Visual artist completes challenging Mayo-Galway swim on Lough Corrib
LONG-DISTANCE swimmer Vanessa Daws has completed a gruelling swim of Lough Corrib, from Mayo's Lisloughrey Pier in Cong to Galway city.
She completed the 39.750km distance in Corrib in 15.56 hours.
This isn't the first time that Vanessa has undertaken such a challenge. In 2018 she swam the length of Lough Mask (22.5km) in 10.22 hours.
Vanessa believes that both are pioneering swims.
A visual artist who lives in Dublin, Vanessa knows south Mayo and its wonderful rivers and lakes having worked in Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre, Clonbur, in 1999. Vanessa also worked with the Macnas Theatre Company in Galway city in the early 2000s.
Last year, she swam the English Channel in a time of 17.35 hours.
Vanessa explained how preparations for last month’s Lough Corrib swim panned out: “We set off at 3.45 a.m. from Lisloughrey Pier, a public pier next door to Ashford Castle. It took us (the support flotilla of a rib and kayak) a few minutes to get into our rhythm as we left the pier and the lights from other moored boats, but once we left behind the harbour we soon got used to the dark and got into our stride.
“I had planned this swim thinking that it would take about 20 hours. When planning I always anticipate a slower time for any surprises, but realistically I thought it would take 18 or 19 hours.
“The elements were in my favour as I had the north wind behind me, and it helped. I felt really strong and think my stroke was pretty consistent throughout. I got a bit chilly towards the end, just arms and legs, the core was fine, the air temperature was pleasant enough, but the breeze on my shoulders probably started to take its toll. The water ranged from 15º - 17º and the air temperature was between 13º - 17º.”
Such a swim may seem daunting, however, Vanessa enjoyed the swim, the stretch of continual swimming, only interrupted by taking food and drinking fluids every 45 minutes.
Towards the end she was encouraged to see the top of the Galway Arts Festival tent in the Fisheries Field, especially she used to work for Macnas in the Field during the arts festival about 20 years ago.
This swim brought back happy memories of living and working in Galway. And it was also a personal and emotional occasion for Vanessa.
“The swim was a personal and emotional swim for me, I felt it was a part of who I am, and the memory of my good friend Niamh. Three members of my support crew were also close friends with Niamh, they all knew how much she loved the water and I imagine we all were thinking about her throughout the swim.”
Of course, this swim would not have been possible without a good team and Vanessa said her support crew were amazing.
“The team were amazing, and I felt so lucky to have such a great and skilled group of people supporting me. My observer and feeder was Anna McCarthy, the two boat pilots were Eoin McCambridge and Pauline Jordan. Michelle Granaghan and Kathleen Fitzhenry both kayaked for half the route each. The boat was supplied by Killary Adventure Centre/Gaelforce.”
Further details about Vanessa Daws' visual art and long-distance swimming are available by visiting www.vanessadaws.com and www.swimmingalongwaytogether.com.