Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

On September 12th 2008, Colleen Blair departed Northern Ireland and made a successful crossing of the North Channel arriving in Scotland 15 hours and 23 minutes later.

Her escort pilot Brian Meharg recalls the effort. “This was a pioneering crossing as she left from County Antrim which is another 12 miles to the North from the traditional departing point in County Down. The reason for this was that the summer was coming to a close and the tides were worked out that this was a very possible encounter and indeed it was.”

A small plaque at the location where Blair departed from was placed. A few members and friends came from all over Ireland to travel by boat to the experience the atmosphere and area from where she departed. “It is a very lonely place indeed surrounded by majestic cliffs.”

Members of the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association and friends recently departed from Bangor to visit the famous Gobbins Cliffs and caves. The majestic cliffs are 120 meters high. During the nesting season, there are a cacophony of bird conversations that seem to celebrate where Scottish swimmer Blair last touched land as she set off to become the first person to swim from County Antrim in Northern Ireland to Scotland.

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