The 40 Foot in Sandycove is famous for its all year-round swimmers. You can be sure to see them swimming in rain, snow and just about every element that nature can throw at them. It is a little community of swimmers who share this daily ritual.
Every winter groups of tourists drive up at Sandycove in their coaches and make their way up to the 40 Foot. With bemused expressions on their faces they pull out their Nikon Cameras and start to photograph the crazy Irish Men and Women swimming in near Artic conditions.To them, it looks like a group of Catholics taking penance to the extreme."They are probably praying when they are in the water", they whisper to each other. They see pink shivering flesh emerge slowly from the swelling water. The swimmers grasp the railing on the steps like a lifeline. They shake off the excess water as they walk towards their bundle of folded clothes in the open changing rooms. The tourists, having watched the spectacle, tighten their scarves and take a last look at the brave sea warriors before marching up the James Joyce Tower.
