170 brave women went down to a beach to bare all in aid of cancer charity as part of ’emotional & empowering’ event.

Dozens of brave women went down to Derrymore beach to bare all in aid of charity.

Some 170 amazing females courageously stripped down to their birthday suits to help raise funds for Recovery Haven Kerry. The charity offers free support to people across the county suffering from cancer, as well as their families.

Women of all ages gathered on Derrymore Beach in Tralee as part of Kerry’s first-ever women’s-only charity ‘dip in the nip’ – which was described as an “emotional” and “empowering” event.

Marisa Reidy of Recovery Haven said: “It was so empowering – the feedback was brilliant.

“It was very emotional, actually. A lot of the women were there for personal reasons, everyone has their own reasons for being there.

“One lady said it was companionship among strangers. That probably sums it up entirely.

“It was fabulous all together. To see this outpouring of support from some women who have used our service, some women who know people who have used our service, just so we can be there, I suppose, as we always have been.

“It’s so important for us that we can keep doing that thanks to these amazing women who showed up this morning.”

As of this morning, over €7,500 had been raised for the charity through the Dip in the Nip, which was organised with Fenit-based Wild Water Adventures.

A new permanent structure to replace the portable building at its Tralee HQ will cost more than €460,000 and discussions are ongoing with the health and education departments about the possibility of co-funding its construction and kit-out.

In Kerry 60 people a month are diagnosed with Cancer but there are now 7,000 survivors in the county.