Barley Cove beach in West Cork.

Dip more than just a toe!

Cork swimming enthusiasts are invited to dip more than a toe into Irish waters next month for a very special cause.

As warm summer days give way to autumn, the 2024 September Sea Swim for Childline fundraiser makes a simple request: sign up to do ten swims, any time, any place along Cork’s bountiful coastline this September. Just make sure to be safe!

The campaign, lead by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has been described by world renowned American open water swimmer, Steven Munatones, as having “no line, no lanes, no limits”.

This year will be the second outing for September Sea Swim for Childline, with 2023’s campaign proving a huge success. All funds raised will do directly to Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service, to ensure that there is always someone to listen when a child or young person needs to talk.

Anyone looking to take part can sign up by visiting septemberseaswim.com. Childline will then send participants a September Sea Swim digital pack including a swim chart, a swim checklist that includes swimming locations nationwide, and a September Sea Swim sponsorship card. Participants can use the checklist to choose ten days throughout the month and which location works best.

Friends and family can donate to a participant’s fundraising page by sharing on Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, email, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Once a participant has completed the ten swims, they will receive a September Sea Swim Certificate of Completion, and if they raise €100 or more, the ISPCC will send them a Childline Tote Bag designed to be the perfect hold-all for one’s beach life accessories.

An ISPCC spokesperson said: “Talk to any regular sea swimmer and they will extol its many benefits, from boosting wellbeing and immunity to improved sleep and enjoying a wonderful sense of camaraderie among your fellow dippers. It sounds like a tempting antidote to the stresses and strains of everyday living, doesn’t it? And it’s available to so many of us living on this island. Sometimes we just need a little push though, and ISPCC is happy to provide it this September.

“Whether you have been thinking about taking the plunge for the first time or you are a regular swimmer who is looking to push themselves, ISPCC has just the challenge for you with the September Sea Swim for Childline,” they added.