Fergal Somerville completes 34km swim around Inismor

The swim involved battling the complex tidal currents of Galway Bay and took 13.5 hours

Inismor is the largest of the three Aran Islands on the west coast of Ireland. It’s desolate beauty features in the film Banshees of Inisherin. Having previously swum around Inis Meáin (2014) and Inis Oirr (2020), the two smaller Aran Islands, Fergal Sommerville wanted to go for the hattrick. Thwarted in 2023 due to falling ill with covid three days before the swim, he came back in July 2024 to make it happen.

The swim had never been attempted before and took several years of planning, and detailed study of tide tables and water movement. Fergal pulled together an expert group of 22 people including other long-distance swimmers, local fishermen and crew from the Aran and Galway lifeboats to advise him. The group explored multiple permutations of timing and start points before finalising details.

Fergal started swimming at 4:08 in the morning on 13 July. The water was, in his words, “relatively warm at 17.5 degrees”. He turned right, swimming clockwise, into the channel between Inismor and Inis Meáin. This leg posed the risk of being pulled into the middle of the channel and flushed into the Atlantic with the tide flowing out of Galway Bay. Fergal struggled but managed to be at the cliff face at Glasson Rock to turn right again, where the tidal current now gave him some assistance. Here on the western side of the island he was sheltered from the light easterly breeze and made good progress. Feeds went to plan. Jellyfish were present but not a nuisance.

Just beyond halfway on this side of the island, Fergal passed the world heritage site, Dún Aengus, a bronze age fort 100m (300’+) above sea level. He noted that he is possibly the first to view Dún Aengus from the water. But this was not the time for sight-seeing. Fergal powered on and got to the topmost edge of the island 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Turning right again, Fergal swam into rougher water as the current was now circling around the top of the island, caused by the changing tide. The Aran Islands impede the tidal flow coming out of Galway Bay, which results in complex currents. The outflowing water splits north and south as it hits Inismor. This made the next section the most difficult component of the swim. For the next 7.5km, Fergal swam into the current causing his pace to drop significantly. He continued to swim hard and feed every 30 minutes.

Mind games and speaking with the dead

Fergal says there were many occasions on this swim when it occurred to him to pull out. He gave himself a series of landmarks to aim for. When he reached one, he resolved to swim to the next. He also explained that during his swims, he converses in his head with friends and relatives who have died. He finds this helps his motivation. Having recently lost his mother-in-law and brother-in-law (within 13 days of each other), he had more to talk about than usual. Most of all, he thinks about his mission to raise funds and awareness for lifeboat crews, and to recognise their courage through his own determination.

On reaching Port Murvey Bay, the team had planned on the current assisting Fergal to the finish. But because the current had delayed him more than expected previously, he missed this opportunity. The tide had turned again and the currents with it. The clock ticked past 12 hours, and the final section became a huge mental and physical battle. Fergal crept around Carrickfadda Point and headed into Killeany Bay, where at last he could see the finish – but the swim was not done with him yet. During the final 4km, Fergal’s energy reserves ran out and his pace dropped. He kept stopping to look for the finish and adjust his goggles. The team on the boat yelled encouragement and instructions until Fergal’s hands eventually touched rocks and he stood up, after 13 hours and 27 minutes of swimming.

The team bundled Fergal onto the support boat and returned to the harbour with an escort from the Aran Lifeboat. A substantial crowd welcomed him back.

At 3 the following morning, the Aran Lifeboat received a distress call and scrambled to assist a dinghy, adrift 8km northwest of Inismor. “This,” says Fergal, “is why I do these swims. Swimmers take on personal challenges, Lifeboats ‘Save Lives at Sea’.”

The Aran Lifeboat

Fergal swam to support the Aran Lifeboat, which saves lives in Galway Bay and up to 250km into the Atlantic. It is crewed and supported by volunteers and has received more than 20 rewards for gallantry in its long and distinguished history. It responds instantaneously to distress calls, search and rescue missions, and medical evacuations 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It operates in all weathers and conditions and (as with all other lifeboat stations) relies on the generosity of people to maintain its essential services.

“All swimmers take to the open water in the knowledge that any danger is reduced by the availability of the RNLI,” says Fergal. “We plan our swims to mitigate risk and prepare for contingencies. We cannot remove risk – but we don’t have to add to it. Knowledge of the water, route, distance, tides, prevailing conditions are all important considerations. On swims, we can always retire, get in the boat, and go back to base. Our heroics are often recorded in the physical effort expended and success of pre-swim planning. The Aran Lifeboat’s 30+ volunteers on the remote island of Inismor stand ready for the ‘shout’ at any time of day or night. Regardless of weather, tides or conditions the lifeboat will, without hesitation, put to sea to ‘save lives’ and will not return to port till their work is done.”

Fergal is still collecting donations for the Aran Lifeboat at to say that contributions are still available at iDonate.ie | Support 2024 Round Inismor Arann Lifeboat Swim

About Fergal

Fergal Somerville (61) is a member of the very successful Eastern Bay Swim Team, Dublin. He swims daily in Dublin City University and is in the sea every weekend, all year round. He serves on the World Open Water Swimming Association Rules and Regulations Advisory Board and is a member of both the Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame and the Ice Swimming Hall of Fame. His open water swimming fundraising has raised over €60,000 for various charities, including more than €20,000 for the Aran Lifeboat and RNLI. He is also the organiser of the annual Eastern Bay International Ice Mile Swim; the biggest ice mile event for the past 12 years.

Fergal’s swims include:

• 2010 – Inis Meáin to Rosaveel
• 2014 – Round Inis Meáin
• 2020 – Round Inis Oirr
• 2011 – English Channel
• 2013 – North Channel
• 2022 – Bristol Channel
• 2022 – Original Triple Crown of Channel Swims (English, North and Bristol). Received two Guinness World Records for (i) Oldest swimmer, and (ii) Fastest male swimmer