A traditional swim in the river Lee in Cork has made a comeback after a break of more than 50 years and is now expected to become an annual event.
A total of 72 men and 32 women took part in Saturday's 2km event with swimmers diving into the river by the Old Distillery on Cork's North Mall.
Participants made their way up the northern channel of the river before turning in to the southern channel to the finish line outside the newly opened Clarion Hotel on Clontarf Bridge. The event was not for the faint-hearted with entrants having to sign a disclaimer for insurance purposes.
Oswald Schmidt, of the Cork Masters Swimming Club, who participated in the swim, said he was delighted that hundreds of people had turned out to line the bridges and quays along the route.
"I was conscious of people everywhere. Every time I looked left or right, I could see people. It was widely observed by the public, which is what we wanted. What we are doing, apart from having fun, is claiming something back which we are inclined to disregard. We have seen so little use of the river. We were very proud to be part of this event." The overall fastest swimmer was Gerard Mangan, with a time of 25 minutes and 40 seconds.
He was presented with the Lee Swim Trophy which dates back to 1916.
Meanwhile, the fastest female swimmer was Ciara Kelleher, who took 27 minutes and 52 seconds to complete the course.
Dating back to 1914, the Lee Swim was revived by the Cork Masters Swimming Club as part of the events to mark the city's year as European Capital of Culture.
The swim was moved out to the harbour in the 1950s due to the quantity of effluent being pumped in to the river.
It was last held in the harbour in 1987, but a swim in the river Lee hasn't taken place since the 1950s.
The Inniscarra Dam, located on the outskirts of Cork city, was opened to ensure there was a sufficient volume of water in the river for the swim. Cork's drainage scheme has improved the water quality.
The city council, civil defence, gardaí and the Lions Club worked with the swimming club to make the swim possible.