It’s a brrrrr-illiant day for a dip in the sea!
THOUSANDS of hardy souls took the plunge at Christmas Day dips all over the island of Ireland yesterday.
The increasingly popular seasonal tradition saw beaches, coastal rocks and lake shores north and south packed with brave bathers.
With swimmers temporarily swapping turkey for trunks and Brussels sprouts for bikinis, events were staged from Myrtleville beach in Co. Cork to Bundoran in Co. Donegal, with many spots in between.
In Co. Dublin, an annual swim to raise funds for the RNLI has been held by Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club for the past 42 years.
Ian Sargent, 74, who has raised cash for most of those four decades, said the event was more popular than ever. ‘Our annual Christmas swim has been going from the 1970s and it has been getting bigger every year, with more and more participation,’ he said.
Mr Sargent stayed on dry land this year, insisting his winter dipping days were being him.
‘I stopped that when I was 60,’ he laughed.
Sailor Tom Leonard was among those who braved the waves. ‘We do this for the RNLI every year, it’s a great cause, they do great work and without them we wouldn’t be sailing on the sea,’ he said.
Elsewhere in Dublin, hundreds again flocked to the rocks at the ever popular Forty Foot at Sandycove.
Swimmers, many wearing Santa hats, laughed off the shivers as they lined up to jump into the chilly waters.