Ned Denison was the first person to successfully circumnavigate the Great Island (Oileán Mór an Barraigh in Irish) in Cork Harbour, just outside Cork city, at the mouth of the River Lee, in Ireland. He pioneered the swim in August 2006 in 7 hours 18 minutes.
17 years later, history was (finally) repeated.
Karen O’Sullivan (née Gunn) from Carrigtwohill, coached by Eilís Burns and a member of the Sandycove Island Swimming Club in Kinsale, accomplished the same on September 23rd in 9 hours 9 minutes.
O’Sullivan become the first woman to complete the 23 km circumnavigation swim around Great Island, starting and finishing at Cuskinny. Her charity swim raised money and awareness for mental health services in Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre.
Her Gofundme page is here.
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