Caitríona Lynch set off from Inisheer to Inishmean on Saturday, September 12 -- crossing the sound to the cheers of locals.
"I know the Aran Islands well as my mother comes from Inishmeán and I spent a lot of time there growing up, for Christmas and Easter and the like, so it was great to get back out for this fundraiser," Caitríona told The Kerryman.
"I had been waiting for a number of days to do it, but the weather was so bad all along. When I finally got the go-ahead on Saturday I couldn't believe the response from the islanders as the news went around that it was underway. They even lit a bonfire!"
One of two swimmers on the day, Caitríona managed to surprise herself. "I had expected it to take over an hour to get across as there's a very strong current in the sound, but I covered it in 52 minutes, which was great," she said.
"I'd just like to thank everyone at home in North Kerry who supported the cause of the Aran Islands lifeboat. We got a great response at home and it's a wonderful cause as it really is a lifeline for the people of Aran," Caitríona said.
With €2,500 raised already, Caitríona hopes to bring in more funding and anyone who would like to donate need only log onto her website www. mycharity. ie/ event/ caitriona__ni_loinsighs_event/.
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