This article made me feel a bit less crazy for doing the Lake George Polar Plunge on New Year's Day seven years in a row. I've missed the past couple years but still have the T-shirts which I wear with pride - while in my nice warm pjs, under my electric blanket, with the heat blasting - at home.

Nearly anyone can do something this extreme once. It takes a little extra eccentricity to do it multile times. I guess that personality trait might be found in the Irish.

The BBC article talks about coastal Irish swims near Dublin for recreation, for privacy, or just for getting rid of a hangover.

Just like anywhere, there are fair weather and not-so-fair weather times of year in Ireland. I'm thinking the locals probably take their own plunge in nicer weather (it's said to rain a bit less in May or September for example) but - with a rewards system with hot whiskey waiting - who knows.

And, locally, if you need a slightly more philanthropic reason to take the plunge - Special Olympics NY has statewide events of dipping in frigid waters for charity, including in Lake George.

(as described in the caption to my former Facebook profile pic:

"12-degree air temperature, 33-degree water, snow/ice on the ground:
 that, my friends, is the look of pain from feeling your whole body tingle yet be numb at the same time.....")