Hotelier and daily sea swimmer Dena O’Donovan

09/16/24 • 25 min

From A to Sea – The Southern Star Sea Swimming Podcast

Hotelier Dena O’Donovan is a businesswoman, musician, entrepreneur and ... daily sea swimmer.

Having spent her childhood summers on Inchydoney Beach, the Clonakilty woman has continued her love affair with the popular strand and can be seen there most mornings splashing about in the waves or swimming short distances for health and well-being.

She admits that her much-publicised trials and tribulations at the hands of a vulture fund in recent years have left her seeking the solace of the salty water more than ever.

But she is also actively involved, along with other Inchydoney locals, in research, spear-headed by UCC, to monitor the ongoing coastal erosion at her beloved beach.

As a result of this, the BBC recently shot an episode of its Storyworks series at Inchydoney, featuring Dena, and the story of coastal erosion.

But for now, here’s a little chat our editor Siobhán Cronin had with Dena about her lifelong fascination with saltwater.

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

Hotelier Dena O’Donovan is a businesswoman, musician, entrepreneur and ... daily sea swimmer.

She admits that her much-publicised trials and tribulations at the hands of a vulture fund in recent years have left her seeking the solace of the salty water more than ever.

But she is also actively involved, along with other Inchydoney locals, in research, spear-headed by UCC, to monitor the ongoing coastal erosion at her beloved beach.

As a result of this, the BBC recently shot an episode of its Storyworks series at Inchydoney, featuring Dena, and the story of coastal erosion.

But for now, here’s a little chat our editor Siobhán Cronin had with Dena about her lifelong fascination with saltwater.

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

Previous Episode

Justin Crowley - organiser of the iconic Galley Head 10km swim

Hairdresser and Clonakilty native Justin Crowley is one of the people behind the iconic Galley Head 10km swim that takes place every year from Red Strand, past the lighthouse to the Warren Strand.

Over its six years of operation, it has raised almost a half-million euro for local charities.

He joined editor Siobhán Cronin recently to chat about the origins of the hugely popular event and why it’s a ‘must-do’ on so many swimmers’ calendars.

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

Next Episode

Orlagh Patterson on her charity swim for LauraLynn

Cork woman Orlagh Patterson recently undertook a 1.8km charity swim around Sandycove Island outside Kinsale to raise funds for the LauraLynn foundation, Ireland’s only children’s hospice.

She undertook the swim after the incredible support the charity gave, and continues to give, her family, following the death of her niece’s son, just five days after his birth.

But she also undertook it because it marked 50 years since the death of her own twin brother, who survived for just one day.

She spoke to podcast host Siobhán Cronin recently about her love of the sea and how she inherited that trait from her father, who passed on his love of water to her, at a very young age.

To donate to LauraLynn see: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/OrlaghPatterson or www.lauralynn.ie

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