OSSI Schmidt is a legend in Open Water Swimming – he was involved in starting the Irish Open Masters Swimming Championships, brought the Global Open Water Swimming Conference to Cork in 2013 and became honorary recorder for the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association in 2019.

He has swam the Gibraltar Straits, and completed several relay swims including the four-person English Channel, Lake Zurich, Alcatraz, Robben Island and, locally, Fastnet to Schull.

But these days Ossi is best known as the founder of the GaddinAbtGarnish swim event that takes place twice each summer, over to or around the stunning island off Glengarriff.

Just ahead of entries opening for the second swim this summer, Ossi came down to Lough Hyne to chat to us about the origins of one of Ireland’s most popular charity swims.

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This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

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Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

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NIALL Kenny is an open water marathon swimmer and a Cork native. But, most importantly, he is the man behind the campaign for a Lido in Cork.

He joined Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin recently to explain exactly what a ‘Lido’ is, and why Ireland’s second city so badly needs – and deserves – one.

The possible site of the Lido in Cork city.

Kenny says that a possible site could be along Kennedy Quay, near the train station, where Cork County Council bought land from the Port of Cork Authority.

A possible design for the Lido.

Tune in now to hear more about the campaign, why Cork deserves a Lido and the benefits a city can see from embracing its river.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan.

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Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

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KEN O’Sullivan is an Irish underwater cinematographer, film maker, author, diver and swimmer.

As well as completing documentary series' for RTÉ, Ken was cameraman on BBC’s Atlantic – Wildest Ocean on Earth series, a CBC Canada documentary on jellyfish and ITV’s Britain’s Whales and Britain’s Sharks documentary.

His series on the North Atlantic, The Dark Ocean was hugely popular when it was shown on RTE last year. It revealed never-before-filmed behaviours of our stunning marine creatures, with an original soundtrack performed by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

Ken has also made a ten-minute movie on West Cork elite swimmer Steve Redmond.

He recently spoke to Southern Star editor Siobhán Cronin from his home in Lahinch, Co Clare, not far from where he grew up.

This episode was produced and presented by Siobhán Cronin, with editing by Dylan Mangan. Listen below.

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Thanks for listening to The Southern Star's From A to Sea Podcast. Please be sure to like, share and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Listen to our previous episodes by clicking here.

For stories like this and more, pick up a copy of this week's Southern Star or subscribe online via www.southernstar.ie/epaper.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.