Ironman Youghal: 'Most of us are just amateurs and want to go home to our kids'

Ironman Youghal: 'Most of us are just amateurs and want to go home to our kids'

Some of the athletes starting IRONMAN Ireland Cork, hosted by Cork County Council, in Youghal, Co.Cork. Picture: John Hennessy

Not returning home after taking part in an Ironman is not something athletes consider when undertaking one, one of the competitors in yesterday’s event in Cork says.

Matthew Browne from Glanmire is a member of the East Cork Tribe group and took part in the 70.3 half Ironman event with his wife Leona yesterday.

He said conditions in the sea were tough for the swim element of the event.

He continued: “I wouldn’t be a super strong swimmer but I was okay. Speed and all that went out the window and it was just (about) breathing.” 

But he recalled: “Some people were panicking and out of breath.” He said the tragic deaths tainted the event, adding: “Broadly speaking, I had a great day, as in I had a good time and all that. But the most of us are just amateurs and you want to go home to your kids or whatever. You don’t usually consider that you are not going home, although obviously you do consider the dangers.” 

He said there were safety boats and kayaks “everywhere” to help the swimmers and commended that.

He found out about the deaths in the tent at the finish line, like the majority of participants. While one athlete, who didn’t want to be named, said he felt the event should have been called off after the deaths, Mr Browne said: “It would have been very hard to call it off – I don’t even know logistically how they would do it. I can’t imagine how they would even get the word out.” 

Riders being cheered on as they cycle up teh steep Windmill Hill during the Ironman event in Youghal. Picture: Howard Crowdy
Riders being cheered on as they cycle up teh steep Windmill Hill during the Ironman event in Youghal. Picture: Howard Crowdy

He said that it had been a great weekend personally for him and his family, as his three daughters took part in the Ironkids event on Friday night, while Leona did the half Ironman event despite breaking her ankle just two weeks ago.

Robert Larkin from the Pulse triathlon club in Dublin said that while on the course, he heard nothing about the deaths.

But despite the news, and it being his first Ironman, he is hoping to do another one in the future.

He travelled to Youghal on Friday with his parents to take part in the half Ironman which had initially been scheduled to take place on Saturday. It was postponed until yesterday because of flooding and debris on the bicycle course as a result of Storm Betty.

Killian Vigna from Kildare said that despite the tragedy, there was huge support shown to the participants along the route.

He said: “Windmill Hill was an incredible experience. It felt something like the Tour de France – Cork really got out there and got people up that hill. It was incredible, fair play to them.” 

He continued: “I only found about the deaths after, just when I met up with my club members. It was tough, and it was tough out there.” Prior to the start of the event yesterday morning, Ironman Ireland posted an update to social media, outlining changes to the swim course because of the “current conditions of the water at the swim start”. 

The change meant the course for both the full distance Ironman and the Ironman 70.3 event was 1.9km.

An estimated 2,000-plus spectators travelled to Youghal yesterday to cheer on an equal number of athletes attempting the half and full triathlons, which were timed to start consecutively.

This year the two races were combined on Sunday, August 20th, as the half IRONMAN race on Saturday had to be cancelled due to storm Betty. Picture: John Hennessy
This year the two races were combined on Sunday, August 20th, as the half IRONMAN race on Saturday had to be cancelled due to storm Betty. Picture: John Hennessy

Participants had an early start gathering on the front strand from 5.30am. The day began with blustery conditions, with waves reaching an estimated 1.52m in a large swell. The advancing tide was breaking heavily on the rock armour that lines the shore as the first competitors took to the sea..

The start was delayed by about 40 minutes, partly to allow all athletes to reach the front strand and also because of an apparent malfunction with the timer mechanism in the starting mat.

The swimmers were meant to turn towards the right to circumnavigate an orange buoy before turning parallel to the shore, towards the harbour entrance and upriver, parallel to the Lighthouse Hill, and on to the bike transition at Green Park.

However many swimmers, despite repeated calls from the race director to veer right, seemed either to swim or to drift to the left and had to exert extra effort to correct their direction.

The orange buoy was disused for the full triathlon swimmers who were instructed to swim in a straight line to a large yellow triangle inflatable instead.

Some participants were seen abandoning the swim soon after entering the water and were either picked up by water rescue craft or swam back to shore. Several were helped ashore by stewards but, in some, were also carried onto the rocks by the breaking waves.

By 8am the public were three deep along the Lighthouse Hill and beyond, cheering the cyclists as they headed towards the east Cork byroads on the second leg of their challenge.

Spectators turned out in force in equal numbers as the cyclists twice powered up the 21% incline of Windmill Hill.

Huge numbers remained on the town's streets late into the night applauding the athletes ten hours after their first step into water.

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