Man completes Shannon swim without wetsuit
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Ger Moore swims through the twin towns of Ballina-Killaloe on the 13th day of his Shannon challenge.Image 2 of 2
Ger Moore pictured on the far right with his boat support team in Ballina. From left: Philip Neville (Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club), David Bullman (volunteer), Josie Morgan (Lough Derg SAC), Colm Daly (Ger’s swimming coach) and Fiona Ryan (Lough Derg SAC).A Cork man successfully completed a swim of the entire length of the Shannon waterway the weekend before last.
It was the first time for anyone to swim all 250km of the Shannon without a wetsuit. Ger Moore completed the challenge in 14 days and in all kinds of weather, often in very difficult conditions. He found the Lough Derg section of the swim particularly challenging as the weather turned and made Ger work against driving wind and rain.
Fortunately, he had good boat cover on all stages of the swim. From the Portumna to Parteen stages, which Ger swam over Wednesday to Friday last, this support was provided by volunteers from Lough Derg Sub Aqua Club and Lough Derg Yacht Club.
Having set out from Dowra, Co Cavan, on June 18, Ger finished his epic journey at Curraghgour Boat Club in Limerick city at 6.40pm last Saturday week. There he was met by family, friends and fellow members of his open water swimming club the Lough Ree Orcas for an emotional end to the challenge, during which Ger showed unrelenting mental and physical strength, an inspiration to us all.
The Cork swimmer, who lives in Roscommon, took on this unprecedented Shannon challenge to raise awareness and funds for two charities, Jigsaw and Pieta House. Sadly, so many families throughout Ireland have had to avail of the vital services that these groups provide in the area of mental health support and suicide prevention.
Even though Ger's swim is over, you can still show your support as the donation link will remain open until August 31. Visit