It’s a solid way to end the year.

Brave swimmers can wash away the troubles of 2023 with a refreshing dip in the sea in Cobh on Sunday, December 31st.

The Polar Bear Swim takes place on New Year’s Eve at 8.30am at the historic American Pier in Whitepoint, which was used by the United States forces in 1918 to land servicemen for treatment in the US Navy Base Hospital No 4 nearby.

Since then, it has been used by generations of Cobh families for swimming, the sheltered beach area being the only such amenity near the town.

“We started 2023 with a very fun swim event at Whitepoint.” say the organisers.

“As a community, we’ve created huge awareness of the history and value of The American Pier. Please join us on the last day of 2023 for our Polar Bear Swim.”

We started 2023 with a very fun swim event at Whitepoint. As a community we’ve created huge awareness of the history and value of The American Pier. Please join us on the last day of 2023 for our Polar Bear Swim. Hot drinks available after, but please bring treats! Please share! pic.twitter.com/N8wdIzSdID

— American Pier Cobh (@american_pier) December 21, 2023

Hot drinks will be available to help you warm up afterwards and everyone is encouraged to bring treats to share.

The people behind the American Pier Cobh Project say that the pier, which over the last 50 years has deteriorated into very poor condition, requires immediate attention.

If you can’t make the swim, you can still help by making a donation via a dedicated page on GoFundMe.