

No-one swims in Plassey anymore, except for the odd swim on Christmas day, as the water is not very safe to swim in due to pollution further upstream. I swam in their last year and it wasn't the most pleasant experience.

The other group that organises swim is Swimablelimerick. These swims take place in the city centre which is a lovely spot to swim in but is tide dependent. These swims will be launching the weekend of Riverfest, so the May bank Holiday weekend. However, we have a whatsapp group and might go for the odd swim between now and May if we get a few nice days and the river is safe to swim in

Feel free to DM me and I can add you to some of the groups

panda100

Oh also forgot to say there is a group that swims out in Annacotty weekly, which is right beside UL. They are a pretty tight knit bunch though so probably best to come along to one of the swimablelimerick or Limerick master swims first so you can get to know them first But that is a good spot to swim in also though I have never been out there myself.

Mutant z

Askeaton has one afaik or at least it did not certain if it still does.

Insect Overlord

Mutant z wrote: »

Askeaton has one afaik or at least it did not certain if it still does.

Yeah, but you'd need a rocket-powered bike to get from Castletroy to Askeaton in 15 minutes.

panda100

Mutant z wrote: »

Askeaton has one afaik or at least it did not certain if it still does.

The open water pool is not there anymore. Though there is active open waters swimmers out there that swim in Ringmoylan, Glin and the Deel. Would be a bit too far from Castletroy though.

zulutango

panda100 wrote: »

Oh also forgot to say there is a group that swims out in Annacotty weekly, which is right beside UL. They are a pretty tight knit bunch though so probably best to come along to one of the swimablelimerick or Limerick master swims first so you can get to know them first But that is a good spot to swim in also though I have never been out there myself.

That's the group I was talking about. He's looking for local knowledge around Castletroy so these would be good people to talk to.

By the way, Limerick Triathlon Club do host events at the slipway beside the UL Rowing Club pontoon. You must know about these? The point is that the area is swimmable. Stretches of water that are rowable tend to be good for swimming too because the flow is gentler than on other stretches of the river. Castleconnell and O'Brien's Bridge are also good examples (popular for both rowing and swimming) but these are more than a 15 minute bike ride from Castletroy (10km is 30 mins if you're going 20kph which is a decent speed unless you're training) and might not be much use to the OP. Plassey, at UL, is a traditional swimming spot for generations of Limerick folks and you'd still get people swimming there in summer time around the Black Bridge. It's certainly not a case of 'nobody swims there anymore'.

panda100

zulutango wrote: »

That's the group I was talking about. He's looking for local knowledge around Castletroy so these would be good people to talk to.

By the way, Limerick Triathlon Club do host events at the slipway beside the UL Rowing Club pontoon. You must know about these? The point is that the area is swimmable. Stretches of water that are rowable tend to be good for swimming too because the flow is gentler than on other stretches of the river. Castleconnell and O'Brien's Bridge are also good examples (popular for both rowing and swimming) but these are more than a 15 minute bike ride from Castletroy (10km is 30 mins if you're going 20kph which is a decent speed unless you're training) and might not be much use to the OP. Plassey, at UL, is a traditional swimming spot for generations of Limerick folks and you'd still get people swimming there in summer time around the Black Bridge. It's certainly not a case of 'nobody swims there anymore'.

1st I've ever heard of it and I have been a very active member of the Tri Club for the last two years.

Personally, I wouldn't go swimming at Plassey as the water quality is not good but each to their own.

zulutango

Which triathlon club are you a member of? And what do you mean by water quality? I didn't hear about it being polluted. I'd have thought it's cleaner than in the city centre and much the same as the water quality upriver. But perhaps not. I think it's tested periodically by various agencies, i.e. EPA, Council, Waterways Ireland, Inland Fisheries, etc.

panda100

I'm with the Limerick Triathlon Club, I would be surprised if the Glin Tri Club came all the way into the city to do their swims?

I think at last testing, the water there was 'moderate'. This is certainly not clean. From my sources there is a sewage plant beside there and this further contaminates the river, but perhaps you know more about this that I do.

zulutango

panda100 wrote: »

I'm with the Limerick Triathlon Club, I would be surprised if the Glin Tri Club came all the way into the city to do their swims?

There's also GoTri. They have a lot of members in the city.

panda100 wrote: »

I think at last testing, the water there was 'moderate'. This is certainly not clean. From my sources there is a sewage plant beside there and this further contaminates the river, but perhaps you know more about this that I do.

