TRALEE Bay Swimming Club has announced details of The 65th Annual Christmas Day Swim in Fenit.

Once again the collection will be in aid of RNLI Fenit Lifeboats. The swim will take place at 12 noon and will begin with The traditional singing of Jingle Bells. Santa will then sound the bell  for the first of three dashes into the water.

The winter swimmers will enjoy a longer swim. The Fenit Christmas swim is one of the oldest in the country and is the largest in Kerry.

Continued below…

There will be around 800 swimmers on the day with another estimated 2000 family members cheering them on.

Here’s what it looked like last year…

The Lifeboat crews will be there collecting and will have loads of hot teas, coffees and soup available so please give generously. They will also be in the water for your safety.

Organisers ask that people arrive early and park sensibly. Parking will be at a premium and many will have to walk a small bit.

Please follow these safety guidelines

1) Arrive in plenty of time

2) Wear your swimwear under your clothes .

3) Stay dressed and warm until the last minute .

4) It is advisable to wear footwear to avoid cutting your feet on any stones .

5) Do NOT dive directly into the water . Wet your face first and gradually lower yourself in.

6) When the swim is over , get dried off and put on layers of warm clothes and a hat as quickly as possible and get a hot drink of tea , coffee , chocolate or soup .

7) Avoid alcohol completely before the swim and afterwards for at least a half an hour until you are warm . Alcohol will interfere with the warming up process and can react badly to cold shock .

8) Have a great time and enjoy the atmosphere and craic!