Billy Wallace

Billy Wallace, an inductee (Honor Administrator) of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Class of 1999

Billy Wallace is one of the co-founders of the Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

Irish Long Distance Swimming Association President Billy Wallace, observer Maureen McCoy, Michelle Macy and Sheena Paterson (left to right) after Michelle Macy's record-breaking North Channel swim

Inductee

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination

ILDSA observer Andrew Coyle, escort pilot Quinton Nelson, Milko van Gool, and Irish Long Distance Swimming Association President Billy Wallace after van Gool's record-setting North Channel crossing on 30 July 2013

Pádraig Mallon (left) with Billy Wallace (right) at the 2013 Global Open Water Swimming Conference in Cork, Ireland

Billy Wallace is an Irish open water swimming administrator.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

• He is a Patron of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
• He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Administrator in 1999.
• He serves as the President and has served as the Honorary Secretary of the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association. His mother lifeguarded for fellow International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee Mercedes Gleitze when she trained in Northern Ireland.

Irish Long Distance Swimming Association

The Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA) was founded in 1966 with the aim of promoting open water swimming. Since 1966, the ILDSA has organised over 300 open water events, providing thousands of swimmers an opportunity to compete at the highest levels.

The ILDSA established development races that introduce pool swimmers to the outdoor environment. The ILDSA calendar includes races in Belfast Lough, Dublin Bay, Shannon Esturary, Gaulway Bay, Lough Neagh, Carlingford Lough, and Rathlin Sound. The consistent, high standard of the ILDSA events has been internationally recognised by the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1995.

In addition to promoting races, the ILDSA has sought to set standards to long distance challenges. It provided relay teams that were the first to swim the North Channel and the length of Lough Neagh. The ILDSA provides observers for North Channel attempts and individual swims in all parts of Ireland.

2016 ILDSA Committee

• President Billy Wallace, Co Antrim
  
• Vice President Lynsey Dunne, Co Sligo
  
• Chairperson Stephen Millar, Co Dublin
  
• Vice Chairperson Michael Glover, Co Down
  
• Honorary Secretary Pippa Campbell Co Antrim
  
• Honorary Treasurer Mary Bolger Hinds, Co Kildare
  
• Recorder Jeff McCormick, Co Antrim
  

External links

• International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Patrons
• John Earls Honored By The Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
• Presenting The Ireland Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame On WOWSA Live
• Billy Wallace Recalls North Channel History On WOWSA Live
• 2016 Irish Long Distance Swimming Association Committee
• International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
• Irish Long Distance Swimming Association
• Irish Long Distance Swimming Association Facebook
• The History And Future Of The North Channel
• Open Water Swimming
• What A Swimmer, What A Woman, Mercedes Gleitze
• International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Class of 2013
• Hall of Fame Honors Pioneering Mercedes Gleitz
• WOWSA, IMSHOF Heads To Cork, Ireland
• Mercedes: The Spirit Of The Age Age Premieres In Ireland
• Celebrating Anna Carin Nordin's Feat Of The Oceans Seven
• Ireland Becomes The Center Of The Open Water World
• Pádraig Mallon, A Credit To His Community And His Sport
• Pádraig Mallon, Man In The Middle Of Much
• 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nominees
• Pádraig Mallon Is 2013 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year
• Pádraig Mallon To Be Honored In Mount Stuart Castle
• The Beginnings Of The ILDSA, 1967 Archives