Close on 150 hardy swimmers took to Galway Bay at the weekend to raise money for two organisers who keep people safer at sea.

They were taking part in the sixth annual Atlantic Lifeboat Swim, hosted by the Atlantic Masters Swimming Club, on Sunday. Held on Renville pier it is a key fundraiser for the RNLI lifeboat station in Galway, and the Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit.

Both organisations are entirely volunteer-driven and rely on fundraising efforts to purchase and maintain essential equipment – and fittingly this year is also the 200th year anniversary of the RNLI and the tenth anniversary of the Atlantic Masters Club.

The swimmers had a choice of two distances – the shorter 400m or 2km along the shoreline.

They were blessed with excellent conditions – calm waters, a balmy 15 degrees, and even a sauna waiting at the end for the swimmers.

“We would like to thank our generous sponsors, the volunteers who ran the event and of course the swimmers themselves,” said a spokesperson for the Atlantic Masters Swimming Club.

“We have all seen such a huge increase in the number of people swimming and other water activities especially since Covid.

“We are so lucky to have amazing facilities for our coastal community and it’s always reassuring to know that if difficulties happen in the water, we have these exceptional organisations that are there to help.

“We hope we never need them, but we’re proud to be able to say thank you for their work by raising these funds.

“The generous contributions of our sponsors and participants will help fund essential equipment, training for volunteers and maintenance of lifeboats.

“The Atlantic Masters club are honoured to be a part of the effort to support the men and women whose bravery and selflessness to help others is an inspiration to all,” they added.

Pictured: Lisa McReilly, crew member with Galway RNLI Lifeboat, with her daughter Róisín and son Rían at the the 6th annual Atlantic Lifeboat Swim last Saturday. The event, hosted by the Atlantic Masters Swimming Club at Renville pier, is a key fundraiser for the RNLI lifeboat station in Galway and Oranmore Maree Coastal Search Unit. Photo: Joe O’Shaughnessy