Daragh Morgan: The Man Who Swam Around Ireland

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when you’re freezing, drenched, and laughing so hard your belly aches.

It was time to take our Autumn/Winter 2026 collection to another part of Ireland for some tough real-world testing. Instead of heading for the safe highway, we took a wildly scenic detour through Connemara National Park. Picture-postcard-perfect, moody glens, dark lakes, and weather that changes its mind every four seconds. 

As we passed one particularly gorgeous lake, Becca Harvey, our BTS videographer and resident extreme-cold wild swimmer, demanded we pull over. The Irish weather gods immediately celebrated her bravery by unleashing a full-blown downpour. Did it stop Becca? Not a chance. If anything, the torrential downpour only powered her up; her cackles of pure glee rose by about two octaves as she plunged in. It was the first of many reminders on this trip that water doesn't ruin the day. It makes it.

Sufficiently soaked and thoroughly energised, we made a beeline for the western edge of Galway City. Our target: the iconic Blackrock Diving Tower. If you want to understand the heartbeat of Galway, come here. Rain or shine, locals gather at this coastal landmark to shed their stress, jump into the icy Atlantic, and reboot their souls. It’s a living, breathing testament to our core belief at Red that life is truly better by the water.

It’s also where we caught up with local legend and ultra-swimmer Daragh Morgan. Standing on the promenade, high on life and radiating genuine warmth, Daragh greeted us with an infectious grin. After hours crammed into a car, his wild stories and booming laugh were better than a double espresso for the Red team.

Daragh wasn't always an ocean-bound adventurer. Not long ago, he was stuck in the classic modern trap: school, university, the corporate ladder, rinse, repeat. He sat at a desk, looking out the window, desperate to use his own body to carry him somewhere. The turning point came from a chance meeting with a sailor drifting from Norway to southern Ireland. Daragh loved that this traveller was living a feral, wilderness existence. He thought it was the best thing ever and wanted some of that freedom for himself.

So, he did what most of us only dream of during a boring Tuesday meeting: he handed in his notice. He hopped aboard the boat and spent three months sailing down the coast. When they reached land, the pair traded the boat for a horse and cart and headed for the centre of Ireland, pitching tents under the stars. To cap it off, Daragh cycled the final 400 kilometres home solo, setting up camp in the dark, building fires, and mastering his independence. He was officially hooked on the wild side of life.

These days, Daragh’s routine includes a "casual" 2km swim from Blackrock out towards Mutton Island and back. Naturally, the Red team de-robed, suited up to join him for a dip. We handed him a fresh Red Equipment swim cap and a Tow Float to keep his gear high and dry before he plunged into the blue. To finish the swim in style, brave Becca challenged Daragh to a leap from the very top platform of the diving tower. Two huge splashes later, the deal was sealed.

Wrapped up warm on the pier in the cosy Red Equipment EVO Pro Elements Jacket and Trousers, Daragh spilt the beans on his wildest achievement yet: swimming around the entire island of Ireland. A mammoth 1500 kilometres that took him nearly six months to complete! His floating home for the swim challenge was a traditional single-masted Galway Hooker boat with striking red sails, kindly provided by local Claddagh boatmen Peter Connolly and Tara Bailey.

Life during the record attempt was an absolute masterclass in endurance. He swam for five to six hours every day, pausing every hour so his crew could check in and refuel him. Everything happened on that vessel: eating, sleeping, cooking, and sheltering from the elements between stints in the water. But the real secret wasn't just physical strength; it was tactical. Daragh realised early on that fighting the ocean is a losing battle. To succeed, he had to stop thinking like a swimmer and start thinking like an old-school fisherman, timing each swim to ride the tides rather than fight them.

When asked how you top an epic record like that, Daragh doesn't hesitate. He figures the next logical step is to run around Ireland, then cycle it, completing the ultimate full-Irish triathlon.

Watching people stream towards the diving tower as the midday sun peeked through the clouds, you could feel the raw energy of this place. Daragh was constantly interrupted by locals waving, high-fiving, and shouting hellos. Blackrock isn't just a diving tower; it’s the ultimate social equaliser. It operates almost like a church for the community, a sanctuary with no boundaries where everyone strips down to their togs, dives into the swell, and leaves their worries behind. Nobody cares who you are or what you do for a living; everyone leaves in a better mood than when they arrived.

For Daragh, the sea was also a profound healer. After severe concussions crushed his dream of Olympic boxing, swimming gave him a clean slate. It washed away the heaviness and became a form of moving meditation that rebuilt his life from the tide up.

As Daragh headed off to his next appointment, a fresh wave of lunchtime swimmers arrived, shedding their work stress along with their shoes. Living better by the water isn't just a tagline for us; it’s watching an entire community buzz with life after a simple splash in the sea.