Watch: Film on Arranmore’s Paddy Conaghan (83) hits the big screen in Hollywood

An 83-year-old Arranmore man’s swimming adventures have been made into a short film - one which has already hit the big screens of Hollywood.

The ‘Man of Arran’ features Paddy Conaghan and was shown at the Hollywood Shortsfest. 

Man of Arran is a 20-minute film directed and produced by Paul McCambridge and was considered a perfect fit as it combined Paul’s passions, open-water swimming and photography.

In 2021, Paddy took on the challenge of ‘Ducking and Driving’ around the entire coast of Ireland. On the way, he stopped in as many beaches and piers as he could to go for a dive in the water and he was doing up to 10 dips a day for months. 

During ‘Ducking and Driving’ Paddy was raising money primarily for Gemma’s Legacy of Hope. Throughout this time he raised over €100,000 for charity having completed around 313 swims in 71 days.

Last year Paddy returned to undertake the same swimming challenge. The first time he undertook the challenge he called it ‘Ducking and Driving’ and this time he flipped it and labelled it ‘Driving and Ducking’ where he went around Ireland in the opposite direction.

“The first time Paddy went clockwise and the second time he completed it he changed direction and went clockwise,” Paul McCambridge tells DonegalLive. “Also, the first round was concentrated on piers and the second round was more focused on beaches.”

Quite early into his first challenge, Paddy met Paul McCambridge and Paul was fascinated with what he was doing. Paul decided to follow him on his journey and film him on his travels. 

Shot over four months, the film depicts the Arranmore native trying to swim at every beach in Ireland -  a mammoth undertaking as he decided to complete the swims during winter. There are over 500 beaches in Ireland. Paddy completed a swim in 515 beaches while undertaking ‘Driving and Ducking’.

The short film shows Paddy “embarking on an extraordinary adventure: circumnavigating Ireland, immersing himself in its rugged coastal beauty and promoting the cause of mental health awareness while raising funds as he does so,” director Paddy added.

“I aim to transport the audience into Paddy's world, with heartfelt interviews, and Paddy's captivating storytelling.

“Man of Arran is a lovely portrait of a guy who touches humanity and is in tune with his environment and people are attracted to him as he exudes empowerment. There is just something about him.”

Paddy describes why he undertook this challenge and shares some personal experiences such as the loss of a close friend. Paddy is a dedicated mental health advocist and this is why he chose to raise money for Gemma’s Legacy of Hope; RNLI; PIPS; Accessible Counselling Tullamore; Lisheens House Suicide Prevention Service and Mindspace Mayo. 

“Paddy raised funds for a mental health charity in each province as well as the RNLI,” Paul reveals.

The film has been described as a  “love letter to humanity from a wise man,” with the production team also including Maureen McCoy the co-producer, Donal Macintyre as executive producer and editors Paddy O'Kane and Conleth McCambridge.

In 2022, Paddy was honoured as the Man of the Year by the World Open Water Swimmers Association, an American-based organisation recognising the achievements of open water swimmers from around the globe.

Man of Arran was shown at the annual short film festival in Hollywood called Hollywood ShortsFest 2023. It will also be shown at the Fort William Mountain Festival, the London Global Film Festival, the Chicago Film Festival and the Palm Springs Film Festival. There is also a longer feature film being made which is due to be released in 2024. 

Paul McCambridge and Maureen McCoy who both worked on the film also wrote a highly-successful book called ‘Wild Swimming in Ireland: Discover 50 places to swim in rivers, lakes and the sea’ in 2016. Their upcoming book of wild swimming in Ireland which is due for release next year will feature a sprinkle of Paddy.