West Cork ready to take the plunge!

Christmas swims bring out the best in people, with participants of all ages heading to the seaside for a December dash to the water. It’s now an important part of the calendar for many communities and their fundraising efforts, writes MARTIN CLAFFEY

THE presents have been opened, Santa has done his work, the turkey is in the oven, it’s all warming up for a perfect Christmas ... so why could you possibly want to plunge into the wild Atlantic?

Dipping into the chilly seas sounds the opposite of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but it has become part of Christmas in many communities across West Cork.

What started out in some communities as a wild oneoff has firmly taken its place on the calendar. You don’t have to be mad to take the plunge in the depths of winter, but it helps. And along the way, millions has been raised for charity.

The Dunmanway Christmas Swim is one of those swims which have become such a strong community event.

‘The Dunmanway swim started in 1999, by two women Kathleen O Farrell and Eileen Lyons, next door neighbours who both lost their husbands to cancer. From half a dozen pioneers, this year the event at Inchydoney will welcome more than 100 swimmers,’ says Tim Buckley, who has taken on the torch of organising from Kathleen and Eileen.

‘There’s all ages and everybody welcome,’ adds Tim.

The Dunmanway swim, since the first organised by Kathleen and Eileen in 1999, has now raised €340,000. The proceeds helped to build the Dunmanway Day Unit at Cork University Hospital, which has helped so many people going through cancer, and their families, over the years.

The Dunmanway gang were all smiles after taking the plunge in 2022. The Christmas Day swim is all about having fun, but there’s
a good cause at the heart for many participants.

Tim, like so many chilly dippers this year, will enjoy the craic, but also take time out to remember those who have gone. He lost his brother-in law Gerard Hayes, mother-in-law Kitty Hayes, and his mother Mary Buckley to cancer. So this year while Tim’s wife Mags is preparing the festive food, Tim and his children Mark, Megan, and Ellie will join the gang at the lower car park at Inchydoney before taking the plunge.

Across the world, in Toronto, Nicole Hayes will also be dipping for Dunmanway; on the other side of the globe, Paul McLoughlin will be making a splash in Melbourne for the cause.

‘We have swimmers young and old braving the cold to show people very close to them battling cancer that we are all there for them,’ says Laurie Hayes. ‘We don’t think of the cold or how tough it will be, we think of raising as much money as we can and trying to get as many people to come along with us to take part.’

The Dunmanway swim is just one of many that will be making a splash this Christmas. There’s a large selection of West Cork swim events planned. Clonakilty’s Christmas Swim for Mozambique 2023 also takes place at 11am at Inchydoney Beach, with funds raises going towards helping needy in Mozambique, where Clon priest Fr John Kingston has spent years working in one of the poorest countries in the world. See Facebook @inchydoneychristmasswim.

Skibbereen Rowing Club will hold its annual swim at 12pm midday at Tragumna. More than 150 hardy souls took part last year.

This year it’s in aid of the special classes at St Joseph’s and St Patrick’s National School in Skibbereen. This is the 46th year of the swim and a huge crowd is expected. Santa is expected to make an appearance on the morning, fresh from his global trek delivering gifts, and all are welcome to support or to swim. There will be a bucket collection on the day so don’t forget to bring some cash.

Baltimore’s swim at noon will raise funds of the Wild Atlantic Pool. Over in Ahakista the swim at the pier takes place at 1pm for Cancer Connect.

The Broadstrand swim started 48 years ago, when a small but hardy group of locals made a splash on Christmas morning The Broadstrand swim brings together Courtmacsherry and Timoleague and has raises valuable funds for Cope Foundation in Clonakilty and for the Cystic Fibrosis Unit at CUH.

Swimmers will take to the water at noon on Christmas Day.

In Bandon, there will be an early morning trip to Coolmaine Beach for the swim at 11am with all proceeds going towards St Michael’s Centre. Eyeries Strand will host its annual swim, with mulled wine for the hardy souls braving the seas.

The annual Rosscarbery Christmas Swim takes place on the Warren Beach on Christmas Day at 11am. All the money collected goes towards two amazing local charities – Rosscarbery Social Services and Cancer Connect.

Kilmacsimon Swimming and Rowing club hold their swim at 11am at Garrylucas, in aid of Cancer Connect and De Courcey Defibrilator. Kinsale Lions Club’s annual Christmas Day swim takes place the Pier at 1pm, with swimmers taking the plunge at 1.15pm. As well as helping a good cause, you’ll get a Kinsale Lions recognition medal (and maybe mulled wine or hot chocolate).

The annual Schull Christmas Day Swim, in aid of Cope Foundation, will take place at noon at Schull Pier. Limited registration from 11.30am on the morning of the swim for latecomers. Over in Ballylickey, the swim takes place at 12.30pm at Snave Pier, with mince pies, hot chocolate, and hot toddies as a reward for the brave. This year’s swim is in aid of Childline.

The first Cork Simon White Bay Christmas Swim was 30 years ago, and the swim near Roches Point has raised more than €250,000 for Simon Community. It starts at midday. In Fountainstown at 11am swimmers will dip fr the Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation. And there will be swims elsewhere, from Bantry to Myrtleville.

Happy dipping!

‘IT’S THAT MAGICAL FEELING OF MEETING AND GREETING YOUNG AND OLD THAT IS SPECIAL’

BY EMMA CONNOLLY

PEOPLE are gearing up to take their annual Christmas morning dip for charity at beaches everywhere from Beara to Broadstrand.

The Broad Strand swim near Courtmacsherry is one of the longest running in West Cork starting in 1976, meaning that it’s marking its 48th anniversary this year. Vincent O’Donovan, one of the founders, has never missed a single year, and now continues the tradition with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

‘It was 1976 and we had just completed the Leaving Cert in Hammies. Four of us, Cally McCarthy, Gerard O’Flynn, Edward O’ Dwyer, and myself decided to take a swim on Christmas morning. I’d say the other three challenged me as while I was born and lived all my life in Broadstrand, my mother always warned me not to go next nor near that “dangerous sea in front of the kitchen window”, and for once I obeyed her. Very few swam in Broadstrand in winter time back then,’ Vincent remembers.

That marked the start of the swim, with others coming on board including Peter Fleming and Sean Connolly from Timoleague. Cope Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis were chosen as the charities, and that hasn’t changed over the years.

Gradually the swim became a permanent fixture for many on Christmas morning, and its success comes down to its simplicity, says Vincent.

‘It’s a gathering on Christmas morning for a quick hour at midday, no matter what the weather, where people meet and greet and remember. It’s a bonding between the two parishes of Timoleague and Barryroe as well. We might kill each other if we met in a hurling championship match, but Christmas morning, we are one and enjoy the quick dip and a hot whiskey or bowl of soup!’

Along with another of the original four, Cally McCarthy, Vincent has never missed a single year. ‘It’s that magical feeling of meeting and greeting young and old that is special. My wife Ann has been sea swimming all year round for the last three decades in Broadstrand, ever before it became so popular. Now our children and grandchildren are taking part, and I can still only swim 10 strokes. For some it’s a serious swim, for more a quick dip, for many it’s a paddle in the sea water and for others, it’s just the hot toddy and the handshake.’

The swim is now in memory of Sean Connolly who died in 2014.

‘For me and others, the memory we most treasure is the wit and wisdom of Sean Connolly as he plundered into the sea, last as usual, still throwing those one liners, and never caught for words,’ said Vincent.

As always this year’s swim takes place at noon, with all donations to Cope, Clonakilty and the Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis Unit at CUH. See Go- FundMe to donate.