St Patricks Day Snorkel 2003
Dalkey Island

Written by Niall Staplton

Never mind parades, ceilidhs or banishing snakes. St. Patrick's Day has become the day when divers and snorkellers traditionally put their sanity to the test and decide whether or not to swim out from Coliemore Harbour, around Dalkey Island and back into the harbour.

Approximately seventy brave souls of questionable sanity from clubs all over the region braved the still cold spring waters and did the swim on Monday, March 17th. There was eight people proudly representing the Curragh on the day. The weather was kind to the brave and conditions were ideal. The sea was calm and once the fog cleared the sun shone. An early start was required to beat the rising spring tide so most people were registering around 8.30am and in the water before 9am.

Neil Bannon, Rhona Mannion, John O Connor, Einar Magg, Phil Butler, Jean Kelleher, Peter Davitt and your scribe turned out. Neil took off across the sound and was making tremendous progress until he became the object of an amorous seal's affections around the south tip. Apparently what ensued turned out to be somewhat pornographic but happily I hear that there was a photographer on hand to capture the images. John passed Neil (John was going anti-clockwise) and it seemed that the seal having been spurned by Neil left him in favour of John. John, however, denies any relations with the said seal. I wonder was the photographer still in the vicinity? Peter Davitt got around in jig time. Rhona was efficient as ever. She did have to resist the temptation to stop on the island and sing some blues but carried on instead. Einar made short work of the swim as well. Special congratulations to our two trainees who bravely took to the water at this early stage of their CFT careers. Such enthusiasm will hopefully bring them far.

There was ample boat support on the day with the Curragh providing two boats, Dalkey (our sister club??) two boats and a number of boats from other clubs. They were there to help the cramped and the tired and to rescue people from the lifeboat! To run such an event without boat cover would not be safe so well done to the boys: Michael O'Loughlin and Aodan Tynan who cox'd the inflatable and the girls: Roisin McArdle, Sarah Jane Burns and Elena Coyle who cox'd the new RIB. It's a good thing the good looking ones cox'd the RIB as they got to spend a good deal of time in the harbour!

The whole event was aimed at raising money for the RNLI. There was a short display from the lifeboat and the rescue helicopter when two people were lifted from the boat into the helicopter. The Dun Laoighre based lifeboat came up the sound at great speed for the display and required a number of snorkellers to be, ironically, rescued from its path.

The good news for CSAC members who took part is that the snorkel can be counted as two snorkels for the purpose of their required three pre-season snorkels.
Post-swim analysis, discussion, refreshment and jollification was in "The Club" bar in Dalkey. The business of wetting the shamrock began in earnest and, I am told, continued there and in a number of hostelries in the vicinity for the day.

As for your scribe, he began the day as a Dalkey Island Virgin having never done it before. He was pleasantly surprised by the day, the banter and the enjoyable swim. Happily he made it around and back losing just that one thing! Suffice to say, though, he will be back to try it again next year when hopefully St. Patrick will look as favourably as he did this year. He also wonders if the DO might consider it worth three snorkels??.....

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