Maureen McCoy and Paul McCambridge have recently self-published Wild Swimming: Ireland. Here’s they pick five of their favourite Irish swims
©Paul McCambridge / MAC Visual Media 2015
This island nation is full of contradictions, the Irish; fiercely tribal yet openly welcoming. They will defend their homes with fervour, yet offer you a bed for the night. They will tell you there is nowhere you can get a better Guinness then regale you for hours about a wee bar away down in the West / South where you’ll not find a better pint and swimming well wherever you meet them is the best place, but you should also go to and be sure not to miss and so your journey around Ireland starts “Come on in will ye… sure the craic is mighty!
©Paul McCambridge / MAC Visual Media 2015
Youths scramble up barnacle encrusted rocks, socks the only protection for delicate feet…
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©Paul McCambridge - MAC Visual Media - 2016
Lose yourself in this other-worldly place, great jagged sea stacks jut out of the water like some mythical sea creature.
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©Paul McCambridge - MAC Visual Media
Perfect for wild camping and an early morning skinny dip.
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©Paul McCambridge 2015 - MAC Visual Media
This stunning horseshoe shaped strand is as close to the perfect beach as you could ever hope to find.
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©Paul McCambridge 2015 - MAC Visual Media
One of the most dramatic swims in Ireland, a 1 kilometre trip across to Carrick-a-Rede Island and under the rope bridge.
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Journeying from county to county, this guide to fifty of Ireland’s best wild swims will inspire readers to get off the beaten track and find amazing locations for skinny-dipping, diving, swimming and snorkelling. Take a dip under the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge off the rugged coast of Ulster; circumnavigate Devenish Island in the freshwater Lough Erne; explore the rockpool at Hook Head Lighthouse; drop from high diving boards into Galway Bay; or slip along the Wild Atlantic Way’s hidden beaches and isolated coves. From secret coves to serene rivers and lakes, there is something to suit swimmers of every ability. Expert tips, spectacular photos and practical information make wild swimming safe and invigorating for everyone. The maps, grid references and clear directions make it easy to find these locations where you can join the wild swimmers and get away from the hordes on supervised beaches and in crowded pools. Take the plunge in some of the most awe-inspiring corners of Ireland’s landscape.
BUY NOW »Wild Swimming in Ireland: Discover 50 Places to Swim in Rivers, Lakes & the Sea by Maureen McCoy and Paul McCambridge can be bought on Amazon, at bookstores, directly from the author’s webpage or Collins Press.