The mid 1990s saw the dying off of a once vibrant open water swim scene in Sligo when the last Garavogue river swim took place. It remained in the doldrums until 2009 when the first Metalman Swim Series race took place with only 15 swimmers. The aim of the founder, Shane O’Doherty, was to promote open water swimming in Sligo and bring together the existing talent and encourage newcomers.
The seeds of the Swim Series did indeed see swimming flourish again in sligo, with the Channel Cup Swim (2km), Lough Gill Swim (10km), Lighthouse Swim (2.5km) and Warrior of the Sea (6km) all taking place in the following year.
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