Our History

Over 100 Years of Open Water Swimming

Leinster Open Sea and its predecessor, the Open Sea Committee, started out over 100 years ago as a collaboration between Leinster swimming and Waterpolo clubs to organise a calendar of 'open invitation' sea swims.

Back then individual clubs would hold their own member-only races, and some would extend an open invitation to non-members to take part in one of their races each summer. The committee, comprised of volunteers from different Leinster clubs, took on the task of coordinating these open invitation races and forming a yearly calendar. With the passage of time, that coordinating team became known as the Leinster Open Sea Committee.

As the popularity of open sea swimming grew, so did the list of annual swims on the Leinster Open Sea calendar. From an initial handful of races, the calendar has grown to include 30+ annual races, and Leinster Open Sea now runs 2-3 races each week between May and September.

There is a huge honour to winning one of the Leinster Open Sea races. Many of the original historic cups from the early 20th century are still in circulation and new winners have their names engraved alongside previous heroes and legends.

A unique feature of Leinster Open Sea races is the timing handicap system. A swimmer's handicap is based on their speed, with slower swimmers starting first and faster swimmers following at 15-second intervals. This system gives everyone a fair chance of winning and has provided for some epic race finishes.

The summer calendar of 30+ races also forms part of an annual league, with swimmers competing for top place in their age category and for the much-coveted overall Swimmer of the Year (SOTY) prize. To add to the excitement, there is an annual Club of the Year (COTY) category with clubs awarded points based on the finishing positions of their first 4 swimmers' home in each race.

In 2013 Leinster Open Sea became a recognised club in its own right, and in 2025 Leinster Open Sea became incorporated as Leinster Open Sea Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG).

The dedicated team of Leinster Open Sea volunteers continues in the spirit of the original founders to promote collaboration, inclusivity and sportsmanship while supporting as many people as possible to safely enjoy the sport of open sea swimming.

Further historic information can be found at dublinswimmingclub.ie/cups/