A Derry athlete, who previously undertook 10 Ironman challenges to raise money for suicide prevention, has completed a swim of the River and Lough Foyle in memory of people who have taken their own lives.
In 2021, Danny Quigley, who completed 10 triathlons in 10 days to mark the anniversary of the death of his own father, Colm, by suicide in 2011. As a result, he was granted the freedom of his home city by Derry city and Strabane district council last year.
Now in a new venture to celebrate the lives of those in the north west who have died from suicide, Mr Quigley has undertaken a gruelling swim from Lifford to the mouth of Lough Foyle into the Atlantic and on to Kinnagoe Bay in Inishown.
His Celebration of Life started on Monday. Following stages which were necessary to deal with the fast flowing tides on the Foyle and included a night-time swim under the Foyle Bridge, he reached Kinnagoe Bay on Wednesday evening.
Over the next few days, the Derry man is continuing to swim between buoys on the picturesque Kinnagoe Bay, to mark one kilometre in memory of more than 100 people who have died from suicide.
He’s expected to reach around 150km before a triumphant swim from Derry’s Peace Bridge to the headquarters of the city’s Foyle Search and Rescue on Sunday.
His effort has also succeeded – by Thursday night – in raising almost £15,000 for the Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum and Foyle Search and Rescue, organisations which deal with mental health and suicide.
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Mr Quigley said he was motivated to undertaken his Celebration of Life to commemorate the lives of those who died through mental health issues and suicide.
“I feel that many of those who pass away in such a tragedy are forgotten for who they were, what they loved and what type of character they were and, instead, are over-shadowed by their illness or suicide,” he said.
Throughout his swim, he was supported by large crowds who gathered on the Foyle Bridge and at piers along the river and lough.
“Although it’s important to raise awareness and caution around mental health, it’s also important to celebrate the lives of people we lost, remembering them before they got sick, remembering the good days,” Mr Quigley said.
After completing his latest challenge, which is equal to swimming from Ireland to Scotland more than three times, Mr Quigley ultimately hopes to erect an artwork or sculpture to mark the lives of people who died through suicide and mental health issues.
A Gofundme page has been set up to accompany the challenge at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/65hwv-the-celebration-of-life.
