Frances Thornton Memorial Galway Bay Swim - Saturday July 19th 2025
Registrations for the Galway Bay Swim will open on 1st March 2025 @ 2.00 PM. If you wish to register your interest for the 2025 swim, then please complete the form on Eventbrite and we will email you a reminder in late February. Note that 'Registering your Interest' does not guarantee you a place on the swim. You must register again when applications open on 1st March, 2025.
A list of FAQs about the swim registration are listed below
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
HOW MANY SWIM PLACES ARE THERE? In 2025, there will be 60 solo swim places and 30 relay slots (teams of 2-4 swimmers) available for the Galway Bay swim. Due to safety reasons and the availability of support boats, not all applicants can be offered a place in the Galway Bay Swim.
WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM AGE LIMITS FOR SWIMMERS?
The minimum age for all swimmers (Solo and Relay) is 18 years on the day of the swim.
CAN I ENTER IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY (SOLO & RELAY)?
No - you can only swim in one category as either a solo OR a relay team member. Safety rules in place for the swim require that there is only 1 swimmer in the water for each boat. If you wish to swim the full distance across the bay, then you must enter as a Solo swimmer and have your own boat to accompany you. If you are swimming as part of a Relay team, then you must exit the water onto your support boat after you complete your section of the bay swim.
DO I NEED A BOAT TO ACCOMPANY ME ON THE SWIM?
Yes - for safety reasons and due to sea conditions in Galway Bay, each solo swimmer and relay team must have their own boat to accompany them across Galway Bay. Once you register on Eventbrite, you have until June 1st, 2025 to have your boat captain register their boat and insurance details using the Form on the Galway Bay Swim website. If you do not register your boat details with us by June 1st, we will no longer be able to guarantee you a place on the swim.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE GALWAY BAY SWIM? WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS?
Registration is completed online through Eventbrite. Registration closes on July 1st or whenever all swim places are allocated – whichever occurs first. Applications are then reviewed by the Galway Bay Swim Committee and you will be contacted directly if additional information is required (such as your prior open-water swimming experience). If there are no queries on your application, swimmers are then offered a slot on the swim on a first come first served basis once they fulfil the following criteria:
- Provide your own boat (and Captain) to guide you on the swim. Note: the type of boat most suitable is a 5-metre Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) with a 50HP engine. Insurance must be in place for the boat. A VHF radio and lifejackets for all crew members are mandatory on each boat. You may be required to submit your boat for a pre-boat safety inspection before the swim. Boats less than 4.5M in length are NOT permitted to be used as safety boats. As a general rule, jet skis, lake boats, or boats that are not used regularly on the ocean are also NOT acceptable.
- Provide one crew member on the boat that will assist you (with food, water, moral support, etc.) on the swim. Note: The Captain’s job is to drive the boat, to navigate, and for safety – the swimmer is responsible for providing their own crew member.
- Have your boat Captain complete the boat safety checklist and declaration on the Forms section of the website: CLICK HERE: http://galwaybayswim.com/forms/
- Complete the Medical and Swimmer Waiver form and submit no later than 1st July 2025. CLICK HERE: http://galwaybayswim.com/forms/
- Complete the 4km open water swim time trial in Salthill (held in late May/early June each year) in a time of under 95 minutes. (2km open water swim for relay team members in under 50 minutes).
- Pay the €50 application fee online via Eventbrite and commit to raising €500 (€1000 for Relay Teams) for our charity – Cancer Care West. (Note the €50 application fee goes towards your fundraising target)
Note: If there are outstanding issues regarding any applicants, such as open water swimming experience, completing the time trial or successfully passing the medical, then these must be resolved by 1st July 2025 or your place will be given to another swimmer. IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?As it is a charity swim event, we ask solo swimmers to raise €500 and relay teams to raise €1000 for our chosen charity - Cancer Care West. We do ask for a €50 application fee (payable via credit card) when registering on Eventbrite. This money goes towards your fundraising target. The €50 is non-refundable and will be donated to charity.
MANDATORY SWIM TOW FLOATS FOR THE GALWAY BAY SWIM
Note: Tow floats are mandatory for ALL swimmers (solo and relay) for the initial 2 km section of the swim from the start at Aughinish until you meet your support boat and you have passed Deer Island. After the swimmer meets their support boat, we recommend that they continue to swim with the tow float but it is not a requirement once you pass Deer Island. Following a review of safety and due to the increased number of swimmers and boat traffic at the start, the Galway Bay Swim organising committee has mandated the use of swim tow floats for the start. This is consistent with many open-water swims in the UK and more recently in Ireland. Note: If you turn up at the swim start without a SWIM TOW-FLOAT, then you will not be allowed to enter the water.
A full list of FAQs are provided on our main website: CLICK HERE
