From A to Sea – The Southern Star Sea Swimming Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Hairdresser and Clonakilty native Justin Crowley is one of the people behind the iconic Galley Head 10km swim that takes place every year from Red Strand, past the lighthouse to the Warren Strand.

Over its six years of operation, it has raised almost a half-million euro for local charities.

He joined editor Siobhán Cronin recently to chat about the origins of the hugely popular event and why it’s a ‘must-do’ on so many swimmers’ calendars.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carmel Collins is a swim coach, award-winning ice swimmer and has just completed the Fastnet swim. Based near Cork city, she swims regularly at Sandycove in Kinsale, and spoke to Siobhán Cronin recently about some of her many swimming achievements.

***

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Tony O'Shaughnessy.

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ONE of the huge benefits of sea swimming for Star editor Siobhán Cronin, aside from the mental and physical boosts, is the opportunity to spend time with friends.

On the latest episode of From A To Sea, Siobhán travels to Killary in Galway to take part in the Gaelforce Great Fjord Swim, accompanied by two of her nearest and dearest, Ballinspittle woman Bláthnaid O'Regan, and Anne Scallan.

Join them on their journey up to Galway, full of excitement and anticipation ahead of the big swim, and the return trip through some heavy rain and lightning storms!

Time well spent.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ON this week's podcast Star editor Siobhán Cronin welcomes two swimming coaches, Gráinne Caulfield and Poppy Bament, who join to chat about how the rising popularity of swimming in Ireland, why anyone can take up swimming, and their love for West Cork's water.

Caulfield and Bament are both qualified level 2 open water & pool coaches and run West Cork Swim Coaching, which offers both private and group lessons for anyone wanting to flex their swimming muscles in West Cork.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ON this week's podcast, Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin is joined some of the men behind the now world-famous Fastnet swim; swimmers and coaches Nathan Timmons, Steve Redmond, Noel Browne and their skipper Kieran Collins.

Over the past few years they have grown the status of the iconic swim to a point where it is now recognised among endurance swimmers across the world as one of the best around.

With its beautiful scenery and the personal, welcoming approach of the entire crew, the swim is attracting more applicants than ever who are keen to come to West Cork and tick it off the bucket list.

In the podcast we hear about why it has become so popular, what makes the location ideal for an endurance swim and some of the challenges that face any would-be swimmers.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EASKEY Britton is an Irish surfer, author, scientist and activist is the latest guest on From A to Sea, The Southern Star's podcast series all about the sea, swimming and all things in between.

A native of Rossnowlagh in Co Donegal, she was named after a well-known wave off the west coast, so maybe her fate was sealed from the start.

In July, Easkey will be appearing at the West Cork Literary Festival to talk about her latest book, Ebb and Flow.

Southern Star editor Siobhan Cronin met Ireland's amazing wave goddess over zoom, and chatted about the book, teaching surfing in Iran, menstrual cycles, white-outs, and so much more!

This is the second episode in our latest series focusing on sea swimming. Listen back to the previous episode with journalist and author Kathy Donaghy here.

Swimming became a lifeline for many during the pandemic, and so many have kept it going, which has left Ireland with a really strong and wonderful community.

Over the next few months, we will feature interviews with prominent figures in the swimming scene, from both West Cork and beyond.

Follow along with Siobhán's latest blog post, where she writes about getting ready for those organised summer swims, by clicking here.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's In The News Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin is joined by journalist & author Kathy Donaghy to talk about depression, miscarriage and how swimming has helped heal her.

Donaghy's book, Finding My Wild: How a Move to the Edge Brought Me Home, tells her story of moving home from Dublin to the Inishowen peninsula with her young family.

It is ode to the extraordinary healing powers of immersing yourself in the natural world, especially the sea, and she joins the podcast to talk about why she made the move.

This is the second episode in our latest series focusing on sea swimming. Listen back to the first episode with total immersion swim coach Melissa Duncan here.

Swimming became a lifeline for many during the pandemic, and so many have kept it going, which has left Ireland with a really strong and wonderful community.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's In The News Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin speaks to Melissa Duncan – a 'total immersion' expert and fellow sea swimming fanatic – about a shared love of the sea, building her own swimming pool, and some well-known West Cork names she has coached along the way.

Swimming became a lifeline for many during the pandemic, and so many have kept it going, which has left Ireland with a really strong and wonderful community.

Total immersion is a technique that involves running through swim strokes in a similar fashion to yoga, with the aim being to move through the water more efficiently. Melissa Duncan has been one of the biggest proponents of the technique in Ireland and joins the podcast to chat about the benefits of adapting to it.

Duncan runs The Swim Studio – Ireland's first total immersion swim coaching studio to be located in Ireland.

Follow along with Siobhán's latest blog post, where she writes about getting ready for those organised summer swims, by clicking here.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's In The News Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For more on this story pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OSSI Schmidt is a legend in Open Water Swimming – he was involved in starting the Irish Open Masters Swimming Championships, brought the Global Open Water Swimming Conference to Cork in 2013 and became honorary recorder for the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association in 2019.

He has swam the Gibraltar Straits, and completed several relay swims including the four-person English Channel, Lake Zurich, Alcatraz, Robben Island and, locally, Fastnet to Schull.

But these days Ossi is best known as the founder of the GaddinAbtGarnish swim event that takes place twice each summer, over to or around the stunning island off Glengarriff.

Just ahead of entries opening for the second swim this summer, Ossi came down to Lough Hyne to chat to us about the origins of one of Ireland’s most popular charity swims.

***

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NIALL Kenny is an open water marathon swimmer and a Cork native. But, most importantly, he is the man behind the campaign for a Lido in Cork.

He joined Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin recently to explain exactly what a ‘Lido’ is, and why Ireland’s second city so badly needs – and deserves – one.

The possible site of the Lido in Cork city.

Kenny says that a possible site could be along Kennedy Quay, near the train station, where Cork County Council bought land from the Port of Cork Authority.

A possible design for the Lido.

Tune in now to hear more about the campaign, why Cork deserves a Lido and the benefits a city can see from embracing its river.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

***

Follow Cork CLG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or visit their website.

Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.