Wicklow Hospice Push Their Lough

That Ringo feeling… Lough Dan SUN12JULY26 John McGowan

he weather couldn’t have been sweeter, and the people there happier, as Lough Dan became the perfect spot for a Sunday afternoon swim…

And best of all, the big splash was all about raising monies for two fine, upstanding charities.

Everyone will be familiar with the amazing work that Our Lady’s Hospice and Care Services undertake in their facility in Maghermore and in our communities in County Wicklow and beyond, and you can find out more here agus here.

The other charity, 22q11 Ireland, may be less familiar, but does equally outstanding work nationwide. You can click here to find out more!

And while we have you there, a little about the magnificent Lough Dan. Formed by glacial erosion during the last Ice Age, the water has, thankfully, warmed up a little in the last 25,000 years. With an average depth of 14m, the lake is 3km long and 500 metres wide, and is surrounded by Luggala Mountain (595m) to the northeast and Kanturk (523m) to the west. Average summer water temperatures are between 13 to 15 degrees.

The event on Sunday was staged from the Lough Dan Scout Centre, with two different distances starting in separate waves. The first was a 1km novice swim and the other a 3.9km Ironman Distance.

And as we said, the weather couldn’t have been sweeter, making for a something close to a perfect day for a perfect swim.

In the thick of it all with his American flag budgie smuggler was our trusty snapper John McGowan, his full gallery of over 100 hi-res shots from the day right over here.

That full John McGowan hi-res gallery – free to download – is here.