Swim with Heart, Snamh le Croi 2026

What to Expect

Swim with Heart, or Snamh le Croi, is Croi’s month-long September fundraiser. The challenge is to complete 15 swims across the month, finishing on World Heart Day, Tuesday 29 September 2026. The swims can be anywhere: Salthill and Blackrock, the Aran Islands, a lake in east Galway, a hotel pool, or a beach far outside the county. Croi runs it as a distributed challenge rather than a single-venue event, so participants set their own schedule and log their swims as they go.

Registered swimmers receive a welcome pack including a swim hat, and there are prizes on offer for those who raise €100 or more. The fifteen-swim target works out at roughly one swim every other day, which is achievable for regular sea swimmers and a genuine stretch for anyone starting from scratch. Croi is the west of Ireland cardiac and stroke charity, based at Croi House in Newcastle in Galway city, and money raised supports its prevention programmes, nurse helpline, professional training and patient support work across Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Clare.

Good to Know

• Runs from Tuesday 1 September to Tuesday 29 September 2026, finishing on World Heart Day.
• The target is 15 swims across the month, at locations of your own choosing.
• Registration is through Croi’s fundraising page. Registered participants get a welcome pack with a swim hat.
• Prizes are offered for fundraisers who reach €100 or more.
• Organised by Croi, the West of Ireland Cardiac and Stroke Foundation.
• Croi also runs the Croi Night Run on 9 October, so the two can be combined into one autumn fundraising push.

Getting There

The challenge has no fixed venue, so most Galway participants swim locally. Salthill’s Blackrock diving tower and Ladies Beach are the busiest sea-swimming spots in the city, both on the R336 promenade and served by city bus routes to Salthill with paid parking along the prom. Silverstrand, Grattan Beach and Ballyloughane are the other regular city options. Croi House itself, at Moyola Lane in Newcastle, is beside University Hospital Galway and about a ten minute walk from the cathedral if you need to call in about registration.