Christmas dips: Making a splash at festive swims around the country

Dippers up and down the country plan to dive into icy waters on Christmas Day to raise funds for a worthy cause. Some are swimming in memory of a family member who has passed away

Nikki McCarthy who organises the Christmas Day swim at Dundag Bay on Muckross Lake Killarney in aid of Aware. The annual swim which started in 2009 takes place from 11am with access through Muckross House main gate down to the lake. Photo: Don MacMonagle

YELPS and squeals will be heard all across Ireland this Christmas morning. It won’t just be excited children exclaiming at what they find under the tree but the shocked gasps of grown-ups reacting to the cold as they charge into our rivers, lakes and seas.

As wild swimming has become increasingly popular, so too have Christmas Day swims in aid of charity. From Donegal to Dingle and from Galway’s Blackrock Tower to Dublin’s Forty Foot, thousands take part in them, raising money for good causes as they do so.