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Man swimming across the Suir @ The Bridge

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    #32
    Finnbar01
    Registered Users Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭Finnbar01


    cocoshovel wrote: »
    True, but whenever Im walking across the bridge, and look down at where the concrete meets the water and see how strong and forcefull the tide is flowing it comes across as quite frightening, its extremely strong.

    Its been mentioned many times over the years and Im not sure how true it is, but its said its one of the fastest flowing rivers in Europe :confused:


    I knew someone from the boat club who told me too that it was one of the fastest flowing rivers in Europe.

    It's also quite deep, not sure how deep it is though.


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    #33
    sonyvision
    Registered Users Posts: 563 ✭✭✭sonyvision


    Extremely fast, seen it flowing at 4/5 knots before going out river


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    #34
    JupiterKid
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,731 Mod ✭✭✭✭JupiterKid


    That fact that he often swims in the nip is not surprising given that he's German. Germans love to swim and sunbathe au naturel. I swim in the nip when I get the chance as well. It's very liberating. :)

    But is the Suir really that badly polluted?:( Does raw sewage still flow into the river? I would really hope that in 2012 that would not be the case.


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    #35
    calvin_zola
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭calvin_zola


    Finnbar01 wrote: »
    I knew someone from the boat club who told me too that it was one of the fastest flowing rivers in Europe.

    It's also quite deep, not sure how deep it is though.


    yeah ths is true, i was in the rowing club for a few years and we couldnt have regattas on the suir and had to have them in Belle lake was for this reason. other rowing clubs wouldnt be used to it or something


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    #36
    lewisdhead
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭lewisdhead


    This man has many names it appears. I know him as Walter (w=v) from when he thought music in the WIT. He occasionally still turns up here and washes himself in the sinks in the toilets. When he was teaching here, he thought mostky kids and often he would be drying his washing that he had done earlier in the toilet sinks on the radiators.


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    #37
    abouttobebanned
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,943 ✭✭✭abouttobebanned


    Apparently he invented some kind of amazing "solution" for cleaning engines and BMW were in a bidding war with some other big car companies to purchase ownership of it. Unfortunately, the formula for the solution was stolen from his lodgings one night and it miraculously ended up in a certain car manufacturer's hands. He spent 3 years trying to prove that he invented the solution. It was during this time that he met Amelia Fasth who was to be his lover, but also assist him in proving that he was the inventor of the miracle cleaning solution. After 3 years, and numerous court battles it became clear that he was fighting a losing battle. When he lost his final case on October 15th 1992 Amelia left him. He was now broke and severely disillusioned.

    He moved to the UK at the end of 92, after he realised that the solution was only currently protected by German law and statutes. When he got to the UK he began to shop his solution around to some popular manufacturers. However, after a tip off to the large German company..they quickly made their patent worldwide and intimidated him out of the UK. By August 93 he was living in Dublin where, upon telling his story to some proffessors in trinity, he talked himself into a relief position, lecturing young science students.

    It was during this time that he met a young student called Claire Swail. They had a whirlwind affair which reignited Walter's love for science. He began to work on new formulas...new ideas. Every morning he would go to the gym with Claire and they would share a 6am swim. This is when his best ideas would come to him.

    Soon, Walter had a full time lecturing role and Claire was no longer a student. She was also pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, due to complications, Claire lost the baby during the delivery. She never recovered from this mentally and shunned Walter, telling him that she couldn't face seeing his face anymore.

    He left Dublin and travelled to Waterford where he applied, and successfully received a teaching position. At this point in Waterford there were no gyms open to him at 6am so he would take to swimming in the rivers...hoping that Claire, and that one magnificent idea, would one day come back to him.


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    #38
    jayteecork
    Site Banned Posts: 5,676 ✭✭✭jayteecork


    abouttobebanned wrote: »
    Apparently he invented some kind of amazing "solution" for cleaning engines and BMW were in a bidding war with some other big car companies to purchase ownership of it. Unfortunately, the formula for the solution was stolen from his lodgings one night and it miraculously ended up in a certain car manufacturer's hands. He spent 3 years trying to prove that he invented the solution. It was during this time that he met Amelia Fasth who was to be his lover, but also assist him in proving that he was the inventor of the miracle cleaning solution. After 3 years, and numerous court battles it became clear that he was fighting a losing battle. When he lost his final case on October 15th 1992 Amelia left him. He was now broke and severely disillusioned.

    He moved to the UK at the end of 92, after he realised that the solution was only currently protected by German law and statutes. When he got to the UK he began to shop his solution around to some popular manufacturers. However, after a tip off to the large German company..they quickly made their patent worldwide and intimidated him out of the UK. By August 93 he was living in Dublin where, upon telling his story to some proffessors in trinity, he talked himself into a relief position, lecturing young science students.

    It was during this time that he met a young student called Claire Swail. They had a whirlwind affair which reignited Walter's love for science. He began to work on new formulas...new ideas. Every morning he would go to the gym with Claire and they would share a 6am swim. This is when his best ideas would come to him.

    Soon, Walter had a full time lecturing role and Claire was no longer a student. She was also pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, due to complications, Claire lost the baby during the delivery. She never recovered from this mentally and shunned Walter, telling him that she couldn't face seeing his face anymore.

    He left Dublin and travelled to Waterford where he applied, and successfully received a teaching position. At this point in Waterford there were no gyms open to him at 6am so he would take to swimming in the rivers...hoping that Claire, and that one magnificent idea, would one day come back to him.

