WHY FORTY FOOT MEN ONLY
I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS SWIM [WHEN I PLANNED TO PHOTOGRAPH THE FORTY FOOT ON CHRISTMAS MORNING]
Brave Souls and Rough Seas: The Christmas Swim of 2025
There are few traditions in Dublin as enduring, or as bone-chilling, as the Christmas Day swim at the Forty Foot in Sandycove. It is a rite of passage, a hangover cure, and a charity fundraiser all rolled into one freezing, festive package.
However, Christmas 2025 will be remembered not just for the thousands who turned up, but for the fierce easterly winds that forced a dramatic change of plans.
The Great Migration to the Cove
If you were down at the coast this Christmas morning, you would have seen the usual sea of Santa hats, dry robes, and shivering bodies. But you would also have noticed something different: the famous rocky promontory of the Forty Foot was largely off-limits for swimming.
The weather gods were feeling particularly boisterous this year. With a strong easterly airflow whipping up the Irish Sea, a formidable swell was crashing against the rocks. The Forty Foot—usually the main stage for thrill-seekers to leap into the deep—was deemed too dangerous. The risk of being dashed against the jagged stones was simply too high.
But Dubliners are not easily deterred. in a remarkable scene, the thousands of swimmers, initially gathered at the point, migrated a few hundred yards to the safety of Sandycove Beach.
While the Forty Foot offers a "leap of faith," Sandycove provides a sheltered, sandy entry. The result was a packed, shoulder-to-shoulder wading experience. The tiny beach was a kaleidoscope of red hats and pale skin, with the atmosphere shifting from daredevil bravado to a communal "we’re all in this together" huddled warmth. It was chaos, but of the most joyful variety.
A "Gentlemen’s" History
For visitors, the obsession with this specific spot might seem strange. Why here? The answer lies in its quirky history.
For the vast majority of its existence, the Forty Foot was a "Gentlemen’s Bathing Place." And by "bathing," they didn't mean splashing about in board shorts. This was a nudist spot. The seclusion of the walls allowed men to strip off completely ("togs off") and swim in the buff. It was a club of sorts, where butchers swam alongside barristers, united by the freezing water.
The nudity rule was strictly enforced by the exclusion of women, a ban that only ended in the 1970s following protests by equal rights activists who staged "swim-ins" to reclaim the waters. Today, while you might still spot the occasional brave soul maintaining the nudist tradition at dawn, Christmas Day is strictly a "togs on" affair due to the sheer volume of families and cameras.
The Tallest Men in Ireland?
Perhaps the most enduring memory for locals of a certain generation is the signage. I remember clearly the old sign that read:
"40 Foot Men Only"
It was a grammatical disaster that provided endless amusement. To the literal-minded child (or the sarcastic adult), it didn't imply a gender restriction at a place named "The Forty Foot." Instead, it implied a height restriction.
The joke was that you had to be a giant—at least 40 feet tall—to be allowed entry. One can only imagine the formidable swimming team Ireland could have assembled if that were true!
A Name Shrouded in Mystery
That sign also begs the question: Why is it called the Forty Foot?
Despite the local jokes, the water is not 40 feet deep (it’s actually quite manageable), nor is the bathing area 40 feet wide. The most likely historical explanation is less romantic but more martial: the 40th Regiment of Foot, a British Army regiment, was stationed at the adjacent Martello Tower in the 19th century. The soldiers used the spot for washing, and the name stuck.
A Day to Remember
The 2025 swim may have been moved to the shallow sands of Sandycove due to the weather, but the spirit remained untouched. Whether leaping from a rock or wading from the beach, the biting cold of the Irish Sea remains the great equaliser.
Here’s to the brave thousands who swam, the safety marshals who kept them safe, and the 40-foot tall men who were nowhere to be found.
Brave Souls and Rough Seas: The Christmas Swim of 2025
There are few traditions in Dublin as enduring, or as bone-chilling, as the Christmas Day swim at the Forty Foot in Sandycove. It is a rite of passage, a hangover cure, and a charity fundraiser all rolled into one freezing, festive package.
However, Christmas 2025 will be remembered not just for the thousands who turned up, but for the fierce easterly winds that forced a dramatic change of plans.
The Great Migration to the Cove
If you were down at the coast this Christmas morning, you would have seen the usual sea of Santa hats, dry robes, and shivering bodies. But you would also have noticed something different: the famous rocky promontory of the Forty Foot was largely off-limits for swimming.
The weather gods were feeling particularly boisterous this year. With a strong easterly airflow whipping up the Irish Sea, a formidable swell was crashing against the rocks. The Forty Foot—usually the main stage for thrill-seekers to leap into the deep—was deemed too dangerous. The risk of being dashed against the jagged stones was simply too high.
But Dubliners are not easily deterred. in a remarkable scene, the thousands of swimmers, initially gathered at the point, migrated a few hundred yards to the safety of Sandycove Beach.
While the Forty Foot offers a "leap of faith," Sandycove provides a sheltered, sandy entry. The result was a packed, shoulder-to-shoulder wading experience. The tiny beach was a kaleidoscope of red hats and pale skin, with the atmosphere shifting from daredevil bravado to a communal "we’re all in this together" huddled warmth. It was chaos, but of the most joyful variety.
A "Gentlemen’s" History
For visitors, the obsession with this specific spot might seem strange. Why here? The answer lies in its quirky history.
For the vast majority of its existence, the Forty Foot was a "Gentlemen’s Bathing Place." And by "bathing," they didn't mean splashing about in board shorts. This was a nudist spot. The seclusion of the walls allowed men to strip off completely ("togs off") and swim in the buff. It was a club of sorts, where butchers swam alongside barristers, united by the freezing water.
The nudity rule was strictly enforced by the exclusion of women, a ban that only ended in the 1970s following protests by equal rights activists who staged "swim-ins" to reclaim the waters. Today, while you might still spot the occasional brave soul maintaining the nudist tradition at dawn, Christmas Day is strictly a "togs on" affair due to the sheer volume of families and cameras.
The Tallest Men in Ireland?
Perhaps the most enduring memory for locals of a certain generation is the signage. I remember clearly the old sign that read:
"40 Foot Men Only"
It was a grammatical disaster that provided endless amusement. To the literal-minded child (or the sarcastic adult), it didn't imply a gender restriction at a place named "The Forty Foot." Instead, it implied a height restriction.
The joke was that you had to be a giant—at least 40 feet tall—to be allowed entry. One can only imagine the formidable swimming team Ireland could have assembled if that were true!
A Name Shrouded in Mystery
That sign also begs the question: Why is it called the Forty Foot?
Despite the local jokes, the water is not 40 feet deep (it’s actually quite manageable), nor is the bathing area 40 feet wide. The most likely historical explanation is less romantic but more martial: the 40th Regiment of Foot, a British Army regiment, was stationed at the adjacent Martello Tower in the 19th century. The soldiers used the spot for washing, and the name stuck.
A Day to Remember
The 2025 swim may have been moved to the shallow sands of Sandycove due to the weather, but the spirit remained untouched. Whether leaping from a rock or wading from the beach, the biting cold of the Irish Sea remains the great equaliser.
Here’s to the brave thousands who swam, the safety marshals who kept them safe, and the 40-foot tall men who were nowhere to be found.
FORTY FOOT MEN ONLY