A TRALEE swimmer has become the first Kerry woman to swim the English channel.

Elaine Burrows Dillane completed her incredible feat just after 8pm this evening, She set off from Kent in England this morning, accompanied by ‘The Optimist’ boat with her supporters, with the aim of reaching France. Just before 8pm this evening a post on the event’s facebook page simply read; “She has landed!”

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As part of her feat, Elaine is fundraising for Brain Tumour Ireland, a cause close to her heart.

Some years ago, a close family friend of Elaine’s was diagnosed with a brain tumour as a four-year old child.

Thankfully today this child is now a grown up with a family of his own. As a result, Elaine is inspired by the work of Brain Tumour Ireland and wanted to do something to support them, particularly in the area of paediatrics.

100% of all donations to Elaine’s challenge will go directly to Brain Tumour Ireland through https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/elaine-burrows-dillane-english-channel-swim

Elaine is no stranger to daring sea swim feats, and, in the summer of 2017, she became the first woman to swim from Blennerville to Fenit and back (16k).

In 2018 she took on an even bigger challenge, accomplishing what no other woman had done before, swimming a total of 21k from Blennerville to the Maharees.