The Lee Swim took place on Saturday in the glorious sunshine of Cork.  I’m not sure if I’d be so quick to jump into the murky waters of the River Lee but it looked relatively clean from a distance on Saturday.  There was a great turnout for this event which was resurrected in 2005 having started in 1914.  I knew a couple of people doing it and am currently being harassed to do it next year.  Watch this space!

Lots more photos in the full set over on Flickr.  I also hope to resurrect Pana-Vision which will consist of plenty of sporting photos from the past month or so.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• June 11, 2008 -- Schull Triathlon (14)
• September 3, 2008 -- Blackwater Triathlon 2008 (0)
• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)

After threatening to do a triathlon in the last few years, normally over Christmas drinks when it seems like a good idea, this year I finally followed through on it with a few lads from college.

Schull Triathlon is a sprint distance triathlon in which you swim 750m, cycle 20km, and run 5km. Each on their own are very doable but putting them all together is a different prospect. We got down to Schull bright and early on Saturday morning for registration and set up our gear in the transition area. This being our first triathlon we didn’t really know what to expect from the day and to be honest I couldn’t think much past the swim. I was just looking to finish this and then see how things went from there. We had a briefing before the start of the race where Munster and Irish rugby player Frankie Sheehan got a good reception when introduced as official starter.

You wouldn’t know it from the photo of me below on the left but I wasn’t all that relaxed as we wandered down for the start! Although after a long morning wait I was looking forward to just get the show on the road.

Further photos and race description after the jump:

The swim saw us start from the slip at the community school in Schull. Things were a bit crowded and I decided to hang back a bit to let the stronger swimmers get off first. I don’t know what the best strategy is because I saw some swimmers head off on a very long way around although they didn’t have many other swimmers kicking them or have the pleasure of kicking other swimmers! Things were rough out there! The first swimmers got off to a head-start from the bunch and I presume it was these two who led the charge home far ahead of everybody else.

We swam out a short distance to the first buoy (pictured below) after which there was a long stretch to the second buoy before returning back to the slip diagonally keeping outside the third and final buoy. After reaching the second buoy my goggles had fogged up a bit so I couldn’t really see where I was going. There was a boat in the way and I made a decision to go left of this but when I rounded the boat, it seemed like most of the traffic had decided to veer right so I panicked a little. This thing was hard enough without adding extra distance! I was glad to see the slip getting closer and closer and as I neared it, tried to put my feet down to walk the rest of the way only to find I was still out of my depth. One last push and I was on the slip.

Jim was first of our group out of the water and held that lead all the way through, fair play to him.

The cycle itself wasn’t too bad once I caught my breath after the swim. The hardest part of the triathlon was definitely the transition from one discipline to another. There’s a bit of a hill leading out of the Schull but I wasn’t ready for the rest of the hills on the cycle route! There was good banter on the cycle as I passed, and got passed by, other cyclists. This was the most enjoyable part of the triathlon for me. The hill back down into Schull was a welcome relief though and it was only afterwards that I noticed the stacked bales of hay to reduce the risk of injury as you turn the corner back onto Colla Road! I’m glad I didn’t notice this in advance!

The run was the least favourite part for me as I hadn’t done much running in my all too brief training schedule. It was hard enough running up the hill from the transition area to get going on the final 5km! Having said that, I don’t think I was passed out by too many in the run but that could have been the delirium and fanciful thinking kicking in . One of our group flaked past me at one stage which took me by surprise as I hadn’t noticed passing him on the cycle. I was happy trundling along at my own pace, knowing that the finish line was close. Jim crossed over at a very respectable 1:28:59 although the official time brought it up to the 1:29:00 mark. You were robbed!

Dec was in next not far behind…

And I’m up next with an official time of 1:36:20. I was looking to break 1:40:00 so I was well chuffed with that.

All in all a great experience and we are already looking to the Blackwater Triathlon at the end of August for our next triathlon. I don’t think I’d be able for a full distance triathlon but might aim for that next year.

Here’s a report on the triathlon from a girl in our class in college who had a very impressive podium finish.

See the full set of photos which were all taken by my lovely fianceé. Alan also has a set of photos from the race on Flickr.

Update: Race results are online now on Triathlon Ireland.  I came 120 out of 208.  Not bad I think!

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• September 3, 2008 -- Blackwater Triathlon 2008 (0)
• July 21, 2008 -- Lee Swim 2008 (6)
• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)

The Cork City Marathon was on today in gorgeous sunshine which may have slowed down some of the participants. I headed down to the Dunkettle Roundabout to cheer on the poor souls who had another 3 hours or more ahead of them.

I couldn’t put all the photos here so if you passed the Dunkettle roundabout between about 9:50am and soon after 10pm check out the full set on Flickr.

I was at the finishing line from the 3:45 to about 4:10 mark and will be posting those photos in the coming days.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)
• November 11, 2009 -- Julie Feeney at The Pavilion (0)
• September 16, 2009 -- Super Furry Animals at Indiependence (0)

The Cork Business Shipping League Shield final took place on November 4th last so I thought it’s about time to do something with these photos!  My brother’s team Kilcully Decking of the first division took on the mighty Mulligan’s from the premier division (currently 3rd) of the Shipping League in Cork.  There was a difference in class between the teams but Kilcully Decking played very well on the day.   A few errors and inferior fitness made it near impossible for them to win this match.  It must have been great to play at Turner’s Cross though.  I recently purchased a new zoom lens so I hope to start getting to matches more often so if you’re sick of live music photos hang on a while!

