Galway swimmers conquer the Channel

Ships passing . . . Deirdre Newell crosses paths with a car ferry during her crossing of the English Channel.

placeholder image — Ships passing . . . Deirdre Newell crosses paths with a car ferry during her crossing of the English Channel.

Two Galway swimmers are celebrating this week having successfully crossed the English Channel over the weekend, with Dee Newell from Corrandulla and Fergal Madden from Athenry, both members of the Atlantic Masters Swimming Club, overcoming all obstacles to swim their way across the famed Strait of Dover.

Speaking to the Connacht Tribune shortly after arriving back in Ireland, Dee said she was delighted with her time of 14 hours and 54 minutes – and said it was back to reality for her as she returned to her role as Army Captain at Cathal Brugha Barracks in Dublin – even though there had been mention of an extra few days off thanks to a message of congratulations from the Taoiseach.

The swim from Dover in England to Wissant in France went ‘perfectly’, she said, despite missing her first window due to poor weather conditions – and was the fruition of preparations that started in 2017.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.