Real Life | Irish women bare it all for charity

Would you be brave enough to bare it all and take a short swim to raise money for charity? No? Well, there are thousands of women currently doing that across the country.

It’s that time of year again. Women (and some men) will brave the elements and the fear of being naked in public and take a short swim to raise much needed funds for local cancer charities.

The annual Dip in the Nip event, the brainchild of Mayo woman Maire Garvey, has been taking place across the country in recent weeks. And there is still time for you to participate. The first Wexford event will take place on Sunday, August 16 with all proceeds going to the New Ross Community Hospital. There is also a North East event taking place on Sunday, September 6. To ensure privacy, participants only find out the location of the swim 48 hours before the event.

All of the money that is raised locally, stays locally. In Sligo, for instance, all of the funds raised at their recent event went to Shout Cancer Care, an initiative that provides support to cancer patients and their families.

Women who have been directly and indirectly affected by cancer have been flocking in their hundreds to partake in this novel event, as a mark of gratitude for life and to embrace and rejoice their bodies.

Indeed, the event is more than just being brave and going in the nip for a swim. As what happened at the recent Sligo event on Dunmoran Strend, women gathered in a circle after the swim to reflect and remember those that they have lost or who are currently undergoing cancer treatment.

Almost half a million has been raised to date, with that number set to increase again this year.

Check out Dip in the Nip for further details.