From A to Sea – The Southern Star Sea Swimming Podcast The Southern Star

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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KEN O’Sullivan is an Irish underwater cinematographer, film maker, author, diver and swimmer.
As well as completing documentary series' for RTÉ, Ken was cameraman on BBC’s Atlantic – Wildest Ocean on Earth series, a CBC Canada documentary on jellyfish and ITV’s Britain’s Whales and Britain’s Sharks documentary.
His series on the North Atlantic, The Dark Ocean was hugely popular when it was shown on RTE last year. It revealed never-before-filmed behaviours of our stunning marine creatures, with an original soundtrack performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
Ken has also made a ten-minute movie on West Cork elite swimmer Steve Redmond.
He recently spoke to Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin from his home in Lahinch, Co Clare, not far from where he grew up.
This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan. Listen below.
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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.
 

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SARAH McKnight is a Londoner who moved to Schull after meeting a Cork man. 
She's a swimming teacher, an open water swimming coach and a level one triathlon coach.
McKnight started her swim teaching career on board cruise ships, and from there moved to the Cayman Islands, but every Sunday morning she takes a group for a swim off the slipway at the Fastnet Marine Centre in Schull.
Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin joined them recently, but before that had a great chat with McKnight in the town's Harbour Hotel.
This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.
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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.

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NUALA Moore is a force to be reckoned with – and the sea knows that!
Nuala’s earliest memory is of jumping off her father’s fishing boat in Dingle and swimming back to shore. Since then, she’s swum in some of the coldest, remotest and most dangerous waters in the world, from the Bering Strait to the Drake Passage.
After years of marathon swimming, Nuala struggled to balance sacrifice and achievement. Her work–life balance, coupled with caring for her father, forced a change in her pathway. She turned to ice swimming.
Nuala believes that everyone is capable of greatness, whatever shape that might take.
Her incredible memoir talks about her initial dive into the world of marathons and triathlons and how she eventually came back to her one true love – the ocean.
Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin travelled to Dingle to meet Nuala inside her beautiful little linen shop, where they talked about Nuala’s drive to constantly challenging herself, from scuba diving to swimming, and the world’s fascination with cold water.
This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.
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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.

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THIS week’s From A To Sea podcast is very close to Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin's heart.
Since the 90s she has been visiting Iceland whenever she could get the chance – and whenever her wallet would allow.
Her most recent visit was just a few weeks ago, as the earthquakes rattled the region near the main airport and the people of this wonderful land were in fear of a dormant volcano erupting at any moment.
On the Saturday morning of her long weekend, Siobhán happened to visit the local beach outside Reykjavik and just by pure good timing and luck, stumbled up on a group of local women enjoying their regular dipping routine.
Siobhán's friend, a Reykjavik local, was able to introduce her and within minutes she found herself togging out for a dip on the magnificent beach overlooking the city.
These women are amazing. They meet three times a week and do a short meditation before the swim, as well as opening what they call their ‘complaints department’ where anyone in the circle of friends can vent their anger or upset about anything at that moment.
That morning swimmer Margaret said she was anxious about the events at the time and everyone shared in that anxiety. But she said she realised that nothing would improve her mood better than a dip with her lady friends in the ocean.
These women don’t wear wetsuits, just neoprene gloves, boots and distinctive yellow hats.
These inspiring women formed the Happier You swimming group during Covid, when their usual hot-spring pools were closed to the public.
Siobhán just had to learn more about these delightful women, living on the island which is our closest northern neighbour, so she invited Tinna, Margaret and Klara on the podcast to share their story.
This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.
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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.