By Andy Spearman
The annual Polar Plunge at Clogherhead is the start of the Christmas madness around these parts every year and this year’s event was no different.
About 100 brave souls, some would say crazy people, gathered, at the RNLI Lifeboat station on Saturday afternoon and prepared to do battle with the raging ocean. Actually the sea was like a mill pond, a very cold mill pond though.
One of the swimmers tried to convince me that “once your down you’ll be warmer than on the beach” she said. I had to take her word for it, I had neither togs nor towel with me.
The local Garda Síochána take part in this event every year and the Drogheda Superintendent Andrew Watters, and members of his team who drew the short straws, set out looking very smart in their freshly ironed uniforms.
They were much different after a short frolic in the Irish Sea!
“All the money raised from today’s event will be used to further the Special Olympics programmes across the local region, a sports organisation for people with an intellectual disability which provides athletes with a far more than the physical benefits of sport” said a disembodied voice over a loudspeaker.
It turned out to be the voice of Clogherhead’s very own Mr. Music, Tom Maguire, who added that the event is about fun, friendship and team spirit; it’s about a feeling of belonging and ultimately improving quality of life.
“Special Olympics enables athletes to achieve and win, not only in sport but in life also. Thanks to everyone here for helping to continue the great work of Special Olympics Leinster.”
All of the participants then moved to the starting line where Superintendent Watters, Special Olympics athlete Joe McDonnell, and Superintendent Charlie Armstrong from Dundalk cut the tape to allow the plungers down the beach and into the water.
The screams and gasps could well have been heard from on board a ship that was at that moment out on the horizon.
Within minutes the plungers were heading back towards us landlubbers eager to get dried and dressed.
