What on earth could link swimming at the Forty Foot in Dublin and Electric Picnic's Comedy Arena 2024? That would be Ardal O'Hanlon, one of Ireland's best known and surely most loved comedians.

Ireland's largest and most loved festival, Electric Picnic is back again August 16th - 18th 2024 and starring on stage is the incomparable Ardal O'Hanlon. 

Now, what links him to the iconic swimming spot in Dublin Bay, the Forty Foot you ask?

Well, a few years ago the very man set off to find out why the Irish have such a propensity for cursing and made a TV show about it called Holy F***. In one of the segments O'Hanlon investigates how cursing can help with such things as exposure to cold water - like when you jump into the seas around Ireland.

And the show, produced by Loosehorse, used some of my imagery, see credits below.

This same show saw Ardal O'Hanlon interviewing the renowned fan of profanities, Bob Geldof who I photographed at Electric Picnic in 2015.

So, if you're headed to Electric Picnic 2024 then why not stop by the Comedy Arena for a rib-tickling break from your music weekend.

Here is the current line-up for the Comedy Arena at Electric Picnic 2024 including headliners Russell Howard and Katherine Ryan.

Here, Simon Amstell from his appearance in 2014.

I took a return to Dublin's famous swimming location, the 40-Foot or Forty Foot on Dublin Bay recently.

Swimmers were braving the not-so-cold, but stormy waters of the Irish Sea south of Ireland's capital on Dublin Bay.

A beautiful place to swim, to visit and to photograph I'm sure you'll agree.

Here, one of my previous visits: https://panoramicireland.com/blog-ireland-guide/forty-40-foot-dublin-irish-sea-swimming

Dublin's Forty Foot is a famous swimming location, perhaps one of the most famous in the world, attracting the likes of Loudon Wainwright III when he visits Ireland and thousands of locals on Christmas Day each year.

Despite the name, the Forty Foot is not home to waves forty feet high, nor is the water forty feet deep. The Forty Foot was home to the British Army's 40th Regiment of Foot, hence the name Forty Foot or 40 Foot.

Anyway if it was forty feet deep we would have to rename it to "The 12.2 Metre" or "The Twelve Metre".

Here is one of my videos made at the Forty Foot on Christmas Day 2018, when thousands of people turn out to swim in the cold Irish Sea, many for charity and good causes but also for a challenge and some fun.

In the aftermath of Storm Desmond who swept across Ireland in the first week of December 2015 and despite warnings from infamous TV reporter Teresa Mannion these Irish men and women kept alive the brave daily tradition of swimming in the country's coastal waters year round.

Despite strong winds and heavy sea swells, the morning was bright and cheery. No sign of a clear sunrise for the photographer but plenty of soft sunlight that helped me to instruct my student during the early morning photography workshop close to Dublin on the Irish Sea.

Our morning's start was late as sunrise in Dublin in December is approx. 08:20, compared to an unsociable 04:55 in June.