FESTIVE swimmers have been taking the icy plunge to raise money for charity.
The SPARKS NI Annual Boxing Day Swim challenge took place on Monday at Ballyholme in Co Down.
Hundreds of people braved the freezing cold sea on Boxing Day to raise money to fund pioneering children's medical research.
SPARKS NI is funding three projects in Northern Ireland. They range from finding new ways to correct cataracts in newborns and the benefits of bifocals glasses for children born with Down's Syndrome.
Meanwhile. on Christmas Day, hundreds of swimmers took part in the annual Operation Freeze Knees dip at Portstewart strand in Co Derry.
The event was staged to raise money to support the Northern Ireland Hospice.
