Florida native Brianna Kilcullen, founder of Anact, a sustainable textile business that makes hemp towels, shares her experience of embracing sauna culture in the west of Ireland.
Where do you meet people in Ireland in January, when it is cold, dark, and everyone is trying to follow their New Year's resolutions? Increasingly, the answer is: the sauna.
From coastal pop-ups to permanent indulgent spas, saunas offer warmth, conversation and connection without alcohol, and a way to shake off the winter blues by sweating together with strangers.
Traditionally in Ireland, the pub has filled that role. But for anyone taking a break from drinking, or simply craving something different, finding that kind of social space isn't always easy.
American urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg once wrote about the importance of "third places" - spaces that are neither home nor work, where people can gather easily and regularly, allowing us to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves, reducing political polarisation and building social resilience.
Alongside well-documented physical benefits, sauna culture offers something many of us are missing: unstructured, face-to-face social time. No phones, no pressure, no expectations — just people, heat and the occasional brave dash into the Atlantic.
It’s also surprisingly democratic. Saunas are mixed-gender, multi-generational spaces with no special skills or gear required (unless you count the courage to swim in the sea).
There’s a refreshing lack of judgment, too, as body image anxieties tend to melt away when everyone’s equally red-faced and wrapped in towels.
For me, sauna culture became a gateway into community when I moved from Florida to the west of Ireland. Some of my first local friendships began during sauna sessions - with the pizza-truck owner, cinema club organisers, and even the county council’s sustainability officer.
In a world saturated with bad news and constant comparison, those simple conversations felt grounding and real.
Many sauna-goers pair the heat with icy Atlantic dips, creating a ritual that’s both invigorating and meditative. I first took up daily sea swimming during the pandemic after watching My Octopus Teacher, inspired by Craig Foster’s story of finding healing in cold water.
What started as a coping mechanism during lockdown became a long-term habit, and eventually part of the journey that led me to set up my sustainable textile business, Anact, which supplies hemp towels to spas and saunas around Ireland and North America.
There’s something powerful about how quickly cold water brings you into the present moment. Worries about yesterday and tomorrow don’t stand much chance against the shock of the Atlantic in January.
Follow that with a hot sauna, a hint of eucalyptus or cedarwood on the coals, and it’s hard not to feel like you’ve shed a few unnecessary layers of stress.
But what keeps people coming back isn’t just the endorphins. It’s the conversations.
From retirees to single parents grabbing a quiet hour before the school run, saunas attract a cross-section of Irish life that rarely overlaps elsewhere. There’s a gentle intimacy to chatting with strangers when everyone’s half-steaming and slightly vulnerable; the usual social barriers seem to soften, making space for genuine connection.
Unexpectedly, it's also become a place for networking, particularly refreshing for women who may feel excluded from traditional business settings. No green fees, no dress codes, no awkward small talk over wine. Just shared experience, and conversations that start naturally.
So, for me, the rise of sauna culture in Ireland speaks to something deeper than wellness trends. It reflects a growing hunger for community, for places where we can belong, even briefly, outside our family and work circles.
In the depths of Irish winter, when daylight is scarce, and motivation can dip, finding warmth in both body and spirit matters. And while the pub will always have its place, sometimes the best way to connect is over a shared sweat, a cold plunge, and a chat with someone you’ve never met before.
My favourite saunas:
Hot Box Sauna - #1 sauna operations in Ireland that recently opened a location in Jamaica. I adore the co-founders and what they are building in Ireland and beyond.
Tine Sauna - offers evening and weekend views (on a clear day you can see Clare Island). I love that they offer Pilgrim Hydration electrolytes to keep you hydrated!
Big Dipper - great for big groups + they have a hot tub and Anact towels :)
Sláinte Saunas - they have a location in Dublin and Old Head. I love Old Head because you can book in the evenings and lie on your back and look at the stars. During the day, there are great views of the fallen beech trees that hang over the beach.
Sabhna Saunas - I love the view from Keem Bay and feel like a billy goat climbing up after a dip (in a good way).
Finnlough - we recently did a photoshoot here with former professional boxer, Jason Quigley, and his wife, April, and it was unreal. Siblings Gillian and Michael Beare have done a fantastic job of curating a sauna retreat embedded in nature in Donegal that makes you feel like you have escaped into another time and dimension.
Skelling Sauna - they plant a native Irish tree to offset every tree used in sauna heating.
