In the warm climates of the Mediterranean, the sea is an essential part of the summer time. Tanned skin, sitting under the sun and a dip in the sea to cool off. This idea changes a bit when you are on an Island in the North Atlantic. The sea, no matter what time of the year, is cold and bracing. Yet sea swimming has been a part of life for those in coastal communities across Ireland for a long time. In the last few years, it has seen a huge growth in popularity, especially in Dublin. The draw to go for a dip into the icy Irish sea is becoming stronger as its benefits become clear.
The sea matters to Dubliners. It is an essential part of the urban identity of the coastal capital city. The Forty Foot, a rocky bathing spot in the beautiful suburb of Dún Laoghaire, is one of the city’s most famous places to go for a swim. Immortalised in the opening scene of James Joyce’s Ulysses, its popularity continues over 100 years later.
Every day, no matter how cold, it is teeming with people coming for a swim. For many, this has become a daily ritual. For Kevin, a daily dipper, the swim is all about how it makes him feel. “I walk down every day, come in for a swim and you just feel amazing afterwards.” The rejuvenating effects of the sea is nothing new, but it takes on a special significance in the depths of winter. By embracing the cold water, the swimmers can overcome the seasonal blues that come along this time of year.
One of the driving factors behind sea swimming’s surge in popularity is the awareness of how it impacts our wellbeing, specifically our mental health. The anticipation, the plunge and the inevitable scream as the cold penetrates your bones is part of the appeal. Amy Kelly, another frequent swimming, speaks about how “if you are worried, you can come down for a swim and leave all your worries to the sea.” The biting cold is so overpowering that it takes the full focus of your mind, letting everything else go for that moment.
Aside from the sea swimming evangelists, there are those who come down for a dip just for some fun. For these casual swimmers, a whole industry has built up around them. At any of the major swimming points, there will certainly be a repurposed truck selling coffee and pastries as a reward for the brave bathers. In a very Nordic fashion, saunas have become available by these swimming areas too and have become immensely popular. From the biting cold into the blistering heat. The bars and restaurants capitalise on this too, offering a warm place for a drink and a meal while the cold swimmers warm back up. What was just a niche ritual has created a flourishing ecosystem of businesses around it.
There are no urban experiences as invigorating as a dip in the Irish Sea. This wellness ritual, even in the depths of winter, is not set to change any time soon. The city has grown and changed around it, but this uniquely Dublin ritual is set to remain. If Joyce’s characters were haunted by the sea, the modern Dubliner embraces it.
To learn more about the Forty Foot and the coast of Dublin, take a look at the profile about it on Ireland’s tourism website.
