The 60-year-old from Beaumont in Dublin swam the 34km circuit around the Aran Islands’ largest island in just 13 hours and 27 minutes, setting a benchmark record.
Beginning 4am last Saturday morning, and finishing at around 6pm that evening, the Dubliner told the Advertiser he was “on his back, absolutely knackered” after completing the swim in strong currents to raise money for the Aran Island RNLI lifeboat.
“The Aran lifeboat lads offered me a pint afterwards, but all I wanted was tea and sandwiches. They did give me a ‘Crew’ t-shirt though, and I did murder that pint later,” he says.
Somerville’s swim was monitored by an observer from the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association, and – subject to registration and fact-checking – he is considering applying for a Guinness World Record as the first swimmer to circumnavigate each of the three Aran Islands.
Somerville has swam the English Channel, the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, and the Bristol Channel. His first solo marathon swim in Galway Bay was from Inis Meáin to Rossaveel in 2009, followed by a circumnavigation of Inis Meáin in 2014, and Inis Oirr in 2020.
Somerville said he prepared by starting the day with Bran Flakes “covered in Alpen, to make them look posh,” and writing the initials of loved ones with marker pen on his body to motivate him during the long, lonely slog. “It’s a really long time in your own head. You talk to yourself, and I talk to people who have died, like my parents,” he says.
So far Somerville has raised more than €8,000 for the Aran life boat station, celebrating 175 years in 2024.
His target is €10,000, and donations are still open online.
