Oldest Diver in Limerick Still Enjoys Scuba Diving Adventures

A scuba diver has become the oldest diver in Limerick and possibly Ireland, and despite celebrating his 80th birthday recently, he has no immediate plans to give up the underwater sport.

Ronnie Hurley, one of the founder members of Limerick Sub Aqua Club, has been going on scuba diving holidays to destinations all over the world for the past 52 years.

"Ronnie is a real Limerick hero. He is a fantastic, inspiring figure. He is without a doubt admired throughout the whole club and further afield," commented Mike Orth, the chairman of the Limerick Sub Aqua Club, which was established in 1960.

Ronnie explained his passion for scuba diving adventures and said: "When I started diving in my 20's I wanted to boast that I'd dive into my 80s. Now, I only dive in good conditions, when the water is warm and there's plenty of fish life. Back then I'd dive every weekend, and would curse the weather if it wasn't right. Now I think the odd time ‘Wouldn't it be lovely to be diving today'."

Because of his age, Ronnie cannot dive as deep or for long periods of time, but this hasn't stopped the pensioner from enjoying the underwater sport.

"I need help putting on my gear and my fins. I'm a bit stiff. I'm not an invalid but I have to be helped. Age is relative. I don't look at myself as an 80-year-old diver, but I'm lucky people put up with me," he commented.

Ronnie took the first of his many scuba diving holidays in 1960 in the Spanish Point and over the past five decades he has enjoyed trips to scuba diving destinations such as the Caribbean, Florida, Spain and Great Britain.

Scuba diving in the Red Sea is his all-time favourite but his most memorable dive was in Florida when he and four others dived off the USS Spiegel Grove, a 155-metre-long vessel that was sunk deliberately in Key Largo.

"It was an amazing dive, just awesome," Ronnie said.

The 80-year-old diver keeps fit by cycling around town and going to the gym three times a week and it helps that he never drank alcohol excessively or smoked.

"I'm blessed with a reasonable body, that's why I try to do this. People say ‘Aren't you great to do this?', but I'm not. It's just what I enjoy," he added.