Pictures: Festive swimmers take a chilly Christmas Day plunge into the sea off Co Down

Brave swimmers have taken to the choppy and cold waters off the Co Down coast for a Christmas day dip.
The swimmers head out into Belfast Lough from Helen's Bay beach in Co Down for their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press EyeThe swimmers head out into Belfast Lough from Helen's Bay beach in Co Down for their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
The swimmers head out into Belfast Lough from Helen's Bay beach in Co Down for their annual Christmas Day plunge. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye

(Scroll all the way down for more photographs)

The annual outing took place as usual on the beaches between Crawfordsburn and Helen’s Bay.

See these photographs of the nervous anticipation, then joy, of the bathers.

(L-R) Podsters Swimming Club bathers get musical accompaniment at Helens Bay ahead of their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye(L-R) Podsters Swimming Club bathers get musical accompaniment at Helens Bay ahead of their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
(L-R) Podsters Swimming Club bathers get musical accompaniment at Helens Bay ahead of their annual Christmas Day plunge. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was wet, windy and chilly this festive morning anyway, so these swimmers

There was more than one group of swimmers, some this morning and others at lunchtime.

A group called Crawfordsburn and Helens Bay Villages posted the following message on Facebook about their charity swim:

“Helens bay Annual Christmas Eve Charity Swim - hundreds took the plunge at 12.30 to raise funds for the local Store House Charity — well done to everyone.”

(L-R) Sev.G, Daniel Howes and Tiga Dengie keep warm by running to the water at Helen's Bay for their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye(L-R) Sev.G, Daniel Howes and Tiga Dengie keep warm by running to the water at Helen's Bay for their annual Christmas Day plunge.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
(L-R) Sev.G, Daniel Howes and Tiga Dengie keep warm by running to the water at Helen's Bay for their annual Christmas Day plunge. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The water temperature in Belfast Lough was estimated to be around seven degrees and choppy waves greeted the Brompton Belles and Beaux as they braved a dip a few miles from Helen’s Bay, in Bangor, Co Down.

However there was hot chocolate and mulled wine along with mince pies and shortbread to warm up afterwards.

Marie-Therese Davis-Hanson was among the swimmers who start their day with a sea dip all year round.

“It was about 7.2 degrees in there this morning,” she told PA.

We're in the water on Christamas Day!

(L-R) Fiona Boyd, Kyla Philips and Helen Armstrong at Helen's Bay.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press EyeWe're in the water on Christamas Day!

(L-R) Fiona Boyd, Kyla Philips and Helen Armstrong at Helen's Bay.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
We're in the water on Christamas Day! (L-R) Fiona Boyd, Kyla Philips and Helen Armstrong at Helen's Bay. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nicola Woods added: “The temperature will go down to at least four degrees in the months ahead, last March we got to about three degrees where there was frost on the sea weed and it was properly cold, painful.”

Ms Davis-Hanson said the Christmas swim was a little more special as a chance to catch up with friends over a mulled wine before Christmas dinner.

Ms Woods added: “It’s a chance to get a bit of peace and quiet before the madness of the day, taking a bit of time for yourself, getting in and really enjoying the wild weather. But it’s still lovely at the same time.”

The group have been facing an additional challenge in recent weeks after Storm Barra broke the ladder they use to get into the sea, they added that the best Christmas present they could receive would be seeing it fixed by the local council.

(L-R) Debbie Irwin and Ruth Donnell just before they took their Christmas Day plunge at Helen's Bay.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye(L-R) Debbie Irwin and Ruth Donnell just before they took their Christmas Day plunge at Helen's Bay.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
(L-R) Debbie Irwin and Ruth Donnell just before they took their Christmas Day plunge at Helen's Bay. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The beaches at Helen’s Bay and Crawfordsburn, between Bangor and Holywood, became a major centre of outdoor bathing during the Covid lockdown.

Swimmers took to the waters all the way through the winter.

At one point in the winter of 2020/2021 there was controversy about police warnings to swimmers for allegedly breaking pandemic guidance and rules on gatherings of people.

Both beaches were also popular with walkers all through lockdown.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The car parks were closed for much of the first period of restrictions in 2020, but were very popular thereafter.

For much of the winter of 2020 and 2021, the large Crawfordsburn Country Park car park had to be closed to vehicles on days when the weather was good.

Splashing around in the bitter cold of Belfast Lough on Christmas Day.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press EyeSplashing around in the bitter cold of Belfast Lough on Christmas Day.

Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye
Splashing around in the bitter cold of Belfast Lough on Christmas Day. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye

For much of the later lockdowns, driving to a location for outside exercise was one of the few things that people could do within the restrictions.

In the Republic of Ireland, cross channel swimmer Patrick Corkery was among those taking a dip at Sandycove in Dublin.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He described the festive swim as a great tradition at the Forty Foot which he has been doing for 30 years, following his father and his 10-year-old son now involved too.

However with large waves, swimmers diverted to nearby Sandycove beach for safety reasons.

“Today’s a bit wild, the Forty Foot was not suitable for getting in the water so we swam at Sandycove round the corner which was much more calm and safe,” he told the PA news agency.

“It really sets you up for the day, we got up this morning and opened all the presents from Santa, then came out here. It’s our family tradition.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Corkery, who conquered the English Channel in 2017, said weather does not daunt sea swimmers.

“But they key thing is if the waves and conditions are too rough, you don’t get in. You need a safe entry and exit,” he added.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit

now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, Editor

Related topics: