Coastal Swimming

With the help of author Brendan MacEvilly’s part guidebook, part travelogue, ‘At Swim’, we look at some stunning coastal locations in Ireland where you can explore the thrills, fears and joys of swimming.

Sea swimming is the great leveller; we’re all the same in a pair of togs. No one minds who you are or what you’ve done; the question is ‘are you getting in?’ Popular for centuries, sea swimming has had a recent surge in interest with a growing community taking the plunge. The distraction that the bracing water provides, and the need to focus on the simple process of keeping afloat, swimming helps to clear the mind. For a few minutes you are freed from the constant flow of your thoughts. The sea is a source of healing too. People have been ‘taking to the waters’ for centuries. Swimmers claim the sea relieves aches and ills of all kinds, from hangovers to sciatica, from diabetes to depression. More importantly, swimming in the sea is incredible fun; it generates a natural high.

Read more in the July issue…