In the year 2000 Eddie McGettigan dove off Tuskar Rock in County Wexford and swam over 60 km in freezing waters to Bishop’s Rock off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Eddie, aged 47, began his swim on Saturday. For twenty-nine hours he endured freezing temperatures until he reached Bishop’s Rock at 10 pm on Sunday. Exhausted and swollen from his colossal swim, Eddie was sadly informed that his achievement would not be recognised because he wore a wetsuit!

Unfortunately, the wearing of a wetsuit is prohibited by long-distance swimming authorities. So to become the first man to swim from Ireland to Wales across the Irish Sea, Eddie would have to redo the journey in normal swimming attire.

Photo Credit: : Tuskar Rock Lighthouse
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © David Dixon – geograph.org.uk/p/5317967