From Galway’s Blackrock diving tower to The Forty Foot in Dublin, sea swimming took over during lockdown as one of the trendiest pastimes as people had the opportunity to take up new hobbies closer to home.

Ireland has some of the most beautiful beaches, from grassy dunes to flat stretches of fine sand, and while our water temperatures do improve in the summer months, the Atlantic will never be known as a mild and temperate sea.

For that reason, sea swimmers and leisure bathers need something warm and cosy to zip themselves up into after taking a dip off the coast.

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Cue the booming popularity of the dry robe, with swimmers finding warmth and solace in a full length zip up fleece after towelling off.

The robes kept swimmers warm while facilitating the ability to change clothing with a relative degree of privacy.

Unlike tucking a towel around you under your armpits and hoping you can whip your togs off and your trousers on before the towel starts to slip, a dry robe can be zipped up like a regular jacket for secure changing.

However, with the original Dry Robe and its boutique variants costing up to €180 a pop, dry robes are not a luxury all can afford.

Looking to bring the innovative garment to the masses in an affordable way, much loved fashion giant Penneys has stepped in once again to provide a solution with their new outdoors range.

The brand originally introduced their dry robe in October 2021, and the highly anticipated outdoor garment is now coming back.

The inside of the dry robe is lined with cosy borg while the exterior is a matte black waterproof fabric.

The dry robe comes in adult and children’s sizes so the whole family can keep comfortable after a day on the beach.

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For just €50, the Penneys version is a steal.

If you want to check out some Irish dry robe brands, try Blackrock Beachwear or Cois Farraige.

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