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)
• November 11, 2009 -- Julie Feeney at The Pavilion (0)
• September 16, 2009 -- Super Furry Animals at Indiependence (0)

A bit late with this seeing as the re-development of Thomond Park in Limerick is well underway judging by this picture gallery on the Munster Rugby site.   Tough game this weekend against Clermont; my secret Munster insider (hi DJ – do you like your car sticker?) is hoping for rain which would be to Munster’s advantage.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

Update: More information on Teamtalk.

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

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I had to post this picture of Zidane before France were knocked out of the World Cup.  They found a second wind against Spain the other day but they are lucky enough to be in the latter stages of the competition. 

It was taken in Canary Wharf, London. 

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

To keep with the reflections theme started yesterday, here's a picture from golf at Water Rock in Cork a few weeks back. And no, that's not me in the picture!

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

The 12th hole in Water Rock Golf Course near Midleton in Cork. This is the signature hole known also as “Swan Lake”. It requires driving over water to land on quite a large green but many a ball has been lost here! I’ll be playing there tomorrow morning bright and early .

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• November 21, 2007 -- Sean Kelleher at The Roundy (0)
• November 20, 2007 -- Aaron Dillon at The Roundy (4)
• November 19, 2007 -- Director at Mitchelstown Music Festival (1)

The original (I believe) creation from Leinster (without the spelling mistakes, I think I got them all).  The email I got had a link to Stillorgan Rugby Club, don't know if that's where it emanated from.

Choose Munster…………….
Choose heroic failiure,
choose to follow your team to the South of France but not down the road on a wet Sunday,
Choose Pres or Christians or Ardscoil Ris,
Choose to believe that Athenry is in Limerick,
choose bandwagonery,
Choose the SinBin,
Choose to ignore Ulsters European Title,
Choose to lose to Northampton in a Euro final,
Choose a bloke at 10 who got 16 slaps in the head without the guts to throw one back,
Choose to move to Dublin for the Work (Cap in hand,twisting it behind your back),
Choose to scream at a crying baby for not staying silent during Rogs kick,
Choose social climbing,
Choose to believe you were there in 1978 because you went to see Alone it Stands,
Choose Queenstown.
Choose to whinge about Neil Back,
choose to believe Tony Ward was from Limerick,
choose to believe you are a son of the soil when the nearest you get to it is at the English market where you buy sun dried tomatoes,
Choose to congratulate yourselves continually,
Choose to believe that a pantomine cow is the height of humour,
choose to believe Wallace can tackle,
choose Alicante (like)
Choose Redshirts (all the bloody time),
Choose injured aging backs,
Choose a scrum half trying to sell underwear,
choose to believe Stand Up and Fight is an original tune,
Choose to condemn any foul play except from a Munster player when it becomes something to be proud of,
Choose Smug,
Choose to undermine other Irish provinces by interviewing their coaches before their biggest games of the year,
choose to accept Leinsters sloppy seconds,
Choose to give contracts to as many non Irish players as possible,
Choose to believe you have the monopoly on passion,
choose lower average attendances then Leinster (even for Celtic league games),
Choose Body odour….
Choose to ignore your own Private school background to claim Working Class credentials,
Choose not to play the game,
Choose to accept Brian O'Meara back(!),
Choose 10 man rugby,
Choose fewer Lions,
Choose to accept consistent failure….
Choose Munster

And the response:

Choose Leinster
Choose getting to the semi-foinals of the European Cup for only, loike, the second time and losing the COMPLETE run of yourselves, 
Choose to get off yor orses for the forst toime ever and follow your team South of France and then pretend that yor, loike, the BEST supporters EVER,
Choose Blackrock or Moichaels or Clongowes,
Choose not to have any songs to sing, 
Choose brown-nosing, 
Choose Koileys, 
Choose never to get to a European final, 
Choose a bloke at 10 who you paid thousands for but then forgot to fill in the forms (I was loike SO going to do it but then I spilled loike cremebruleé ALL over my chinos man), 
Choose to delude yourselves into thinking that David Wallace won't eat Contepomi for breakfast, while O'Connell is cutting him up some Darcy and O'Driscoll steaks (oh yeah) 
Choose Puerto Banus Choose polo shirts and a Pringle jumper over yor shoulders, 
Choose a pack of forwards that couldn't beat an egg, 
Choose a Welsh reject for a scrum-half,
Choose to change yor coach every year, 
Choose to lose half yor team to English clubs in the summer, 
Choose to believe that if you dont get yor double orange _mocha choca frappuccino in the morning its SO the worst day EVER, 
Choose to not have any passion (unless its the piece of fruit yorMummy gave you going out the door in the morning), 
Choose to waste thousands on resurfacing your home pitch but then focking it up time after time aftertime, Keep Brian O'Meara,
Choose to ignore anyone without a private school background, 
Choose 5 manrugby, 
Choose having a significant representation on the worst Lions teamever, 
 
No YOU choose to accept consistent failure…. 
 
Choose Leinster

Related Posts on www.donal.ie

• July 13, 2011 -- Camera Found in Fota Gardens (1)
• December 28, 2009 -- Fred at Cork Opera House (2)
• November 11, 2009 -- Julie Feeney at The Pavilion (0)