IRELAND. As Nuala Moore and Anne Marie Ward of Ireland are awaiting the sub-5°C water this coming Sundayin Port na Blath together with Ram Barkai, founder of the International Ice Swimming Association.

Ram will certify Nuala and Anne Marie’s New Year’s Eve ice swim where the water temperature must be lower than 5°C for the mile swim. The duo will do the extreme swim in traditional swimwear and one non-neoprene swim cap.

“I went into the lake at 6 degrees and it fairly blew me. It is going to be tough, but that’s the excitement,” said Nuala. “It calls to mind this footage that dates back to 1923. It is so exciting to see how swimming in cold water was such a spectator sport back in the 192os even with prizes.“

View the 1923 footage of the Christmas morning race at Clontarf. Dublin, Ireland here.

Additional films are here and here where the spectators appeared to dress much better back then than now.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source