    :rolleyes:


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    #39
    lewisdhead
    Registered Users Posts: 369 ✭✭lewisdhead


    abouttobebanned wrote: »
    Apparently he invented some kind of amazing "solution" for cleaning engines and BMW were in a bidding war with some other big car companies to purchase ownership of it. Unfortunately, the formula for the solution was stolen from his lodgings one night and it miraculously ended up in a certain car manufacturer's hands. He spent 3 years trying to prove that he invented the solution. It was during this time that he met Amelia Fasth who was to be his lover, but also assist him in proving that he was the inventor of the miracle cleaning solution. After 3 years, and numerous court battles it became clear that he was fighting a losing battle. When he lost his final case on October 15th 1992 Amelia left him. He was now broke and severely disillusioned.

    He moved to the UK at the end of 92, after he realised that the solution was only currently protected by German law and statutes. When he got to the UK he began to shop his solution around to some popular manufacturers. However, after a tip off to the large German company..they quickly made their patent worldwide and intimidated him out of the UK. By August 93 he was living in Dublin where, upon telling his story to some proffessors in trinity, he talked himself into a relief position, lecturing young science students.

    It was during this time that he met a young student called Claire Swail. They had a whirlwind affair which reignited Walter's love for science. He began to work on new formulas...new ideas. Every morning he would go to the gym with Claire and they would share a 6am swim. This is when his best ideas would come to him.

    Soon, Walter had a full time lecturing role and Claire was no longer a student. She was also pregnant with their first child. Unfortunately, due to complications, Claire lost the baby during the delivery. She never recovered from this mentally and shunned Walter, telling him that she couldn't face seeing his face anymore.

    He left Dublin and travelled to Waterford where he applied, and successfully received a teaching position. At this point in Waterford there were no gyms open to him at 6am so he would take to swimming in the rivers...hoping that Claire, and that one magnificent idea, would one day come back to him.

    Brilliant story, but are you sure his name is Walter???


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    #40
    banjacksed
    Closed Accounts Posts: 210 ✭✭banjacksed


    lewisdhead wrote: »
    Brilliant story, but are you sure his name is Walter???

    Ah lads after that story i wouldnt know what to believe. :cool:

    Very gud thou, hahahahahahahah:D


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    #41
    merlante
    Registered Users Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭merlante


    JupiterKid wrote: »
    But is the Suir really that badly polluted?:( Does raw sewage still flow into the river? I would really hope that in 2012 that would not be the case.

    I doubt it to be honest. There is a sewage treatment plant and a slew of EU laws about what can be put into a river. If John's river is anything to go by, there is a lot more life in it than a few years ago. Plus, what heavy industry is left in Waterford that might be dumping on the sly? (Although there are a large number of towns on the river.)


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    #42
    wmpdd3
    Registered Users Posts: 9,624 ✭✭✭wmpdd3


    Can't fund out, but I remember being told that the river id 70ft deep under the bridge. ie there was a 70 foot deep coferdam made to facilitate piling.


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    #43
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,491 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Why would you call the guards? He is dressed for swimming and beside the water? What exactly did you think was happening?


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    #44
    tom traubert
    Registered Users Posts: 212 ✭✭tom traubert


    wmpdd3 wrote: »
    Can't fund out, but I remember being told that the river id 70ft deep under the bridge. ie there was a 70 foot deep coferdam made to facilitate piling.

    That was probably to hit a solid base. It's been a decade or so, but I remember sounding depths of either 14 metres or 17 metres at the bridge during a diving operation. It would have been at slack water, ie, either high or low tide; I can't remember which.


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    #45
    cocoshovel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭cocoshovel


    ted1 wrote: »
    Why would you call the guards? He is dressed for swimming and beside the water? What exactly did you think was happening?

    So many people commit suicide off that bridge, and I certainly wouldn't expect to see a person casually swimming in there so it would give me a shock. Although, now I know about it so if I ever do see someone in there I double check to see whats happening.


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    #46
    cocoshovel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭cocoshovel


    tom traubert wrote: »
    That was probably to hit a solid base. It's been a decade or so, but I remember sounding depths of either 14 metres or 17 metres at the bridge during a diving operation. It would have been at slack water, ie, either high or low tide; I can't remember which.


    Diving in the river? Jaysus that sort of thing terrifies me. The depth and darkness of the water is a huge fear of mine, and what possibly lurks down there! (shopping trolley monsters). do tell us more


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    #47
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,491 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    cocoshovel wrote: »
    ted1 wrote: »
    Why would you call the guards? He is dressed for swimming and beside the water? What exactly did you think was happening?

    So many people commit suicide off that bridge, and I certainly wouldn't expect to see a person casually swimming in there so it would give me a shock. Although, now I know about it so if I ever do see someone in there I double check to see whats happening.

    Would a person commiting suicide wear swimming clothes?


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    #48
    cocoshovel
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,041 ✭✭✭cocoshovel


    ted1 wrote: »
    Would a person commiting suicide wear swimming clothes?

    I dont really take immediate note of what a person would be wearing when floating in a river. Swimming clothes, what I assume would be a wetsuit or such could easily look similar to normal clothes from a distance.


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    #49
    blankAs
    Registered Users Posts: 147 ✭✭blankAs


    thats basicly the story he told me some years ago when he was living in tramore. he was another one of the heads that just arrived in tramore and stayed for a while, the place is full of them! however there was a part of the story, that he had a gf the drowned in front of him and he feared the water for years but hes over the fear now and he swims in the most dangerous spots to prove to himself he can and theres nothing to be afraid of. he ust to pop into the piano in the grand hotel every so often and played amazingly, a pure genius on the piano, he also composes he own pieces. think there is more to this man than we will ever know.


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