Santa wasn’t the only man wearing red over the festive season – because Christmas morning saw a veritable sea of red t-shirts adding to Salthill’s festive atmosphere for the 2022 COPE Galway Christmas Swim.

Now in its 33rd year, families, friends, colleagues, sports teams, schoolmates and many familiar faces took part in this long-held Christmas tradition to brave Galway Bay’s cold water in support of the local charity.

Among the familiar faces were Olympic champion rower and this year’s swim ambassador, Fiona Murtagh, who took along her family and friends to uphold their long-held Christmas swim tradition.

They were joined by Irish international footballer, Liverpool Ladies captain and Killannin native Niamh Fahey; Connacht Rugby players Jarrad Butler and Shamus Hurley-Langton, and indie band New Dad’s Fiachra Parslow, who all braved the cold in support of the charity.

The essential funds raised by an estimated 700 swimmers and dippers this year will have a direct and positive impact on the lives of vulnerable families and individuals in Galway. Last year, COPE Galway supported 2,885 people in Galway city and county across their homeless, domestic abuse and senior support services.

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