Do you know how it compares to the quality in the city centre, or upriver at Castleconnell? And where is this result reported? I will check it out. There has been a great improvement in the water quality in the city centre since the Main Drainage Scheme, but I would have thought that it is still not amazing as there's still a few open outflows going into it. There's also Longpavement landfill which can't be helping. As well as that, the tide brings the treated water from the plant at Bunlicky back up towards the city so that could have an effect too.

The water quality in many of Ireland's inland waterways has deteriorated sharply in recent years which is very bad news for anyone who enjoys spending time in or around them - https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/unwelcome-declines-in-irish-water-quality-1.3203878

panda100

You're the first person I have ever heard refer to GoTri as a Limerick based triathlon club. Its based out in Shannon so not really Limerick, surprised to hear they go swimming in the city.

Mutant z

panda100 wrote: »

Well I have a tri wetsuit that has different thicknesses depending on body part its covering but it ranges from 1.5 to 5mm. Im sure any wetsuit would do. I also use a thick swim cap as your head can get pretty cold when your in the water for an extended time.

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Yeah, but you'd need a rocket-powered bike to get from Castletroy to Askeaton in 15 minutes.

The op mentioned Foynes, Askeaton is right next to Foynes.

panda100

For anyone interested, which I'm sure is everyone, the council are seeking public consultation on identifying bathing waters in Limerick city and county. It would be great to see an official bathing area in Limerick city as currently no where in the city is designated as a specific bathing area.

Public Participation in the Identification of ‘Bathing Waters’
09 MAY 2018
All 31 city and county councils are inviting public participation in the identification of Bathing Waters under the Bathing Waters Directive and the Bathing Water Quality Regulations 2008 (SI No 79 of 2008).

The Directive requires that water quality at all identified bathing waters meets stringent microbiological standards in order to protect the health of people who choose to bathe there. City and county councils are required under the 2008 Regulations to identify bathing waters on an annual basis.

This consultation process provides the public with an opportunity to:

comment on existing identified bathing waters with a view to continuation of classification,
comment on other bathing waters not currently identified but which may be considered for classification.
Local authorities must identify official bathing areas in their area every year so that they can be monitored for safety, water quality and their level of use. To help with this process, Limerick City and County Council are asking people who swim at beaches, lakes and rivers to tell them if they think they should maintain existing designated bathing waters designations or give a new official bathing area designation to areas that are commonly used for swimming, but not identified at the moment.

Under European and Irish law, Irish local authorities must identify bathing waters each year so that these areas can be monitored to ensure they meet stringent microbiological water quality standards. In some cases, the official bathing areas are also the areas where local authorities focus their resources providing lifeguards during the summer season. These laws also require that the local authority prepares detailed descriptions or profiles for each of the identified bathing water sites that describe not just the bathing area but also areas in the surface waters catchment area that could be a source of pollution. The profiles include an assessment the risk of pollution and what action would be taken if pollution occurs.

If you are a regular swimmer and want to help your Council decide which bathing areas should be classified as such, it might be helpful to consider the following:

comment on other bathing waters not currently identified but which may be considered for classification.
How your swimming area has been used up to now;
How many people use the site;
What facilities exist at the site and how accessible it is;
Any safety issues.
If you wish to propose your favourite beach/river etc as a new bathing water site or comment on an existing site please contact the Water Safety Development Officer, Limerick City & County Council, Dooradoyle, Limerick or by email to wsdo@limerick.ie
Comments are invited from interested parties.

Please make submissions by post to the Water Safety Development Officer, Limerick City & County Council, Dooradoyle, Limerick or by email to wsdo@limerick.ie

Please contact Limerick City and County Council for information on the criteria to be used.

Closing date for submissions to Limerick City and County Council is 22nd June 2018

Treepole

panda100 wrote: »

For anyone interested, which I'm sure is everyone, the council are seeking public consultation on identifying bathing waters in Limerick city and county. It would be great to see an official bathing area in Limerick city as currently no where in the city is designated as a specific bathing area.

It's a trick. They just want to identify areas where people are swimming and then they will stick up No Swimming notices.

panda100

Treepole wrote:

It's a trick. They just want to identify areas where people are swimming and then they will stick up No Swimming notices.

Ha! How little we trust our council

panda100

If the recent spell of good weather has taught us anything it's that we desperately need a safe place for people to swim in the city centre. Please support in the first step to achieving a public bathing area in the city by contacting the council before next Friday and requesting a designated bathing area in Limerick. More details can be found here

Mc Love

Done - and I dont even swim in the river, but should I want to, I'd love the option to be there.

panda100

Tomorrow is the last day for submissions to Limerick Council to request a designated bathing area in Limerick city. Email wsdo@limerick.ie and let's make splashing around the Shannon on a sunny day, safe and accessible to all

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2018/06/19/call-for-city-centre-swimming-area/