Jordan Leckey: Man sets new world record for swimming between Northern Ireland and Scotland

Portadown’s 29-year old swimmer swam 91.9 miles in nine hours, nine and thirty seconds. A man has set a new world record in swimming from Northern Ireland to Scotland. He celebrated his success with a jam sandwich, and a pint.

Jordan Leckey, a Portadown, County Armagh resident, beat the previous record by approximately 25 minutes.

The 29-year old set off from Donaghadee and reached Dunsky Castle, near Portpatrick in nine hours, nine and thirty seconds.

It will be ratified and replace the current record of 9 hours 34 minutes set in 2013 by Michelle Macy, a US swimmer.

Mr. Leckey said that his sole focus is to finish the difficult swim.

He said, “Some people were talking about records. But I just wanted the other side. That was my only focus, no matter what time it took.”

Formerly a competitive swimmer, Mr Leckey completed daily open water swimming training. He also used lockdown time to build his own pool in his garage for practice.

After the weather warmed up, he went to Lough Neagh every day for training sessions.

He began his swim on Monday at 6.40 AM. A support swimmer was allowed to accompany him for the entire route.

The first two hours are the most difficult because you’re still learning and not fully in the swing of things. He said that he was having doubts and thinking about whether it was really cold, how far it would be, and if he could make it.

“After a while your body becomes numb to cold, but it’s not until the first hours that you feel it.

“I was stung only on the tip of one toe by a lot of jellyfish along my route.

“I saw only what was below me in the water, but my dad said that there were seals. We also saw dolphins as we returned, a large pod of them.”

He said that he lost his ability to think and was unable to see that he was on track for a record when he was in water.

He said, “As soon I climbed up on the rock, I heard shouting, ‘that’s a world-record’, and it just felt so great.”

“I tried to get up and raise my fist, but I didn’t have the energy.”

The record attempt was submitted to the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association and the Guinness Book of Records for ratification.

Mr Leckey was among three swimmers who completed Monday’s route.

Northern Ireland: Woman arrested by police investigating murder of two-year-old girl

Ali Jayden Maguire (known as AJ) died after being discovered at a Dungannon house with severe injuries.

A 24-year-old woman was arrested by police in Northern Ireland after being accused of the murder of a 2-year-old girl.

She is being held on suspicion of perverting justice, child cruelty, causing or permitting death of a child and causing it to happen.

This is after police had extra time to question another man arrested in connection with the death Ali Jayden Maguire. Maguire died on Friday from head injuries sustained at a Co Tyrone house.

After the child was taken to the hospital, the 32-year old man was taken into police custody by major investigators from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The PSNI released a statement saying: “Detectives from Police Service of Northern Ireland’s major investigation team investigating circumstances of the death of two-year old girl on Friday, August 6, have been granted a court extension of 36 hours to question a 32 year-old man under suspicion of murder.”

Several tributes were left outside the Park Avenue, Dungannon home where the girl, named AJ, was injured. They included teddy bears and ornaments as well as flowers and cards.

Cuirnan, the aunt of the victim, did not reveal her surname and thanked the public via a Facebook post for their condolences.

Former leader of the DUP and MLA for Fermanagh, South Tyrone Arlene Foster tweeted “Another tragic loss in the constituency, this one a little girl.”

“Thinking about all the people affected by this terrible event and trying to make sense out of it all.”