Dubliners brave ‘very cold’ Christmas sea swim
Hundreds of people have taken part in charity Christmas swims across Ireland.
In Dublin, swimmers braved the cold water on an otherwise mild morning in Clontarf, where a picturesque sunrise featured bursts of gold, pink and red emerging behind the capital’s famous Poolbeg Stacks.
Santa hats were hurriedly replaced by swimming caps as toes were cautiously dipped into the sea amid scattered involuntary exclamations of “ooh” ringing out across Dublin bay.
There was a flurry of frantic towelling off as Helen Doogue, a volunteer for the RNLI, explained how the Clontarf fundraising branch started.
Some time afterwards, the RNLI asked the group if they would be interested in helping to start a fundraising branch.
The 2024 swim marks Helen’s 50th year of involvement with the Clontarf fundraising branch – with only one year relocated to the Clontarf Baths because of the tides.
This year though, she said it was a “doddle” – even when compared with a message from Thailand, where she said friends were sipping mojitos after a lifeboat swim.
Lucy Winkelmann, who swims in Clontarf every day, said there was a “lovely group of people” involved, as she shared some cake that was given to her by a friend.
She said it was “not so painful” for those who did it regularly, adding that she was planning to “take it easy” for the rest of the day – although that does include cooking Christmas diner.
Sean Mulligan said the water was “very cold”, but that the mild accompanying weather made it a “lovely day to do it”.
Asked if he would bring Maisie along sometime in the future, he said: “Hopefully, maybe with a wetsuit on her,” and added: “Might get her mother in next year.”
Swimmers from around the world also turned up. Andrea Guzman, from Colombia and now living in Artane, said she came down to share the sunrise with everyone and “have a little swim”.
“It was very different. Sea water in Colombia would be always warm, so it was nothing like that.
“But this gives you the energy for the cooking time, opening presents – and you won’t feel tired for the rest of the day.”
However, she noted that swimmers were planning to warm up with some coffee – and perhaps that drop of whiskey too.
Other sea swims had been organised across the island, including on Inchydoney beach in Cork and Blackrock Pier in Galway.