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A Donegal swimmer who is aiming to become the first to circumnavigate Ireland has paid tribute to the support of local people as he arrived in Co Down.<\/p>\nA Donegal swimmer who is aiming to become the first to circumnavigate Ireland has paid tribute to the support of local people as he arrived in Co Down.<\/p>\n
Henry O\u2019Donnell, 56, started his marathon swim at Carrickfin beach in Co Donegal last month with the aid of fins and a wetsuit after four years of training.<\/p>\n
The father-of-six is raising money for charities the Irish Cancer Society and Water Safety Ireland during his epic challenge.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Donnell said he has been swimming between three to 10 miles a day, depending on conditions.<\/p>\n
He has conquered some challenging stretches of water including Tory Island, Malin Head and the sound of Rathlin where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Irish Sea.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach day when I go out to swim I try to swim as far as I can but taking into account not to overdo it, so it\u2019s different distances each day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a tracking system on and the public can track it online.\u201d<\/p>\n
He will now continue south and expects to arrive in the waters around Dublin in around three weeks time, with the aim of completing the swim within a year.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Donnell said he has been warmly welcomed from the chilly waters by local people all along his route.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe welcome has been amazing and the support of everybody,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cThese are two very important charities for the island of Ireland because people benefit from both.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo very worthy causes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Donnell arrived on the north Down coast shortly after the death of sea swimmer Mary Feeney, an artist who was originally from his native Donegal.<\/p>\n
He joined a vigil in her memory in Bangor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI dedicated the swim the day before yesterday to Mary Feeney, we will remember her,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Marie-Therese Davis Hanson and her husband Stephen were among members of swimming group the Brompton Belles and Beaux who greeted Mr O\u2019Donnell at Bangor Marina.<\/p>\n
They presented him with a club woolly hat, declaring him an honorary beaux.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe heard about Henry\u2019s challenge and thought it was a fantastic cause so we thought we\u2019d come down to welcome him and share some of our knowledge, and help him out in any way we can on his swim,\u201d Ms Davis-Hanson said.<\/p>\n
Mr O\u2019Donnell is no stranger to challenges, having previously become the first Irishman to swim the 14km around Tory Island, and later completed the 38km Donegal Coastal Challenge Swim in 1997.<\/p>\n
His progress can be tracked on the challenge website<\/a>.<\/p>\nShare this:<\/h3>