Thousands of people took part in Christmas Day swims around the country.
For many, going for a swim with family and friends on Christmas morning has become a tradition.
Others have been braving the chilly waters along the coast and in lakes to raise money for charities.
Taking the plunge! Hundreds of poeple braved the chilly waters at the Forty Foot in Sandycove in Dublin to go for a Christmas Day dip. Fair play to them all. There was a great buzz around the place @RTENews pic.twitter.com/Hyzzz3nG4P
— Fergal O'Brien (@FergalOBrien_) December 25, 2023
At the Forty Foot in Sandycove, Dublin, hundreds of people took the plunge this morning in water temperatures described as being between 9 and 10 degrees.
Aran Whelan and Adam McDonogh said that they do the swim every year as it was "good for the head" and the best way to start the day.
Arthur Ward from Glenageary, who made two trips to the Forty Foot this morning, said he goes for a dip on Christmas Day every year to raise money, which this year was going to CHI Crumlin.
"We've been doing it since 1999 for various charities from Tallaght to St Luke's to Blackrock Hospice and now for Crumlin's Childrens Hospital," he said.
The chilly conditions did not deter people from taking the plunge, with Anthony Dorna saying that it was "absolutely freezing".
"Oh my God, I can't describe it, I really can't describe it but what a feeling," he said.
The O'Keeffe family also took the plunge and said that they would encourage people to adopt a Christmas Day swim as an annual tradition.
Don O'Keeffe said it was a great way of meeting neighbours and friends from across the city.
"There is always a good mix of people here and it's very social and very friendly," he said.
In Co Galway, huge crowds gathered in Salthill for the annual Christmas Day swim, organised by the homeless charity COPE.
Over 700 swimmers braved the cold with the aim of surpassing the total sum of €41,500 raised for the charity last Christmas.
Further west, in Conamara, hundreds of swimmers gathered on Trá Mhór, in Indreabhán, for a Christmas Day dip in aid of a local fundraiser.
