14/06/2026
Come here till I show ya…. Motor boats, windsurfers, sailing dinghies, cruisers out there, look at the sky here in Killowen. We’ve got everything down here …. We’ve got Love, Sunshine, what a beautiful day …… BOOM - “Bill Donnelly, July 2025”
Bill’s friends gave back a little of the “Love” in the Sunshine at Killowen today as we gathered to remember him both ‘on’ and ‘in’ the water. We filled that Lough today!
Over seventy swimmers lined the beach at Rostrevor to swim the 2 kilometres to CLYC Killowen, in his Lough.
Cruisers sailed over from Carlingford and came ashore at CLYC to support the “Legend of the Lough” event.
Windsurfers glided up and down the shore in front of the clubhouse, as they had done so many days with Bill.
The white sails of twenty three dinghies raced around a course in front of Bill’s house as we had countless times with 170221 - Bill’s sail number. Sometimes he was in front, sometimes not, but always giving us a run for our money and plenty of ‘jibes’.
All were ashore for 1 o’clock for a barbecue on the lawn and prize-giving’s for swimmers and sailors, filling the lawn around the club with Bill sized banter, the mobile sauna steaming the salt out of swimmers skins.
This author missed the swimmers awards as there were so many sailing results to enter - twenty three boats! Twice!, but did witness to claps, and laughs as they told tall, yet true no doubt, tales of their antics with Bill.
For the winner of the sailing races Tim, CLYC presented a piece of art with a dedication to Bill life on the water. This now hangs in the clubhouse to be awarded perpetually.
The sun shone all day, the breeze good, the chatter and laughter floated across the Lough as the sun drifted low in the sky.
Thank you to the swimmers of OA Giants and Infinity Channel Swimming who proposed today’s ’Legend of the Lough’, organised the swim, provided and barbecued the food and bringing us all together.
What a beautiful day ….
