Derry camóg Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin completes Snámh don Phalaistín

Derry camóg and musician, Clíodhna Ní Mhianáin, and her friend Edel Ní Bhraonáin from the Uíbh Ráthach Gaeltacht in South Kerry have completed their arduous Snámh don Phalaistín.

Oranmore in County Galway, Clíodhna and Edel were greeted by members of the university Trad Society.

May bank holiday weekend saw the two young women doing a swim at a location in every coastal county in Ireland, in aid of ACLAÍ Palestine, a gym in the Lajee Centre, in Aida refugee camp - two kilometres north of Bethlehem.

Speaking the morning after their final Snámh don Phalaistín, Clíodhna explained she had got involved in the event through a friend in the Irish language organisation Conradh Na Gaeilge.

“Barry messaged me about Snámh don Phalaistín two months ago. It is a fundraiser for ACLAÍ Palestine, a non-profit community gym, which provides gym services and all kinds of services and support for those living in the camp because they have been displaced by the Israelis from their native land in Palestine,” said Clíodhna.

“The ACLAÍ gym was founded by a group of volunteers. A lot of them came from Ireland, especially Belfast. Ainle, the brother of Kneecap’s Móglaí Bap, was very heavily involved in the opening of the gym,” she added.

“Snámh don Phalaistín was inspired by a cycle around Ireland which Ainle and his friend Stephen Loughran did in May 2024. A swim in each of the coastal counties was more feasible because more people could take part in it.

“Conradh Na Gaeilge organised a bus of 50 people, all Irish speakers, from all around Ireland, all different ages and they completed the Snámh don Phalaistín a month ago. Everyone paid £100 to take part, with the goal of raising £1,000 each. The target of the iDonate online fundraiser was €70,000 which has been smashed and is currently standing at €72,497.

“Myself and Edel weren’t able to do it with them. I am playing with Derry Camógs at the minute and we had a National League Division 2 Final the same weekend. We got to the final but we didn’t win, unfortunately and Edel was at a music festival in Scotland, so we decided to do it on May bank holiday weekend instead.

“We stayed in Dublin on the Friday night and on Saturday morning at 4.30am, we left and went anti clockwise around Ireland,” laughed Clíodhna.

The University of Galway student said people met them and swam with them at almost every location. They also received “fantastic support” from family and friends.

“One of the swims we are both very emotional about was in Louth,” recalled Clíodhna. “We pulled into a quay there and we were meeting our friend Bláithín Mhic Cana, who is a singer from Crossmaglen, and her friend.

“We were just driving down to the quay when we saw a Palestine flag just hung on the rails and there was a woman just standing there by herself. We were wondering who she was. She introduced herself - Joan Ahern - a member of Louth Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). It was 6.00am in the morning and that was a standout moment from the whole weekend.

“There was a great connection between all of the women. Bláithín sang a song and we were céilí dancing. I took the accordion with me so there were some tunes played.

“Obviously there was a big crowd in Derry because I am from Derry - Slaughtneil. We went in for a swim at Portstewart at 11.00am on Saturday. There were about 20 people there, family, friends from Carntogher, Mid-Ulster IPSC. Afterwards, the Harry’s Shack barista, Leo Passmore, provided free drinks for everyone who came to support us and we sat in Harry’s Shack and played music and sang a song and some poetry was read and then we headed to Bundoran,” said Clíodhna.

In Oranmore in County Galway, Clíodhna and Edel were greeted by members of the university Trad Society, as well as her aunt and cousins.

“It was 9 o’clock at night and the sun was just setting and we had music and my wee cousin did some sean nós dancing. It was brilliant,” said Clíodhna.

“We finished up at Na Leacacha / The Flaggyshore in County Clare that night. It was pitch black and we drank the best tea ever when we came out of the water,” she smiled.

Clíodhna said she undertook Snámh don Phalaistín" because of the despair she felt at the stories coming from Palestine “since Israel originally ramped up the brutality in Gaza and elsewhere in Palestine”.

“As Gaels especially and even for myself being from the North, Irish people understand occupation more than a lot of other countries do. Even in the Six Counties we are still under Occupation and our language is still not being supported. We understand what it is like to be under the foot of the oppressor, not to the same extent as the Palestinians but we do understand that.

“What I was saying as well was we have to do something. Sometimes you feel powerless but we heard a good quote from someone along the way: ‘No-one can do everything but everyone can do something’.

“That is what we felt, even though we are absolutely knackered. It is a very small act for something. This isn’t the end of our campaign. We are going to keep doing stuff.

IN PICTURES: World Maternal Mental Health Day Walk and BBQ in St. Columb’s Park

The event was organised by the Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership

“What gets me through this is, even when you feel nothing is going to change, and the power is not with the people it is with the people who have power already, we were oppressed and we still are. We are slowly getting equality in terms of our culture and our language and our people, our freedom, and if we can do it in Ireland under British rule, Palestinians definitely have hope. We just can’t lose hope. We did this to raise funds for ACLAÍ, to show people we need to keep going.

“What got us through Snámh don Phalaistín was the people and the power of the people. That was the main thing. We are very glad we did it. It was a very spiritual experience.”

Donations to Snámh don Phalaistín can be made here.