A Forkhill man has kicked off his annual ‘dip a day’ charity tradition – plunging himself into ice cold water every day in December to raise money for the Southern Area Hospice.
Diarmuid Farmer, or ‘Wooly’ as he is known, is no stranger to a challenge, as he runs Red Branch Bushcraft, a school which offers survival skills, courses and camps in the foothills of Slieve Gullion.
He started the challenge back in 2022, when he raised just under £1,500 for the charity.
In 2023, he raised just over £1,000, alongside promoting the sale of Southern Area Hospice woollen bobble hats.
This year, Wooly has set a target of £2,000.
The entire journey is being chronicled on Diarmuid’s YouTube and Facebook profiles and he hopes to make his final dip on New Year’s Day.
Speaking to Armagh I during last year’s fundraiser, Diarmuid said: “The motivation is tough, every single day. When it’s dreary, rainy, miserable and it’s six in the morning, dark and you have to walk out to the tub, that’s the hard time to do it. That’s when you’re earning your keep.
“When you’re in the colder water it’s more difficult. Anything after two minutes actually can be quite painful because of the way it’s affecting your muscles.
“The mental challenge is always the same no matter what… but it’s actually a little bit more exciting when you have snow and ice!”
You can follow Diarmuid’s journey or make a donation by visiting his Facebook and YouTube pages.
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